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June 3, 1899.|
· He did not know the name of the man-he had never seen him before-but the woman was called Marie something.
A. young woman named Sidaliza Anderson was called to give evidence of identification, but she could not give the surn me of either of the deceased.
Charles Hellull deposed to deceased coming to a house at 16, Western-street, about three weeks ago and living there for seven days. The man gave the name of Marks, and said the woman was his wife.
returned a verdict
Mr. T. Sercombe S in accordance with the medical testmony, find- ing that the wound on the man was self-inflicted and the wounds on the woman inflicted by the
man.:
ILLEGAL TAX ON KEROSINE IN KWANGTUNG REVIVAL OF THE KEROSINE FARM.
The following proclamation has been issued by the Head Lekin Office of the Kwangtung Province:
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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AFFAIRS ON THE MAINLAND.
ARMED ROBBERY ON LANTAU ISLAND.
THE ROBBERS TRACED TO LAMMA ISLAND.
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ENERGETIC. ACTION OF THE POLICE.
It has long been known that Lantau Island and Lamma Island have frequently been resorted to by bad characters, who have committed robberies with impunity. It has been made. abundantly evident during the week, however, that the police are determined to put a stop to these depredations by showing the evil-doers that no exertion will be spared with the view of bringing them to justice."
On the 23rd May Inspector Gillies, who is in charge of the station at Cheung Chau, reported that a band of 20 armed robbers had attacked five houses in the village of Moi Wah, Lantau Island, at 10:30 a.m, ou the 21st iust., and had cleared off with clothing and property of different sorts of the value of $112, having previously shot at and wounded an old man and a girl of 19. They left in two Chinchew fishing boats, apparently going in the direction of Lamma Island.
Be it known that on the 31st March we had the honour to receive from H.E. Tan, the Viceroy of the Liang Kwang, a reply sanction ing our petition proposing that the Lekin on Kerosine Oil in the nine departments of Can- ton, Shu Liang, Waichow, Nam Heng, &c., &c., should be farmed out as on a previous occasion to Chen Fuk-cheung, and directing us to in- In consequence of this report Captain struct the aforesaid Chen to carry on the busi- Superintendent May, with Detective-Sergeants ness in a satisfactory manner. We are further Sullivan and Sim, went to Lantau on the to instruct the Pu Chao Chie (Supplementary morning of the 24th, and then took the com Lekin Office) to call upon the former farmer to plainants along with them to Lamma Island: report the sums collected on account of lekin They landed at Yung Shui Wan village. after the month of November, 1898, together Catching sight of a man bolting along the with the books, &c., in order to make up the back of the village Sim gave chase and suc- accounts and to fix a date for the transfer (from ceeded in catching him. He found on him the old to the new) in order to avoid the possi-a box of revolver cartridges and also a bility of fraud.
piece of rezin. The latter one of the complainants identified his property
-as On a search being made in the house the man had evidently come from, it was soon apparent that the gang the police were after had only just vacated it-that they had smelt a rat on the arrival of the police and made off. In ad, dition to a pistol which had been recently fired, the bulk of the clothing and other property was found in the house.
The same day we received from Governor Lu a communication in the same sense sanctioning the above mentioned arrangement and directing ns to issue a proclamation and establish the farm. Moreover, we were to issue a proclamation to Customs houses and barriers to examine and re- port so that the amounts, &c., may be tallied.
We have to observe that the collection of lekin on oil in the new districts before referred to was formerly taken away from the Che Ye Tang farmer Wang Che-tang..
Now the merchant: Chen Fuk-cheang peti- tions that he may be allowed to carry on the farm as before for a payment of $90,000 per annum together with $10,000 for expenses of collection Any further expense to be borne by the farmer and no demands to be made on the Lekin Office. If the receipts do not come up to the sum mentioned the loss shall fall on the farmer. Any sum in excess, up to $10,000, he shall receive 10 per cent, of, but he shall only receive 10 per cent. interest on a sum up to $30,000. (Whatever that may meau.)
On each 50 catty case of oil a sum of 15 cents, or in taels currency I mace 8 candereens, is to be charged. Of this 7 cand. 3 li is on account of tsoli, 1 cand. 8 on account of Cheli; 1 când. 8 li account of Yenli. Collection to begin on the 2nd moou (March.)
This has been sanctioned by the Viceroy and Governor on the lines laid down and we there fors issue this proclamatiou for the information of merchants and others engaged in the oil trade
the nine departments aforementioned. Be it known that the collection of lekin on
in
oil:
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While the Captain Superintendent was at Lamma Island a married couple reported at Aberdeen that while in their fishing boat at half-past four on the morning of the 24th, another fishing boat had held them up, off the north point of Lamma Island, the man being robbed of a pair of bangles and a small sum of money. So that the plundered boat would not be able to make much progress the robbers out the rigging and then disappeared round the point towards Yang Shui Wan village.
