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On Saturday, 30th Oct., a Hongkong Chinese detective and his informer were arrested by the Macao police under somewhat interesting cir camstances. It appears that one of the Hong-| kong detectives banished in July last won between $2,000 and $3,000 in the Waising lottery, and he went to Macao to draw the
money. The Chinese detective who has been arr ted, on hearing of the man's good luck obtained leave and went to Macao. On a boarding house it is alleged that he told the people there that he had been sent by Mr. May, the Captain Superintendent of Police, to inquire about the detectives banished from Hongkong in order to ascertain what they were doing. He afterwards went to another board- ing house armed with a loaded revolver and there met the man for whom he was looking. He told him he wanted a share of the money won in the lottery. The winner replied that the detective had not taken a share in the ticket and therefore could not have any of the pro- ceeds. A quarrel ensued and it is alleged the Hongkong detective drew his revolver, but for tunately friends intervened and prevented any mischief being done. The Police heard of the affair and arrested the detectire, who had a revolver in his possession, and his informer. Many of our readers will regret to learn of the death of Mr. James Sampson, which occurred at the Civil Hospital on Saturday, 30th Oct. at six p.m. He had been found by the police earlier in the afternoon lying unconscious at Happy Valley and on being taken to the hos- pital it was found that he was suffering from sunstroke. The deceased was an old Hongkong boy, the eldest son of Mr. Sampson, formerly chief boarding officer in the Harbour Depart ment, and was for a number of years a promin. ent figure at the annual Regattas, being one of the finest oarsmen the colony has seen. also took a keen interest in other descriptions of sport, but rowing was his speciality. He was by profession a surveyor, and received his training in the Public Works department. He afterwards entered the service of the British North Borneo Government and sub- sequently went to South Africa, but did not remain there very long Returning to Hong. kong he re-entered the Government service here, but again resigned his appointment, and was latterly in Shangbai and again in North Borneo, but. пе believe, did not practice his profession there, his attention having been diverted to mercantile pursuits. He returned to Hongkong a few weeks ago, intending after a short stay here to proceed to London. He was, however, evidently in a very shattered condition, which would ren- der him liable to succumb easily to fatigue or shock, and to those who saw him during the last few days his sudden death will not cause surprise. The case in which four women and one man were alleged to have demanded money from a woman on the false pretence that she had poi- soned her daughter again came before Mr. Wodehouse on 27th Oct. In regard to the male accused, who was charged separately from the women, he did not appear when his name was called and Mr. Mounsey asked for the case against him to be remanded
aring there he went to
He
as it was
thought the man was in Canton and could probably be brought to Hongkong within a week. He was the compradore of the Straits Insurance Company and Mr. Davis, the manager, was his surety to the extent of $500. His. Worship said he could not consent to any arrangement in the case. The recognizances would be estreated and a warrant for the missing man's arrest would be issued. Mr. Mounsey, who appeared for the four women, then said that he would be compelled to retire from the case as Pun Sun Shing and his con- cubine were the principal witnesses for the defence. His Worship said that if the man returned within a week Mr. Mounsey had better petition the Government for the return of the bond money. The case against the four women was then gone into. Mr. Frank Browne, Govern- ment Analyst, said the deceased's stomach con- tained no opium, and Dr. Thomson expressed the opinion that the deceased had died of tuber- cular disease of the lungs. Evidence of the attempted extortion with threats having been given His Worship convicted the women. Ho sentenced one to six months' imprisonment and the other three to three months with hard labour.`
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The enquiry into the death of the Chinaman who was killed by an explosion in the foundry of the Cosmopolitan Dock was resumed on 27th October by Hon. H. E. Wodehouse. Mr. Dixon, Government Marine Surveyor, said be had visited the scene of the accident, and con- curred with Mr. E. J. Main, foreman engineer, as to the cause of the explosion. He suggested the ground under the cnpola might be made to slope from the cupola instead of towards it as at present to prevent the accumulation of water under it. Mr. Main thonght it might be done and promised to report the matter to Mr. D. Gillies. His Worship suggested that in future accidents of this sort should be reported to the Police immediately after the occurrence, instead of as in the present instance after the death of the victim. The finding was that death was accidentally cansed by an explosion.
Wong Chuk Lam and Pau Pun Chi were charged at the Police Court on 1st Nov. with champerty.
Mr. H. L. Dennys (Crown Solicitor) appeared for the prosecution. Wong Chak Lam was defended by Mr. K. W. Mounsey and Pan Pun Chi by Mr. C. D. Wilkinson. Mr. H. L. Dennys said the case was the first of its kind that had been before the court, and was brought by the Captain Superintendent of Police. He explained very fully the term champerty and in what the offence consisted. The facts were that at about 9 p.m. on April 5th a fishing junk was run down off the Lyeemoon Pass by the P&O steamer Rosetta, which was coming into Hongkong at the time. The owner of the junk, Kwok Hin Tai, and others ou board were picked up by the Rosetta boats, but the owner's mother, uncle, wife, and child were drowned. The next day Kwok Hin Tai went into the Wing Cheong on, a Seaman's Boarding House in Victoria Street, and there met Pan Pun Chi, who upon hearing of the accident, offered to engage a lawyer to obtain compensation from the P. & O. Company. He likewise undertook to defray all costs, if Kwok Hin Tai was willing to let him have 60 per cent. of whatever amount was recovered for the loss of the junk and 30 per cent of the claim for lives lost, Kwok Hin Tai accepted the terms, and was brought to Mr. K. W. Mounsey's office, where he had his statements taken down by Wong Chuk Lam. This latter paid on his behalf $50 to Mr. Mouusey and two suits were instituted against the P. & O. Company. On 17th May the P. & O. Company, through their compradore, offered Kwok Hin Tai $2,000 in settlement of his claims, but he demanded
$4.400. The compradore, however, promised to raise another $300 by public subscription and the offer was then accepted. $2,000 was paid on the same day by Messrs. Johnson, Stokes, and Master, solicitors for the P. & O. Company, but from the amount $150, was dedneted by Mr. K. W. Mounsey for lawyer's fees and $950 by Wong Chuk Lam, leaving only the balance of $900 for Kwok Hin Tai. The transaction leaked out through some dispute about the $300 promised by the P & O compradore but which has not yet been paid. The evidence of Kwok Hin Tai was taken and the case remanded till Thursday at 11 a.m., bail being allowed in two sureties of $500 each or in one surety of 81,000 for each of the defendants.
