1921-08-09 — Page 3

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A MONEY LENDING DEAL. THE WHOLE TRUTH. OR TRUTH, ON. THE WHOLE.”

JUDICIAL COMMENT ON A CURIOUS CASE,

"This case, if we could only get the truth-would surprise you; with all your Sperience." Mr. Len Longinotto told the Puise Judge (Mr. J. R. Wood) in ap Action he was defending in the Summary Court, yesterday afternoon.

Mr. O. R. Haywood", "represented an Indian moneylender. Sapoonan Singh, of Fringes Building, who claimed $1.000 from Bantra Singh and Hosain Khain, under "a promissmy note, 'jointly signed by them

on January 2nd, 1921.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY,

CHINESE MERCHANT'S

FORTUNE.

BUILT UP FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS.

DISPUTE OVER THE WILL

FIRE AND WATER.

RAIN AND FIRE CAUSE DAMAGE

IN QUEEN'S ROAD.

AUGUST STE,

CHILD SLAVERY IN HONGKONG.

Colonies:~~

1

The following resolution has been for- In the midst of heavy rain, fire brokewarded to the Secretary of State for the out, early yesterday morning at 210, | Queen's Rond West. The Fire Brigade received a call at 2.25 in. and found the Mr. F. C. Jenkin had an interesting first floor, occupied by tea dealers, well alight. The second floor was also in- story to tell in the Supreme Court, yes berate the fire could be extin terdag, whin the trial of an action guished.

The ground foor is insured with the concerning a will was begun before His

The Heung On Insurance Co. for $5.009; the Honour Mr. Justice Gomperta.

first floor with the Royal Insurance Co., testator, Lau Kong Hing, made his lifelor 25.000; and the second floor with the long "friend, Lau Shui Tsun exceufor, Sincere Insurance Co., for $1,000, and and the eldest son, the widow, and other the Heung On Insurance Co., for $500

The cause of the outbreak is unknown, persons, sought to have "the will set and the extent of damage has not yet aside on the grounds that the testator been ascertained. was, of unsound mind and was unduly influenced by the executor, the defend.

The defence was a plea under Section 3ant in the action. (b) of Ordinance 16 of 1911 which com. pels moneylenders to carry on business only at their registered address. " The borrowing and signing of the promissory

note, was not denied.

.:

Mr. C. G. Alabaster (instructed by Messrs. Dennys and Rowley) appeared far the plaintiffs, and the defendants were represented by Mr. F. C. Jenkin (instructed by Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist).

the Mr. Alabaster submitted that burden lay upon the defendant to prove the validity of the will. and Mr. Jenkin. "Mr. Haywood said he had only one accepting this view, proceeded to out and had decided not go call him.

bine his ense.

Mr. Longinotto eross-examined plaintiff as to his witnesses.

the

The plaintiff denied that the money was Jent at Repulse Bay Hotel or that he went there with the first defendant in a motor car og January 2nd.

"Whereas in the British Crown Colony of Hongkong children of all ages from infancy upwards are bought and sold into conditions of slavery and are under no effective protection from misuse, physical racity and re-sale into prostitution, the Committee of the Leagub of the Church Militant (Anglican) calls upon the Gov- ernment to take immediate steps to en- forcs and administer the existing British law against slavery and to me that Bri Huchy dinge to goods has been donezish and Chinese officials are properly by water.

instructed to this effect."

SILK STORE DAMAGED. · In the inadequate space at our disposal month by month it is ittipossible to deal The rain caused damage, the same with all the matters we could wish. even night, at the premises of Messrs. D. impossible to bring before, our renders Chellaram & Co, Indian silk merchants, all those subjects which are engaging the The active attention of the Executive of the No. 3, Queen's Rand Central

This special matter however rain drove in to the verandahs above League.

must not be passed over in complete and a considerable quantity found its

Ware silance. Our readers are doubtless way through the ceilings into Messre.

The Chinese Ch llaram's store, which contains erent already from other sources of the main

of the situation. Fact deal of valuable silks. Some of the custom of mui fazi whereby children, and assistants sleep on the first floor and they more especially girls, are sold by their It worked hard to try and cope with the

has its origin in the social and economic delags, but, in spite of all their efforts parents is tolerated in the Colony, damage, estimated at $20,000, was done conditions of the poorer classes abongst The management state that a large ship the Chinese. The Church Times whilst ment of silk had just been despatched or condensing the system points out that the loss would have been even greater,

Chinese families are so poor that the virtual selling of small girls is the alter- antive of exporing them at birth or per COERCING THE DRIVER. mitting them to die by slow starvation.

