1930-05-30 — Page 7

WHAT ARE THE RIGHTS OF A CHINESE WIFE?

SORDID STORY RELATED IN COURT OF WOMAN'S ALLEGED ILL TREATMENT.

THE ETHICS OF CONCUBINAGE.

An extremely touching picture of the manner in which a wife was alleged to have been ill-treated by her husband was drawn by Mr. M. K. Lo, solicitor for the complainaat, in an interesting "case heard before Mr. A. W. G. H. Grantham at the Central Magis tracy yesterday. Chan Wai Man, afins Chau Chan Sze, is com- plainant in the cuse, and the husband, Chau Ki Luon, is summon- rd for desertion..

In the course of his speech, Mr. Lo urged that it was time that a ruling should be given by some court to prevent any hus- Land who might, without reference to his wife, take a woman into his house by merely calling her a concubine.

The husband was represented by Mr. F. X. d'Almada, Sar,

FACTS OF THE CASE OUTLINED..

THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1930.

BRITISH COLONY IN AMOY AREA.

QUESTION OF RENDITION OF CONCESSION.

HEALTH BUREAU'S MAN CHARGED.

ALLEGED •EMBEZZLEMENT OF COMPANY'S MONEY,

NEGOTIATIONS IN PROGRESS | PROSECUTION'S THEORY OF

WITH CONSUL GENERAL.

With regard to the question of rendition of the British Concession at Amoy, an interesting report appears in the Chinese press.

Mr. Lo, in opening his case, said: ! He got into a bad temper and ment in order to cement the friend.

This mons is by a married woman against her husband for de- sertion. In order more or less to give notice to my friend of the

1

used foul language and slapped her and tried to throttle her. The wife then tried to run away, but the defendant kicked and throttled her

MOTIVE.

יי

RESPONDENCE.

THE DWINDLING DOLLAR.

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE “HONG KONG

~ DAILY PRESS,!']

Sia, I would like to say that I am in full agreement with your correspondent who suggests calling a public meeting on the currency question and sending to the Colonial Office in London a cable giving the full text of a resolution passed at that meeting.

Prosecuting in a case in which Kwok Chan Sing, late manager of the Health House Washing and Disinfecting Company, was charged en 99 counts of embezzlement and fraudulent conversion, Mr. E. S. C. I think this would be the best Brooks told Mr. A. W. G. H. Grant-possible way to bring to the notice ham that the defendant probably of the Home Government the very committed the alleged embezzle- serious crisis with which thin ments in order to procure funds to Colvay is threatened.-Yours, etc., establish a typewriting school in Hong Kong.

ALARMED.

Hong Kong, May 29.

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "HONG KONG DAILY PRESS."]

"

In addition to the International Settlement on Kulangau Island, the British founded a concession on the seashore of the mainland of Amoy With the recent progress of recon- atructions at Amoy, especially along the beach, the British Concession, by reason of its solitary situation,

Mr, Leo d'Almada e Castro, Int., has latterly lost its importance.

represented the defendant. Recently, the British Consul- Outlining the case for the prosecu- "General at Amoy received instruction, Mr. Brooks said that the Com- tions from London to return the pany carried on a house-washing Concession to the Chinesa Govern fumigating and disinfecting bust ness. It had branches in Shanghai, ship between China and Britain. Tientsin, Hankow and Manila, with The British authorities proposed the head ofice in Shanghai. A that the title deeds of lands and number of gentlemen in this Colony, buildings in the Concession, pre- including a few Europeans, were was part of the reason why the wife intervened." There were at that authorities, be cancelled and new time two amahs present, Ah Siu ones issued by the Chinese Guvern proceedings were brought,“

The defendant was the manager and Ah Yes. I am happy to statement, the change involving no ex- that we have been able to trace traneous charges. After rendition, of the concern in Hong Kong and Ah Siu, who may be able to give residents are to pay the land taxes, as such had charge of the monies evidence in this case."

as usual. The Consul-General hoti-and had control of the staff and

I will gladly give $10 towards the fed the Chinese authorities to that generally supervised the work in cost of the cables, and I believe effect.