MISCELLANEOUS,
Vice-Admiral Sir Alex. Buller, K.C.B., ar- rived at Shanghai from the North in H.M.S Alacrity on the 26th October.
It is the intention of the Directors of the International Cotton Mill at Shanghai to
pay a dividend of 34 per cent. on the Mill's working up to the 30th of September last.
From the Taiwan Nippo we learn that the erection of the lighthouse in Garanbii, near South Cape, has been commenced under the superintendence of the Formosa Government. The completion of the work is expected to be reached within the current year,
Shib Nien-tsu, Governor of Kwangsi, having been recently denounced by a Censor for alleged misgovernment, has, by an edict of the 17th October, been superseded by Hnan Huai-sen, Governor of Yunnan, whose place in the latter post is given by the same edict to Yü Hsiang (Manchu), the Provincial Treasurer of Yunnan.-N. C. Daily News.
[November 4, 1897.
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News-The article on
A correspondent writes to the N. C. Daily appeared in your issue of the 22nd instant, Apologies which
which was offered in all good faith in one recalls an amusing instance of an apology
who had reason to think that he had been in- of the out-ports not long ago. A gentleman sulted in a Club by one of the members, appealed to the Committee for redress. The latter trans- mitted his complaint to the person concerned, and enquired if the language referred to had been designed to give offence. In reply, they from the writor's mind than to be offensive; were informed that nothing had been further that the remarks he had made were purely in jest; and, in conclusion, he added, inadvertently spoken the truth, I am very sorry for it!"
"If I have
Messrs. Dyce & Co., of Shanghai, agents for the Sai Chong Filature Co., have published in the Shanghai papers a correspondence with the Fire Insurance Association of Shanghai in reference to the rate of insurance charged for their filature, which is situated at Jessfield, practically in Shanghai. It appears they have nine-tenths per cent. net, whereas they have been paying 1 per cent. less 10 per cent., or discovered that a filature at Soochow has been insured in Shanghai at per cent. net. The answer of the Association was in the first instance that they had no control over risks sentations as to the character of the respective taken at Shanghai, but after further repre- risks, they replied that though they could not
accede
the premium paid in excess of the ordinary to the application for a refund of Shanghai rate they would look into the question of a reduction of the rate in future. Messrs. Dyce and Co. then wrote: Under these cir- cumstances there is only one course open to us to obtain redress for the unfair manner in which we have been treated, and that course we now intend to take. mittee notice, through you, that unless we re- We therefore give your Com-
before Thursday next (the 28th inst.), it is our ceive a more satisfactory reply from you on or intention to send copies of this correspondence and a full statement of the facts to the Chief Manager of every British Office represented on will object to their names being brought into your Committee, as we are convinced that they disrepute by being coupled with such Chinese tactics as have been practised on us.
Further- more, we intend to publish the whole of this warning to others who may have risks, a little correspondence in the local newspapers as a
out of the ordinary, to insure, that, in dealing with the Fire Insurance Association of Shang. hai, they must be prepared to haggle about rates as if they were dealing with natives, and not with an Association consisting of the representa- tives of respectable Foreign firms."
COMMERCIAL.
TEA.
CANTON, 2nd November.-Congous. About 4,400 weeks at from Tls. 93 to Tis. 22 per picul. Prices boxes have found purchasers during the last two
we consider are unduly high, judging by sales from London. Scented Capers.-In the same period about 8,8) boxes have been settled, almost all by one buyer; prices range from Tla. 114 to Tls. 26 per picul, being firm at the advance quoted in our last. A few more picals of leaf are expected from the country, but we do not expect the total settlements for the season to much exceed 212,000 boxes. So many teas are now practically contiacted for and settlements are so falsely reported that we find we are considerably out in our estimate of the the total settlements,
which should now be recorded at 210,000 boxes agains 230,000 boxes at same dute last season. We expect the total export will reach 44 million pounds. but should not exceed that figure. Stocks in native bands are practically nil and any further settlements must depend on fresh arrivals of leaf from the country. Long Leaf Pekoes.- We hear that al-out 1200/1500 boxes have been contracted for, a part of which is already shipped. Prices have not transpired, but nie probably about the same as were paid for flist crop teas.
SHANGHAI, 20th October-From Messrs. Welch, Lewis & Co.'s Circular-Our last " printed " Ten market advices were dated 15th instant. Black Tens.-A small business has been done at about previous rates.
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