not know whether that is really SAILOR WHO WANTED TO SCORCH.sa; but, if it be, then we can only say that either of these deplorable courses Before Mr. G. N. Orme, yesterday, a would seem to us preferable to the abuses Filipino named Felix Ponciano, a ment- which arise under the system of so-called ber of the crew of the U.S. destroyer adoption. In any case we are quite clear zul, was summoned for assaulting a that what is now being done is contrary chauffeur, and claimed that he had to principles to which our Empire has once for all pledged its allegiance and received provocation...

must be made to and are comic conditions of Hongkong are also our concern; and it is plain whatver steps are taken for the moment

aust strike as the root of this disease. any effective treatment of the subject We shall need a good deal of convincing before we are persuaded that such condi tions, are population which has no thought of re- straining appetite in obedience either to morality or worldly prudence."-The' Chuurch Miliant."

The driver said that the defendant and two other sailors hired his cut for a trip round the island. He was running at moderate pace when the accused urged

Cense.

Bat

the social

inevitable, even amongst a

1.921.

Mr. Jenkinsaid that the festator However, all the persons whos: naprs

began life s'n toiler in the fields and Mr. Longinesto put to the plaintiff were cote by dint of hard work and persever at the back of the Court and the Judge ance to wealth and position. Bora of bad them brought forward and segregated peor but honest poor parents," in the in the jury-box so as to be under his eye. Sear 1933, he was, evidently, a boy of some industry and ambition but his Some of the men, the plaintiff said, were parents could not afford to give him present when the money was lent,-necord the opportunities and advantages he desired. In his spare time the youth ing to him. in Priners Building, and not studied hard at the local school and at Repulse Bay Hotel, which was the when he was 10 years of age his first At that time he venue named by the defendants..

opportunity cane! Mr. Longinetto (speaking of the latest came in contact with a Chinese gentle addition to the jury-box coffretion): This man, mavaging partner of a rice shop, man was present when the money was lent.ho was visiting, the village: Pitying the lad's poverty and inability to ad bat you are not calling him!

yauer himself, the rice merchant took Lau Kong Hing to Hongkong and found him a job as servant boy in his shop at a monthly salary of two dollars. Two Mr. Longinotto: An Indian school-rears later the boy was still in the same master went too he is a great friend of position. but evidently he was contented him to go faster. When witness told the because, when he wrote his autobio-defendant that he would be exceeding yours?

graphy later on, he voiced his pleasure the speed limit if he did, the sailor at the acquisition of so large a sum at attempted to take the steering wheel him- that age. Afterwards, however, he be self. The witness tried to prevent him, came restless, and when he was 10 years and the defendant struck him behind the old he pressed for an appointment in ear.

The accused asserted that when he some foreign country. The next year he went to Saigon and there, by great zeal. asked the complainant to go a little" secured position which carried a faster, the latter stopped the car and

Hongkong is n Crown colony, originally refused to go at all. When he remonceded by China to Great Britain in 1841. salary of thirty dollars a month.

The real beginning of his advance to strated the driver challenged him to The complete area is approximately 376 fight, so he landed" one on the car. miles in extent, and the population- fortune, was an investment of his scanty

exclusively The Magistrate decided that the case almost

Chinese-numbers. savings in a spall share in a rice mill- ing business formed by some of his

was not a serious one, and bound the nearly 600,000. uncles. He seemed never to have looked accused over in the sum of $30 to be of back from that moment. He made good behaviour for six months. money fast, and at the age of 36. he wished to retire. His uncles were against it but, shortly afterwards, his father died and that gave him on op portunity of returning to his home, where he remained for a period of three years attending to various ceremonies and details connected with the burial. Then be went back to Saigon, where he spent one more year, during which he

He managed to double his fortune. retired at the age of 40.

Plaintiff He is my No. enemy But you know him I know everybody His is your partner-Yes, we were partners, and it is through our partner ship that we became enemies. He is a man who spends money like anything.

The usurer told the Court a story (like the one that went to Shylock's heart) of how his partner once spent 3100 in one night In reply to further questions he denied that he approached one of the defendants and offered to let him off his share of the debt, and give him $30 in addition, if he would tell the Court that the money was lent at Prines Ruilding and not at Repulse Bay.

IT

I'S

INSULT

A No TO_THE_ COMMUNITY NOT TO SIGN THE PETITION FOR MORE

POPULAR REPRESENTATION:

Although good fortune had attended him throughout his carcer, ill-luck

|་

A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR. IN CONDUIT ROAD IN THE SMALL HOURS.

