366
The fourteen men who were arrested in connection with this second fray were tried by Mr Mitchell-Innes at the Police Court this afternoon. The evidence given will be found below. Dr Ho Kai, instructed by Mr Caldwell, appeared on behalf of Lo Aluk for the prosecution, and Mr Wilson, of Messrs Wotton and Deacon, for the defence. The evidence given against the men seemed to implicate them in the attack, but there was a good deal of divergence in the individual prisoners identified by the constables. The most unsatisfactory witness was a Chinese detective, whose complicity or at least knowledge of the on-goings might have been guessed at from the manner in which he gave his evidence. Mr Wilson, who cross-examined him but could elicit from him nothing but a bare denial, said he was perfectly satisfied that he knew all about the case and his Worship animadverted on the character of a detective who refused to say what he evidently knew.
That the Chinese lukongs are not unconnected with this affair is strongly suspected by the authorities and this afternoon a detective named Afat was arrested along with a batch of about twenty other prisoners, alleged members of the Triad Society and instigators of the disturbance that occurred yesterday. In fact, it is said, that this Afat is one of the head ring-leaders of the Society and that he has been making a very good thing of it, pocketing a dollar or two from every new member.
It will be remembered that quite recently a charge of detention was brought against a certain shopman from whose house it was said a Chinaman detained for emigration purposes had thrown himself out of the window to escape being sent away, the charge was unsubstantiated and a charge of perjury was brought against the complainants. Now it is said that the attack yesterday evening arose out of this charge of perjury being persisted in. But whatever may be the exact origin of the affair there is no doubt that this Triad Society is at the bottom of the whole matter and that it will either have to be suppressed promptly or an order made that all such societies shall be duly registered by the Government. This latter course, which is adopted in Singapore, seems to be the best way out of the difficulty.
At first only the prisoners connected with the second disturbance were charged with the felony of belonging to a secret society; and it was the intention to proceed with this case with the utmost celerity so as to have it tried at the Supreme Court at the Criminal Sessions next Friday. We understand, however, that this charge of being connected with a secret society may be brought against all the prisoners, and before a thorough investigation can be made into the affair a longer time than six days will, we fear, be required.
The following is the evidence taken at the trial of the fourteen men this afternoon:
The fourteen men were tried before Mr Mitchell-Innes at the Police Court in the afternoon, Superintendent Deane being also on the bench. The men were charged at the instance of Lo Aluk, head coolie, or keeper of a coolie house, with fighting and creating a disturbance and with being members of the Triad Society; the first, second and third were also charged with cutting and wounding Wong Sa Fak, and the fourteenth was further charged with being armed with a deadly weapon, namely a sword.
Duncan Macdonald P.C. No. 15, said: Yesterday a report was made to him about 7:30 that there was a fight taking place at Gough Street. He got the instructions from Inspector Mathieson and went to No. 6 Gough Street, accompanied by four or five constables. He arrested there 7 men pointed out by Lo Aluk, the complainant. Those were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th prisoners. He seized about sixty fighting poles, some of bamboo and some of wood. They were found on the ground floor of the room. The men were all greatly excited.
He found a man wounded in the Central Station; he had two long cuts in the back and one on the right hip. That man picked out the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prisoners, and said they were the men who wounded him. The injured man was taken to the Civil Hospital. The house where he arrested the men was a coolie house. There were no other persons on the same floor. The men were very quiet when he went in. He found the sticks in the same floor.
Cross-examined: He saw a good many people outside the house. All was quiet outside when he went down. The report made to him was that there was fighting in the street. He arrived on the spot between 7:30 and 8 p.m. He saw the complainant, Lo Aluk, in Gough Street, about 10 yards from Aberdeen Street. He afterwards saw him in the house. He had had no communication with Lo Aluk about going to Gough Street. He took Lo Aluk for a respectable man, and he pointed out the men who had been fighting to him. The men did not offer any opposition to his entering the house. There were a few Chinese constables with him when the arrest was made, but he could not tell their numbers, as they were in plain clothes. Most of the sixty poles were found inside the room about the door. None of the seven men had fighting poles in their hands. He was not the first to enter the house. There were two doors. He was standing at the front door. An entrance was made from the side door. P.C. No. 17, with other constables, entered from the side door. He could not say whether they appeared like men who had gone inside to avoid the row or were connected with the row.
