COURTS (4) Continuation.
European offenders were also subjected to public punishment. In February 1866, an Englishman named Austin Melville was tried at the Sessions for stabbing a member of the crew of the steamer Fusiyama, to which he belonged, and he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and ordered to be twice publicly flogged with twenty-five lashes.
248
COURTS (5)
In April of the same year, John Thompson was found guilty of larceny at a dwellinghouse and of administering a stupefying drug. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and ordered to be three times publicly flogged, fifty strokes each time.
These severe measures followed the enactment of what was termed the Flogging Ordinance No. 12 of 1865.
It is evident that European offenders only of the worst type were thus dealt with. No further cases appear to have occurred after 1866. A petition by the European community on behalf of Thompson, asking for a remission of the flogging ordered by the Court, seems nevertheless to have failed.
In connection with crime in the Colony, and the participation of foreign residents in law-breaking, it is interesting to find a trial of two persons for duelling. It must come as something of a surprise to most readers nowadays to learn that two Consuls fought a duel with pistols at Kowloon in 1872. The occurrence took place on July 29 of that year, the duellists being the Consuls for Spain and Peru. A dispute over a card debt was the cause! The Peruvian Consul was wounded in the arm, but not seriously. Subsequently, in the following month, both participants were tried at the Supreme Court, and pleading guilty were each fined $200.
Warrants for the arrest of all persons present at the affair were issued, but except that bail was allowed them, we cannot discover what transpired from the prosecutions.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.
Extract from the South China Morning Post, of May 4, 1909:- "At yesterday's sitting of the Full Court Sir Henry Berkeley, K.C., presented Mr. E. Potter, of the English Bar, to the court, and moved his admission as a barrister. He had seen Mr. Potter's certificate of call to Gray's Inn, and all the papers were in order. The Chief Justice: Mr. Potter, you are the third barrister I have admitted to this court during the last month. For myself I think there is room for all. I most sincerely trust that if the result of this somewhat vigorous attack on the temple of fortune is not so successful as was expected, that there may be hereafter no moaning at the Bar, Mr. Potter bowed his acknowledgments.
COURTS (4) Continuation.
European offenders were also subjected to public punishment. In February 1866, and Englishman named Austin Melville was tried at the Sessions for stabbing a member of the crew of the steamer Fusiyama, to which he belonged, and he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and ordered to be twice publicly flogged with twenty-five lashes.
248
COURTS ( 5 )
In April of the same year, John Thompson was found guilty of larceny at a dwellinghouse and of administering a stupefying drug. He was sentenced to three years' imprison- ment and ordered to be three times publicly flogged, fifty strokes each time.
These severe measure followed the enactment of what was termed the Flogging Ordinance No. 12 of 1865.
It is evident that European offenders only of the worst type were thus dealt with. No. further cases appear to have occurred after 1866. A petition by the European community on behalf of Thompson, asking for a remission of the flog ing ordered by the Court, seems nevertheless to have fuile.
-
In connection with crime in the Colony, and the par- ticipation of foreign residents in law-breaking, it is interes- ting to find a trial of two persons for duelling. It must come as something of a surprise to most readers nowadays to learn that two Consuls fought a duel with pistols at Kowloon in 1972. The occurrence took place on July 29 of that year, the duellists being the Consuls for Spain and Peru. A dispute over da card debt was the cause! The Peruvian Consul was wound- ed in the arm, but not seriously. Subsequently, in the follow- ing month, both participants were tried at the Supreme Court, and plading guilty were each fined $200.
Warrants for the arrest of all persons present at the effair were issued, but except that bail was allowed them, we cannot discover what t ranspired from the prosecutions.
TVNETY-FIVE YEARS AGO.
Extract from the South China Morning Post, Of may 4, 1909:- "At yesterday's sitting of the Full Court Sir Henry Berkeley, K.C., presented Mr. E. Potter, of the English Bar, to the court, and moved his admission as a barrister. He had seen Mr. Potter's certificate of call to Gray's Inn, and all the papers were in order. The Chief Justice: Mr. Potter, you are the third barrister, I have admitted to this court during the last month. For myself I think there is room for all. I most sincerely trust that if the result of this somewhat vi- gorous attack on the temple of fortune is not so successful as was expected, that there may be hereafter no moaning at the Bar, Mr. Potter bowed his acknowledgments.
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