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Ju 9450762
344
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, MARCH 19TH, 1868.
Police Intelligence, 17th March. BEFORE C. MAY, Esq. ILLEGAL DETENTION OF TWO COOLIES. A case of some interest came before the above ungistrate to day.
It appears that the French ship Marie Therese is now loading emigrants for Guiana, and that two men, named Chung-ahee and Chung-asum, were induced to go on board the said Marie Therese by the false representations made to to them by one Wong-alung.
The evidence of the two complainants was important. Chung-ahee said he was walking in the Queen's road on the 9th instant, together with bis friend Chung-a-sung, and that Wong-a-lung came up to them, and after some coversation asked them how they would like to go on board ship and work in the harbour; they agreed to go to work, and Wong-a lung gave them a paper, which he (Wong-a-lung) said the officer on board would require: they went ou board, but were not required to work. Wishing to return to the shore, they applied to Lai-8-800, the interpreter on board, but were told to wait and speak to the "master." when he came on board. The mother of witness came off to see him on the 15th inst., but was not admitted on board. Afterwards he was let go, when the police officers came on board. Chung-a-sung gave almost similar evidence, saying that he went on board to work in the harbour, and not to go to a foreign country. The paper given to these men by Wong-a-lang was as fol- lows I have agreed to go to the Dutch Guiana for the same purposes as mentioned in an agreement, as per translation. " Then fol lowed a translation or Chinese, Chung-a-sung said neither he nor his companion could read either the English or Chinese of the paper, and they were both ignorant of its real contents.
Wee-leen-tai, the mother of Chung-a-hee, and aunt of Chung-a-sung, said she heard her son was being detained on board the Marie Therese. and accordingly went off to see them on the 13th instant: but on arriving alongside the vessel she was warned off, she nevertheless managed to speak to her sou from the bout she was in. On returning to the shore she went and ob tained officers, and delivered her Bon and nephew on the 15th instant.
The prisoner. whose name is Lai-a-soo, stated he saw the meu come on board, they gave a paper the same as the other emigrants did who came to the ship. He recollected their asking to go ashore, but he had no authority or power whatsoever to let them go The complainants had an opportunity of speaking to Mc. Styles. the Dutch Emigration Agent here, when he come on board, but they did not do so.
Mr. May said he would make no remarks at the present stage of the case, it was most important that Wong-a-lung should be brought up, as be was evidently the man who had induced the men to go on board.
The case is therefore remanded for a week, when it is to be hoped that the Inspector in charge of the case will produce Wong-a-lung, who, we understand, is hiding at present.
Police Intelligence, March 20th.
BEFORE C. MAY, Esq.
COOLIE MUTINY ON BOARD THE "MARIE THERESE."
This case was again brought forward to-day, to endeavour to fix the assault on some particular one or two of the prisoners.
Mr. Caldwell appeared for the prosecution. Ka-a-hing said he was employed by Mr. Baak to procure emigrants, and he was paid $9 for every emigrant he put on board a ship, but he has to pay for their provisions during the time the vessel might be in harbour,
Mr. Caldwell here said Mr. Baak would like to make a statement, the witness was not em- ployed by Mr. Baak as he had said.
Ka-a-hing said he was employed by Wai-shing, who is employed by Mr. Baak, he was paid by Wai-shing, he had nothing to do with Mr. Baak. He could not identify any of the pri soners as having been procured by him; he used generally to post paper on the walls at West Point, to say that a vessel was going to take emigrants, he believed Mr. Baak had other agents.
Mr. Caldwell explained that there was a shop ot West Point called Man-fook-wah, where the cooliescame to engage themselves, the Wai-shing. shop had nothing to do with this matter.
Aa-a-hing continued, there were faurieen or more men stopping at the Man-fook-wah, they were mostly agents to get emigrants, they all stop at the bouse, the whole fourteen are in partnership, and share the bounty which is re- ceived for procuring the emigrants.
Mr. May asked how it was that it required so many as fourteen men to procure the coolies, it they all stop in the same house P
Ka-a-hing said some of the men looked after the books, some attended to the provisions, and i some were friends, who were given shares in the affair for friendship's sake. He got for his! share about $3 a mouth; all men actively en- ! gaged in the Coon get 33 a month extra. There are eight men actively engaged in the Coon, and six in the country, looking for coolies. The head man's name in the Coon was Lec-a-fook The whole of the fourteen are employed by the A-shing shop. Sometimes it is a losing busi- ness, on account of the ship waiting a long time, and the fourteen partners having a good deal to spend for provisions. Circulars are sent to the villages, and they induce the coolies to come down from their native villages. Fe recognised the prisoners, as having all passed through the floon. On Monday, Mr. Bank, the master of the A-shing shop, and himself went on board the Marie Therese, hearing there was a disturbanes going ou on board
Mr. Caldwell said no emigrant could go on board without a sort of short permit from the Coon.
Ka-a-hing, further examined, said: When the coolies came to the Coon they were shown a paper of agreement, stating how much the coolies would get if they went to Holland (2 and how many years they would have to go fae. They could not be engaged anywhere else. or get a paper of agreement anywhere lat at the Coon (Man fook-wah). The coolies were ; sometimes kept in the Coon a few days. The paper which is given to the evolies before they. go on board was the same as shown to him. If the emigrant, on getting on board, was to say he would rather stay at Hongkong, he would not be senf, but he must be seen by the mate
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