It was dark when he entered and he could not say then whether there were more present at the time. A light, however, was afterwards got. No knives or other fighting weapons were found on the men. Lo Aluk was the only man who pointed out the seven men to him.
Re-examined: He could swear positively to the 1st, 2nd and 8th being of the seven he arrested. The poles were scattered on the floor. There were only four or five outside. He was quite sure that he went straight to No. 6 Gough Street. He entered that house because there were most people about it. He entered on his own discretion.
By the Bench: Lo Aluk said in Chinese to him in the house "These are some of the men who have been fighting."
P.C. Gillies, said: Along with four or five constables he went to Gough Street. Lo Aluk was in the charge room making a complaint to Inspector Matheson; Lo Aluk went along with them and pointed out that the men were in No. 6. The front door was locked and they could not get in by it. They then went to the side door and burst it open. They found seven men in the house, whom Lo Aluk pointed out to him. There were the 1st, and 2nd, 4th and 5th, and 9th he recognised positively; No. 6 he was not sure about. The men were taken to the gaol. Some were standing on beds, some of them were in the cook house, some were near the front door. The bamboo sticks were standing against the door leading to the cook house or scattered about the floor. When the police went in the men in their hurry upset several lamps, leaving only one small lamp burning.
Cross-examined: The door was fastened from the inside so as to prevent anyone entering. They tried to escape when he entered. There was nobody outside but the police, and he thought it was of the police that they were afraid. When he went to the house he found a great number of people shouting outside. He did not see any poles outside. The side door was only in the form of a thin partition and was easily knocked in. The men were running about the room and when captured were identified by Lo Aluk as having made the attack on his house.
P.C. Duncan Macdonald said: He went down with P.Cs. 17 and 15 and Lo Aluk to No. 6 Gough Street. The complainant pointed to No. 6. They tried to get in at the front door but could not manage it.
366
The fourteen men who were arrested in connection with this second fray were tried by Mr Mitchell-Innes at the Police Court this afternoon. The evidence given will be found below. Dr Ho Kai, instructed by Mr Caldwell, appeared on behalf of Lo Aluk for the prosecution, and Mr Wilson, of Messrs Wotton and Deacon, for the defence. The evidence given against the men seemed to implicate them in the attack, but there was a good deal of divergence in the individual prisoners iden tified by the constables. The most unsa- tisfactory witness was a Chinese detectiva, whose complicity or at least knowledge of the on-goings might have been guessed at from the manner in which he gave his evi- dence. Mr Wilson, who cross-examined him but could elicit from him nothing but a bare denial, said he was perfectly satisfied that he knew all about the case and his Worship animadverted on the character of a detective who refused to say what he evidently knew, That the Chinese lukongs are not uncou nected with this affair is strongly suspected by the authorities and this afternoon a de- tective named Afat was arrested along with a batch of about twenty other prisoners, alleged members of the Triad Society and instigators of the disturbance that occurred yesterday. In fact, it is said, that this Afat is one of the head ringivaders of the Society and that he has been making a very good thing of it, pocketing e dollar or two from every new member. It will be remembered that quite recently
à charge of detention was brought against a certain shopman from whose house it was said a Chinaman detained for emigration purposes had thrown himself ont of the This window to escape being sent. away, charge was unsubstantiated and a charge of perjury was brought against the complain. ants. Now it is said that the attack yester- terday evening arose ont of this charge of: perjury being persisted in. But whatever inay be the exact origin of the affair there is no doubt that this Trind Society is at the bottom of the whole matter and that it will either have to be suppressed promptly or an order made that all sgoh societies shall be duly tezistered by the Government. This latter course, which is adopted as Singapore, seams to be the best way out of the difficulty.