A Chinese was charged. before Mr. R. E. Lindsell, yesterday, with having trespassed into the servants quarters of the residence of Mr. T. Hamilton, No. 14,

Conduit Road.

The accused said that he went to the house to look for a friend.

This (the Mui Troi) is a Chinees custom whoreby possession is ontain- It# ed of young girls and boys Fearest British equivalent is adoption. object but the ren

of the system is that of obtaining domestic slaves. In the majority of cases, actuai purchasa takes place that is, the foster parent usually purchases the boy or girl, at a dollars very early age, for a sum of five

The girls become household drudges, and are, in the majority of cases, badly fed and overworked. Recently, one of these children brought, into the court stated that she had had to work from 7am. antil 2am. the next day, namely, nine- teen hours, without a break, and the only afford to give her two meals a day. Considerable numbers of these girls arc., at a later stage, disposed of for other purposes.

Mr. Longinotto: Do you think the fact Visited him in his retirement, He was found loitering in the basement of Mr. mistress admitted that she could

that I had it circulated that the Sikhs would be asked to swear on their Holy Book has influenced your witnesses, "sa that you have not any Are you willing to go to the Sikh Temple next Sunday morning and swear to the truth of your story!

Plaintiff: The Sikh Committee will not allow anyone to swear in the temple.

Mr. Longinotto I have arranged it Will you swear?

Plaintiff Yes, if the defendants will deposit the 81,000 with the Sikh Com

mittec.

Mr. J Van der Lely, proprietor of Wanchai Garage, gave evidence from his books that the brat defendant, plaintiff and others went to Repulse Bay by car on June 2nd. All the people in the ear were well known to him. Later they had breakdown, which kept the circum- stances fresh in his mind.

bed-ridden for six or seven years, but afterwards recovered and after express ing gratitude to his ancestors and to his gods he began to enjoy the fruits of his labour. His mode of life was very simple and economical, and at the age of 50 he died leaving extensive estates in China: Hongkong and Saigon. The only cloud which shadowed his otherwise successful career was trouble between himself and members of his family. That thie was so was evident from one of his documents, in which he stated his opinion that too much money was not good for certain of his relatives. The deceased arranged many safeguards against their getting hold of more than he considered good for them.

"

"Quite a Dick Whittington story," commented His Honour.

Mr. Jenkin mentioned that the testator's Hongkong estate was rockoo- ed to be worth about $45,000 and his Saigon estate between $60,000 870,000. His "Chinese property

and

Inspector Pain said that the man was

Hamilton's house at 1.45 a.m. In the corner of a room in the servant's quart ers, an electric torch was found. In alleyway, a little distance from the back door of the house, the people picked up three keys and a knife,

The policy alleged that he must have dropped these when attempting to escape.

't

be

Asked to explain why he should about so late at night, the accused said that he had just returned from Chinese theatre in town.

a

Sentence of xix weeks hard labour was passed.

ALLEGED HIGHWAY ROBBERY

GIRL THREATENED IN KOWLOON

Two Chinese were remanded, at the Magistracy, before Mr. Orme, yesterday,

a charges arising out of an attack upon Miss Julia"Ahwee, near the Kow loon Dairy Farm, on Friday..

The first defendant, Santra Singh, gave details of the borrowing which took place, he said, at Repulse Hay. His guarantor

was (the other defendant) was employed at worth about two lakhs of dollars. Mr Repulse Bay Hotel and they had to go Jenkin also dealt at length with the there to get his consent and signature, history of the relations between the The moneylender lent 8600 but required each of them to sign for $500, making his parties and commented that the sugges claim $1,000.

The witness also alleged tion that the deceased was of unsound a gold wristlet watch and a diamond hat Mr. Haywood's Indian clerk sum-mind was not made unti. years after

oned him to an interview (not a Mr. his death. Haywood's office) at

Counsel's address concluded late in the which he was offered $50, and freedom from liability for the afternoon and, after hearing one wit debt, if he would say the transaction took ness, the Court adjourned until to-day. place in Princes. Building and not at Repulse Bay Hotel. Ho refused, and he was then threatened with all sorts of penaltica

+

.

The general line of defence adopted by the Colonial Office is that this system ist an indigenous custom of the Chinese. and therefore can only be eliminated by a very slow process of reform, and it has been suggested to the Governor that a committee should be set up to watch over No the treatment of these raui, teat. suggestion has been made of the abolition of the system..

It can be stated that this system would be illegal in China because legislation introduced some years ago made illegal the sale or purchase of individuals, and, domestic servitude, under which no wages accoudly any system of adoption or Were paid to the individual concerned, was also declared to be illegal, · Thus, u Chinese system of slavery, illegal in China itself, ia tolerated in the British Crown Colony of Hongkong." - The Labour Women.