Hong Kong Mr. Brooks here

very many more would do the same. The Fukien Provincial Council stated that he wished to make it-Yours, etc., has instructed the magistrate of the clear that he was not suggesting Szeming district, on which Amoy is that the proceedings had been sitünted, to bold himself responsible brought with a view to recovering for the negotiations with the any of the money alleged to have [TO THE EDITOR OF THE "HONG KONG British Consul General in this con been embezzled, because the de-

DAILY PRESS. netion and to report the proceed-fendant was guaranteed to the

·SIR-If a public meeting is call- ed-as I hope it will be to give expression to the views of this com- munity as a whole, and not the opinions of a select few, I suggest that in addition to sending a cobic message to the British Government similar messages be sent to the

cable to the Secretary of State for the Colonics should" get filed away in the archives without anybody in the outside world knowing anything about it.

attack, I purposely stated in the repeatedly until his father's kit-fat viously "issued by the British interested in the business and that lending Loadon papers, in case the

"application, and also in the sum

mons, that the desertion alleged is désertion on July 16, 1929, and has been continuing to the present time.

Ruling Required.

Mr. Lo said that the wife con- tinued to live an unhappy life, and passing on to another incident, he said, "In the following year, 1998, in the second moon, the family moved to Hee Wong Terrace, and shortly after, the defendant left the Colony for about a month. Now we come to the fifth moon of 1028. On the 27th day of the"sth moon (July '16) a man and a woman came, up to

the flat at Her Wong Terrace and both asked the defendant to go out. The husband did so.

Your Worship, I propose to open rather at length on this case, be- Cause 1. venture to say that although soldom if ever your Worship' could have а сляс before you which has so many elements of callousness-totally de void of all humanitarian feelings on the part of the husband-it is an important case also from another point of view. This case is very important because is time there is Some ruling from some Court as to the status of a married woman evening, the complainant asked the ngainst her husband and in parti- husband who the two persons were. cular on the rights alleged andThe husband then told his own wife arrogated by a married man that that one

Kennedy Town he could take any woman into his prostitute and the other was a house by merely calling her a chauffeur. The wife naturally told concubine. I, forebear to make any the husband that she thought a comments now, but after going prostitute should not be allowed to right into the facts, I would like come into family house. At that, to make a few observations before he got wild and swore at her and calling evidence.

called her all aorts of names and termed her a sly prostitute. He covered her mouth and told her to die repeatedly.

My client is now years did. She was married at the ripe age of 18 according to Chinese customs I understand my friend it not dis- puting that the is a kit-ful wife. The parties were married in Canton on December 15, 1928, and in the following year, the family moved down to Hong Kong, living at a House in Des Voeux Road West The married couple lived with the parents.

A Man of Substance..

|

ings to the Nauking Ministry of Company for $3,000, and the total Foreign Affairs, as well as the Pro-involved as a result of the alleged

BATHING TENTS

AND

UMBRELLAS.

NEW STOCK JUST ARRIVED.

THE “BEACH'

LIGHT FRAMEWORK COVERED IN RED AND WHITE CANVAS. FOLDS INTO SMALL COMPASS..

16

TACE

$35.00 MACH

THE UNIVERSAL”

WEIGHS ONLY A FEW POUNDS-JUST THE THING FOR THE CAR.

EACH $60,0

БАОН

UMBRELLA TENTS IN GREEN AND WHITE STRIPED CANVAS WITH CURTAINS ALL ROUND.

EACH

$67.50

EACH

UMBRELLAS WITH TILTING DEVICE FOR BEACH OR GARDEN, 7 Fr SPREAD IN FANCY STRIPES. THEY FOLD UP AND ARE VERY LIGHT.

EACH $40.00 to $47.50 BACH

TEN SPOT LANE, CRAWFORD, LTD.

Hong Kong, May 29.

Sin, What touching faith some

people have if they think a public meeting to protest about the bung

On his returning home in the vincial Council for consideration fraudulent conversions was very ling of our currency problems would

Wis

A Way to Die.

The wife, in weariness, said, You want me to die, how am I do die He then produced a razor from a drawer and left it on the table and said, There you are, that is the way to die, and with that, he left.

The wife, after all these months

41

and approval.

There is no-municipal council or any public buildings in the Con- cession,, hence the rendition will be effected without any hitch.

much less than 31,000. The sole object of the proceedings was to protect the interests of the gentle- men who had money in the concern and secondly it was important for the Company to see that its em- ployees were honest.