On Sergeant Langley reporting this by tele- phone to the Central Police Station, Chief Detective Inspector Hanson instructed him to go to Lamma Island and there join Mr. May.. The Sergeant went and reported to Mr. May. Subsequently some 20 odd men were found lying down under a shed, and one of the fishing couple identified one of the men as belonging to the gang who had held them up. As soon as the police appeared on the scene the men cleared off. The Captain Superintendent was convinced that the men he had come across were a bad lot and required looking after. He accordingly returned to the island at two o'clock the following morning, taking with him surrounded the village of Yung Shui Wan, and were fortunate enough to pounce upon 21 men sleeping under the same shed that was raided the previous day.
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The man caught by Sim was brought before His Worship on the 26th and charged with being in possession of stolen property. Only formal evidence of arrest was given and then the man was remanded.
Three more men have been arrested for being concerned in the armed robbery at Lantau Island on the 21st May, and were brought over on the 29th by Inspector Gillies.
A MAN FOUND WITH HIS THROAT CUT NEAR SHATIN. When under Chinese jurisdiction the policing of the territory recently taken over by the British was very lax, and in consequence rob. beries and outrages of different kinds were of frequent occurrence. Hardly any notice was taken of them, and it must be a matter of sur- prise to the inhabitants to witness the thorough- ness with which the police now search for offenders, leaving no stone unturned to bring offenders to book. This activity cannot fail in time to have a most salutary effect upon evil- doers and make them pause ere committing depredations which they have previously com- mitted with impunity.
The path leading from Kowloon Gap to Shatin has long been a somewhat dangerous one for pedestrians, robberies with violence having frequently taken place on it. Knowing this Captain Superintendendent May has paid special attention to it. On Sunday afternoon an Indian constable came across a Chinaman with his throat out. The man had bled freely, but, though unable to speak, was still alive. Sergeant Ritchie and P. C. Smith, who are stationed at Shatin, being first-aid men, stopped the bleeding and had the man conveyed to Hongkong, where he was taken to the Govern- ment Civil Hospital.
In the meantime Captain Superintendent May and a force of police, believing that this was a case of attempted murder, scoured Kow loon City with the object of getting at man's aspilant or assailants, ang tingsted the
or two persons on suspicion.
one
At noon on Monday, however, the man re- covered speech and he then confessed that while on his way to Swatow he fell asleep in one of the rest houses which are situated at different intervals along the route. On awaking he found that all his money-$8- had been stolen from him and in his despair he out his throat
HIGHWAY ROBBERY NEAR UN LOONG,
On the 25th May a Chinaman was on his way from Taitong village to Un Loong Market, where he was going to buy pigs. When about 300 yards from Un Loong he was set upon by three men of the Li olan, beaten, and robbed of $15. The man subsequently reported the matter to the police at Ping Shan. Inspector Moffat surrounded Taitong village and arrested a. man who said he was Mr. Francis's chair coolie! on leave.
At the Magistracy on Monday afternoon, de- fendant-Li Tung Cheung-was brought before Mr. T. Sercombe Smith and charged with being concernedțin the robbery.
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Complainant, who is a farmer, said he was carrying two buckets on a pole when he was set upon by three men at about noon on the 25th May. The men knocked him down and kept him down while they took his money from him. They then went away, and he picked up He knew his buckets and went to Un Long Ha
the men who attacked him. Their names were Li
O has now been handed over to the Merchant a larger force of police. The police quietly | Sing Leang, Li Tung Cheung, and Li Kwok On.
Fuk-cheong, who will henceforth impose
a tax according to the regulations of 15 cents on every case of kerosine oil.✨
Any case of extortion or improper levy should be at once reported and the farmer will on nó account be allowed to raise the tax fixed.
THE MUTUAL STORE CASE:
HOPKINS COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.
At the Magistracy on 26th May Reginald G. Hopkins, “a member of a co-partner ship under the style of the Mutual Store," was obarged with feloniously stealing or embezzling the sum of $1,000, being the property of the said co-partnership.
The case has been several times adjourned, and defendant was now committed for trial.
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These men were brought over to Hongkong and charged on the 25th with being rogues and vagabonds. Inspector Hanson, in explain. ing the case,
to the Magistrate, said that the village of Yung Shui Wan had become notorious because of the many bad characters who assém- bled there on the watch for opportunities to go and make raids. The men said they came from Hoi-ping on the 23rd, that they had no boats, no houses, and could not raise a dollar among them, and that they had come down to look for work. Mr. Smith sentenced them to 14 hard labour, characterising them as an un- 14 days'
desirable lot.
Defendant went towards Un Loong village, On arriving at the village complainant re- ported the matter to the elder. The same day he went to Ping Shan and reported to the Inspector. The three men had p poles. They beat him with them and made the marks shown
Another man said he saw the assault commit- ted, but he was too far off to identify the assailants.
Another Chinaman gave evidence as to the affray and said, in reply to His Worship, that he would dare to go to a temple and swear on the cock's Lead that defendant was one of the assailants.
Another Chinaman said he saw a crowd of men fighting, including the two previous wits nesses. Then they all went away excepting complainant and defendant and the two previous
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