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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Riddle, R. Abesser, G. E. Huijgen, and A. Andrew.
both tooth and nail by Liptons, if worked well there is a chance of getting into very close relations with Lipton and will probably end in your holding large free stooks for ordinary and Government consumption."
His Lordship, referring to this letter, said- I want to say that in my opinion that is a disreputable letter. If that is the way in which business is to be conducted and a man says "I authorise you to bribe and give bonuses to the various heads of departments up to 5 per cent. on any order, and if you have to place £5, £10, or £20 in the right place do 80, Full discre- tionary y power is allowed you." I wish to say publicly that in my opinion it is a very dis- graceful way of doing business.
THE ARMED ROBBERY AT KOWLOON,
Tse Tai, Chu Lang. Li Chan, Mak Shui, and Ho Kwong were charged with committing an armed robbery at Kowloon. They pleaded not guilty.
The following composed the jury :—Messrs. A. G. B. Soares, F. A. Jorge, F. E. Shuster, A. Mackenzie, Chan Teang Fat, W. J. Mayson, and R. Cook.
The Acting Attorney-General (the Hou. H. E. Pollock) said the five prisoners in this case were charged on two different couuts, but these two different counts had reference to the same set of circumstances, and were only two different ways of charging the prisoners. In the first count the five prisoners were charged with robbery with arms and in the second count nothing was said about whether they had arms or not, but they were charged with committing this robbery. Complainant was the keeper of a temple called the Han On Temple outside the west gate of the walled city of Kowloon. At about half-past one on the morning of the 15th May the side door of the temple was broken open and these men entered. Complainant was then standing at the entrance of his room, and he was seized by these men and pressed downwards upon the ground, and at the same time he was threatened with knives. Then his hands were tied behind his back with a piece of
rope, and there was also a piece of thorn tied over his mouth. Two of the meu guarded him, one having his foot on his head and the other on his back. While these two were keeping guard over the temple-keeper the others burst open two boxes belonging to complainant and took certain things out of a box.
It would appear that there was no light in this room at first, but the robbers lighted torches when they came in. Complainant would tell the jury he was not ́able to recognise any of the robbers. Of course that was only natural, because according to bis account of the transaction he was kept pressed down on the floor, with his face downwards, but he thought they would find that one of the witnesses in the temple recoguised second pri- soner. Various articles were stolen from com-
plainaaant on this occasion. Among other things he lost some trousers, two jackets, some leggings, and some cigarette papers, and a blan- ket. This part of the property had been re- covered, the greater portion being found upon first prisoner a little over an hour after the robbery The Acting Attorney-General con- nected, the other prisoners with the robbery and then proceeded to call evidence.
The jury found first four prisoners guilty and the fifth not guilty.
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His Lordship sentenced the former to five years' imprisonment, each of them to receive 20 strokes with the birch rod within a week of their sentence.
29th June.
SPECIAL CRIMINAL SESSIONS.
BEFORE HIS HONOUR W. Meigh Goon
MAN (ACTING CHILE JUSTICE.)
THE UN LOONG MURDERS.
with the wilful murder of Tung Cheong, at in Tang Ching Sz and Cheng Ting were charged Loong, on April 18th.
The Acting Attorney-General, Hon. H. E. Pollook (instructed by Mr. Bowley, Acting Crown Solicitor) appeared for the prosecution and Mr. Slade for the defence.
The jury was composed of Messrs. Thomas Grimshaw, G. J. Casanova, C. 8. Gubbay, A. R.
Mr. J. Dyer Ball acted as interpreter. When charged prisoners pleaded not guilty, His Lordship directed Mr. Ball to inform prisoners that as they had no one-to defend them Mr. Blade had kindly come forward to do so, aud that he had been furnished with a copy of the depositions. He presumed they wished Mr. Slade to act for them.