Typewriting School. " Mr. Brooks went on to say that if a motive for the offence was wanted, it could be found in the fact that defendant drew 870 month as salary, but in September he started a typewriting school in Old Bailey. He obtained 12 type- writers for the purpose of the

Amah Dismissed, Coming home once with a pro- stitute from Kennedy Town at one o'clock in the morning, continued Mr. Lo, the defendant challenged the amah and said, "Did you make statements against me?" The ser vant replied that she was asked with regard to the health of his school and he (Mr. Brooks) would

have the slightest effect upon the Government in London.

We might get an acknowledge- ment of the receipt of a cable, which would be SCAL from the Colonial Office through the Govern ment here, and in about six months' time we might get a detailed reply by mail, And what would it be merely calling our attention to the findings of the Currency Commis- sion which started its investiga- tions by announcing that its mind was made up!-Yours, etc..

Kowloon, May 29. +

DAILY: PRESS.

SCEPTIC.

RONG KONG

mistress and she had answered. The defendant dismissed the amah

suggest that the monies obtained by the defendant from the Bureau on the spot and without a moment's were for the purpose of financing notice. Mr. Lo stated that the this school. In upholding that sug [TO THE EDITOR OF THE was disinissed the middle of the gestion, Mr. Brooks stated that of" worry and torture; and incite-night merely because she had said there would be evidence to show ment to die, and after this latest

something as to what she thought that until September the accounts In August or so of the same year, of all rows, took to her bed, ate

was the trouble. The amah then were in perfect order. Up till then,

SIR, There is talk round town the defendant's father, that is to nothing, and tried to think out a

left the house, and since then the the accounts had gone regularly to of the dollar being down to a 3d. say my client's father-in-law, died. scheme of ending her life." We believe that he died and left She realised that as long as the complainant had been unprotected the head office, but since that date within the next few days, and in this home until eventually she the accounts arrived irregularly, some people are making their plans a great deal of money a firm in husband conducted himself in that

was driven to commit suicide." sometimes as much as two months Hong Kong, and properties in Hong way, there was no gleam of light

Mr. Lo then proceeded to deal after the period to which they re-in anticipation of the dollar going Kong and Penang. I mention these for her, and so, on July 29 she

with the legal aspects of the case lated..

down to one shilling, merely to show that the husband felt so rotten and, black that she

and cited several instances in Bup- could do much if he wanted to: in picked up the razor and committed other words, that he is not a man suicide. I said committed suicide Fort of his stateizent that it was who has, absolutely no money and because she had a terrible gash not sufficient for the husband mere- could do nothing. He had, in fact, on her throat. When this took ly to call the wife back to his house and thus end the charge of deser place, apparently the household was

bion against him. It was true that aroused and an ambulance was scat

the defendant bad agreed to take for and she was taken to the Gov- his client back, but it remained for ernment Civil Hospital where the him to "prove that the invitation usual battle between life and death

to return was a bond-fide one. The was fought out and she stayed there husband was living with a woman for a fortnight or so, and was dis- whom he had named his concubinc. charged."

Mr. Lo submitted that, in the cir cumstances, it would be a mockery the husband was merely allowed to and not a discharge of justice i say come back, and the wife was -bound to come back. The husband should show some contrition, or regret, for his past demeanour, and should give an assurance of making her happy.

some means.

In the ninth moon of the same year, the husband left that house and moved to another house in Queen's Road West. Up to this time, the wife's own father was a businessman of some substance and some position, but unfortunately his businesa failed in Canton about that time and he went to Shanghai, where he died about the seventh moon of last year,

Continuing, Mr. Lo said that the parties were later taken to the S.C.A. and the wife subsequently returned to the country to live with After the marriage the parties her mother. The wife had recently got on, I suppose, as well as most come back to Hong Kong. She of these marriages could be ex would tell the Court that from July, pected. In other words, they 1998, until May, 1930, the Frasband tolerated each other. There was sent her no remittance nor did he nothing really to ruffle the matri- make any inquiry about her, and na monial sea. But about the 9th far as he was concerned, she might moon, that is to say after the de- have been died. fendant's father died, the defend-

Mr. Lo stated that he had one Correspondence between the solici ant was very seldom at home. He important witness to call. He would tors of the parties were read by went out to dinners every night, call Ah Siu, the amah. That amah Mr. Lo to his Worship. In refer returning next morning merely to had been with the wife's family ring to the husband's request to sleep it off and then went out practically since she was a child. the wife to return to the house, Mr.