STIPEND

AFTER · INHIBITION.

#

Miss Alwee was stopped by two pea. one of whom threatened her with a dagger, while the other took from her ring Raising the alarm, Miss Ahwer pluckily gave chase. One of the men'

AN ABOMINABLE SCANDAL."

www. was caught and the watch as found in

Dr. Furse, Bishop of St. Albans, in the his pocket. The man with, the dagger Yaumati by Lance-Bergeant Cargill. The on the fact that the emolutions of in. got away but was later arrested [in | St. Albans 'Diocesan Gazette, commenta diamond ring was found in his posses cumbencies continue, under Church of England practice, to be payable to per- Dr. cons who have been inhibited. Furze states that he, recently visited a parish in bis diocese where the rector some few years ago was inhibited after trial for gross neglect of duty." "The inhibited incumbent," the bishop writes, is in the eyes of the law still the

sion.

THE BANK OF CHINA. INCREASE OF CAPITAL.

The Judge: Bat the joy ride" was He has denied denied by your client. The second defendant also described the proceedings at Repulse Bay and added that part of the story.

Mr. Haywood went on to say that it that he could not read, or write more. than his own name. Otherwise, he would was not a particularly moral defence, admitted receiving the money, to having never have signed the document. Ho

A shareholders' meeting of the Bank of thought he was signing as guarantor; he get out of it by a trick.

lu giving judgment, the Puisse Judge China was held in the office of the did not receive any money from the said he agreed with Mr. Haywood that Chinese Consortium; at Peking, recently, rector of the parish, and, what is more, usuror and had no idea he could be sued the line taken by the defence was not very and the subject of raising more capital is allowed by the law to retain for his for 2500 over and above his guarantee. creditable to the people who made use of for the bank was discussed. It will be own use, without doing any work for it, said he went to Repulse Bay, translated decide was whether, on the evidence, it that during the time of Anfu supremacy the work, cannot be paid more than a The schoolmaster already mentioned it. But the only question be had to remembered, says a Peking contemporary the bulk of the stipend attached to the living The curate-in-charge, who doen from English to Hindustani for the was substantially more probable that the the M.P's of the Anfu Club determined

to buy all new shares to be issued, thus mere pittance, on which alone it, is quite

parties and then took a walk on the beach. money was lent at Repulse Bay of the getting the control of the Bank of China, impossible to live, and has also to pro-1

think 1

Mr.

the plaintiff.

or at

to bo

Judge (to Mr. Haywood) The Princes Building. The story of of the evidence is against you; I defendants and their witnesses was

It is really almost unbeliev Haywood indicated that he hoped accepted, not merely because the witnesses but on account of the opposition of pld vide himself with a house to live in.

shareholders and the Chambers of Com to shift the balance by his address for teab, But also because, there were several merce all over China, their scheme fail-Fable, but there it is a solid fact. And!

seemed, on the whole, to be speaking the

that is what is going on today in the The Judge thereupon invited him to have supported the plaintiff's case and

witnesses available in Court who could.ed.

At this mecting it was decided Church of England. It comes to this, address the Court without hearing more who had not been called.

Furthermore

that the total amount to be raised should that, provided any incumbent is suf- evidence for the defence.

the plaintiff, himself, had denied a visit be 817,720,200. It is to be raised in two ficiently slack and neglect, his duties haywood, said it was unlikely that to Repulse Bay which, according to the instalments, namely, $7,720,900 first, and ficiently rotoriously, the bishop of tha

a moneylender" of evidence of Mr. Lely, he seemed

con holder is entitled to buy one share, and can inhibit him; the incumbent can then to Repulse Bay and paid the money oat cluded His Bonour, that the pics of if there are any left over, they will be be relieved of any further responsibility

fere. Mr. Haywood suggertal that the the defence succeeds, and the plaintif joy-ride happened after the money was cannot recover."

Judgment was entered for the defen- (Continued at foot oferi culumn) dants with costs:

his client, who was

long standing, would have taken witnessca to have paid. I find, therefor4lly the balance later. Each present share diocese can try him in his court, and

jent.

·

offered to the public. The Bank of China and can take a pension for life, and the will soon issue public notices, and sub- bulk of the stipend on the living! And sription will be opened both in Peking this abominable scandal has been allow- and the provinces..

ed to go on for years."

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Anglo-Orient Reversible Rugs giving

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Mohair Rugs in all colours.

We have also a few Body and Border squares which we are offering at prices below to-day's cost.

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