At first only the prisoners connected with the second disturbance were charged with the felony of belonging to a secret society; and it was the intention to proceed with this case with the utmost celerity so as to have it tried at the Supreme Court at the Criminal Sessions next Friday. We under- stand, however, that this charge of being connected with a secret society may be brought against all the prisoners, and before a thorough investigation can be made into the affair a longer, the than six days will, we fear, bo required. The following is the evidence taken at the trial of the fourteen men this afternoon :+
The fourteen mon were tried before Mr Mitchell-Innes at the Police Court in the afternoon, Superintendent Deane being also on the bench. The men were charged at the instance of Lo Aluk, head coolie, or keeper of a coolie house, with fighting and cresting a disturbanceand with being mem. bers of the Triad Society; the first, second and third were also charged with cutting and wounding Wong Sa Fak, and the fourteenth was further charged with being armed with a deadly weapon, namely a Bword.
Duncan Macdonald P.Č. No. 15, said- Yesterday a report was made to him about 7.30 that there was a fight taking placé at Gough Street. He got the instructions from Inspector Mathieson and went to No. 6 Gough Street. accompanied by four or five constables. He arrested there 7 men puinted out by Lo Aluk, the complainant. Those were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th prisoners. He seized about sixty fighting poles, some of bamboo and some of wood. They were found in the ground floor of the room. The men were all greatly
excited
excited. He found a ruan wounded in the Central Station; he had two long cuts in the back and one on the right hip. That man picked out the 1st, 2nd and 3rd priso- ners, and said they were the men who wound- ed him. The injured man was taken to the Civil Hospital. The house where he arreat- There were ed the men was a coolie house.
no other persone on the same floor. The He men were very quiet when he went in. found the sticks in the same fluor.
Cross-examined-He saw a good many All was quiet people outside the house. outside when he went down. The report made to him was that there was fighting in the street. He arrived on the spot!
He saw the com- between 7.30 and 8 p.m. plainant, Lo Aluk, in Gough Street, about 10 yarda from Aberdeen Street. He after- wards saw him in the house. He had had no i communication with Lo Aluk about go- ing to Gough Street. He took Lo Aluk: for a respectable man, and he pointed out the men who had been fighting to him. The men did not offer any opposition to his entering the house. There were a few Chinese constables with him when the arrest was made, but he could not tell their numbers, as they were in plain clothes. Most of the sixty poles were found inside the room about the door. None of the sevon men had fighting poles in their hands, He was not the first to enter the house. There were two doors. He was standing at the front door. An entrance was made from the aide door. P.C. No. 17, with other constables, entered from the side door. He euld not say whether they ap peared like men who had gone inside to avoid the row or were connected with the It was dark when he entered and he could not say then whether there were more present at the time. A light, however, was afterwards got. No knives or other fighting weapons were found on the men. Lo Aluk was the only man who pointed out the seven men to him.
row.
Re-examined-He could swear positively to the 1st, 2nd and 8th being of the seven he arrested. The poles were scattered on the floor. There were only four or five outside. He was quite sure that he wet straight to No. 6 Gough Street. He entered that house because there was most people about it. He entered on his own discre tion.
By the Bench-Lo Aluk said in Chinese
to him in the house These are some of the men who have been fighting.
P.C. Gillies, said-Along with four or five constables he went to Gagh Street. Lo Alak was in the charge room making a com- plaint to Inspector Matheson; Lo Alux went along with them and pointed out that the men were in No. 6. The front door was locked and they could not get in by it, They then went to the side door and burst it open. They found seven men in the house, whom Lo Aluk pointed out to him. There were the 1st, and 2nd, 4th and 5th, and 9th he recognised positively; No. 6 he The men were taken was not sure about
to the ganl. Some were standing on beds, some of them were in the cook house, some were near the front door. The bamboo sticks were standing against the door leading to the cook house or scattered about the floor. When the police went in the men in their hurry upse several lamps, leaving only one small lamp burning.
Cross-examined The door was fastened from the inside so as to prevent anyone entering. They tried to escape when he enteret. There was nobody side but the police, and he thought it was of the police that they were afraid. When he went to the house he found a great number of peo ple shoating, outside," He did not see any poles outside. The side door was only of the form of a thin partition and was easily knocked in. The men were uning about the room and when captured were identi fied by Lo Aluk as having made the attack on his house.
P. C. Duncan Macdonald said--He went down with P. Cs. 17 and 15 and Lo Aluk to No. 6 Gough Street. The complainant pointed to No. 6. They tried to get in at the front door but could not manage it.
The
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