From that

again. at time onwards until She was very fond of the complain.

the said happening in 1928, to which I will refer, the wife's life was made a continual life of misery the husband, on "every occasion that he deigned to look at hori scolded her, swore at her, assaulted her, and generally made it clear

that she was a sort of superfluous person on this earth and that the might as well die.

Missing Dat.

I

found

riage, she became her personal amah and accompanied her to her hus band's house.

This amah, Mr. Lo pointed out, was wearied with the ill-treatment that her mistress was recciving, and

Clings to Concubina.

The first two charges concerned

I am not one of those "in the 8450 which defendant was alleged to have drawn out in cash and which know" on these matters, and only was entered up as an advance to repeat what. I hear; but what I do himself, although his contract with know is that I am heing badly the Bureau stated that he was not to draw any such advances. The hit, like thousands of other wage- which was put down as the salary stand what I have done to ho treat- next three charges related to 8520 earners, and I don't quite under- of an employee of the Bureau, although no such employee appeared so ed on the records of the firm. Mr. If the holding of a public meet- Brooks mentioned that when the ing is likely to do any good, by defendant obtained this $520, he the total loss sustained by the firm will be hundreds of people who refunded $400 to the firm, so that all means let us hold one. There

was only $570.45 19 Mr. Brooks, which arose out of or two bold men will come forward There were some charges, said will attend and support it it one house allowance granted to defend to call the meeting.-Yours,. etc. ant. The Burenit had a large con- tract to clean the Tramway Com- pany's trams and buses, and in order to do that, the Bureau's workmen had to be near the Tram way Company's depot early in the The defendant had to morning. supervise this work, so be was given

Lo wrote and inquired if the wife he could live pear, the Tramway

WORRIED.

Hong Kong, May 29.

IMPOVERISHED PROFES

SORS,

$25 as house allowance in order that rO THE EDITOR OF THE “HONG KONG

DAILY PRESS"] where the husband already had a Percival Strect. After a time, the S12,-To-day's issue of the Hang- woman. The husband replied to the contract with the Tramway Com Kong Daily Press has a striking effect that the woman would remain pany terminated, but defendant in the house, as she was his con- continued to grant himself the headline, Hong Kong Profesors

special house allowance.

in Poverty"- cubine.

Mr. Lo asked his Worship if Other charges were for's sum of There are in Hong Kong two the circumstances in which she, anybody could expect a letter couch- money which was entered up as

who was apparently the only personed in that way as showing any salary to an employee who bad abbodies of men very similar in and experience, who could be the wife's protector regret for the past." He said it sponded. The employee left, the intellectual

Fower and friend, was dismissed, would was time a ruling was made to Bureau at the end of November, but namely the Professors and the Bound interesting,

prevent any husband who, with it is alleged that defendant drew

It was sated that in the second out reference to his wife, was 82.50 as salary for this employee Government schoolmasters,

If the Professors are "'in'poverty! moon of 1998, this amah was visited allowed to keep another woman by for the first half of December

dom of our Chisineu, neser Biyahet my then the do missing not an important affair in any visitors, noticing the appearance of cording to Chinese law and cus fendant had canced the Bureau to

pay electric light bills which proposition of the schoolmasters-try- household, but the husband thought the amah's mistress, inquired about tom It was up to the wife to be a keeper her bealth. The amah probably told Concluding, Mr. Lo submitted perly should have been paid, by the ing to keep out of debt on three- of cats, and when he found the cat them what the thought was the that the, offer by the defendant to Typewriting School.

fths that sum be best described ?--- was missing he wore at her and trouble. The master, apparently, take his client back was not a bond-

enviose my card, and remain -- had overheard, some of the converfide one.

Yours, etc., sations and he interrogated some of

X-QI. Hong-Kong May

naked her why she did not look after the animal. The wife replied that the ent had four legs and could move about and disappear.

Chan Wai Man, the complainant

his servants about the rumours. in the case, gave evidence, after

(Continued on next Column,)

which the case we adjourned

Mr. Brooks, before sitting down repeated that his clients were not pressing the case...

Evidence was then given after which the case was adjourned-

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