On this being translated to prisoners, first prisoner said. "Yes, I am pleased to have him," second prisoner, “I do not wish to have him." When the matter was farther explained to him, however, he gave the same reply as the first prisoner.
The Acting Attorney-General said there would be another case to be tried at the special sessions He did not know what day his lord- ship would fix for it.
His Lordship fixed Monday,
The Acting Attorney-General said prisoners called Tung Cheong at Un Loong on the 18th were charged with the wilful murder of a man April. It would be proved that the murdered man had bad handed to him certain proclamations issued by the Governor with reference to the The taking possession of the new territory evidence for the prosecution would show that on the 17th April, about four o'clock in the afternoon, man named Ng Lung Cheung, who was one of the gentry at Un Tooug, was asked by deceased to rescue him, and he did municating with certain people. take some steps to secure his release by com. The same evening, about eight o'clock, this man went with Chan Yung to see deceased, who was in the deceased bad meeting house at Un Loong. At that time three chains on him-one round his neck, one on his hands, and one or his feet. The chains on the bands and feet were loose, but the one round the neck could not be taken off because it was locked and the key could not be found. This witness would tell the juy that some conversation took place be tween him and deceased, and that he gave de- ceased a dollar passage money to go to Hong- kong. It would appear that this witness and Chan Yung were going along with deceased to the gate leading to Un Loong Market Place when they met first prisoner and told him they had freed Tung Cheong. First prisoner replied Why did you free him so soon? He is an Ab Chuer man, and ought to have been handed over to the Ab Chuen elders." Witness said,
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Better let him go bere," to which first prisoner replied " If he is to be let go let me let him go," upon which witness handed deceased over to Chan Yeung and wont away. After that the evidence was resumed, by the evidence of two witnesses named Kwan Pui Chi and Li Chung. The former would tell the jury on hearing that five men had been arrested he went to see them. He found them in the Un Leong meeting house chained up in pig baskets.
He knew two of these men-Tung Cheong and Chun Kwai Sui Tai. In the meeting house were eight or ten people, including prisoners. Something was said about engaging a boat, and after a boat had been engaged, another meeting was held in the gambling house. At that meeting first pri- soner spoke against deceased, charging him his country, and again first prisoner said some- with communicating with foreigners and selling thing about waiting till 12 o'clock when the water was high and "doing for them. It would appear that somewhere about 12 o'clock Lam Pak To called in six Punti men, who took up the three men who were in the baskets, two having been released, and carried them to a creek. Their cries roused the suspicion of the men in the boat, and they cleared away without taking them First prisoner then - gave a revolver to second prisoner, who fired two shots at deceased but did not kill him. Then first prisoner said to second prisoner, “give me the revolver; let me shoot him," and taking the revolver first prisoner fired two shots at Mr. Pollock touched and then proceeded to call his witnesses. deceased and killed him. on the other evidence which would be danced The hearing had not concluded when the Court rose.
Under the New Arms Bill now before the Legislative Council the fee for a licence to im port or deal in arms is raised from $10 per anhum to $1,200.
[July 1, 1899.
THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE'S KE- MARKS IN THE HOPKINS CASE.
With reference to the remarks of the Acting Chief Justice, in the case of Regina v. Hopkins, with regard to the subject of "bribery," the facts are as follows:-
Hopkins, with a view to get Fung Koo Sau and some other Chinese to join him as partners and provide capital for the business to be called “The Mutual Storos" which he was promoting, gave to Fung Koo Saua statement written by himself, which was put in evidence at the trial, pointing out the mode in which it was proposed to conduct the business and the reasons for as suming it would be successful and remunerative. In that statement with reference to Lipton's Agency appears the following:
Our London Agents who secured for us this valuable agency write,
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When Lipton once comprelinds you are the right people he will do anything in reason. meanwhile you have to prove your worth. Lip- ton is a power to conjure with and you will as
their agents be well received by the Admiralty people. They authorise you to bribe and give bonuses to the various heads of departments up to 5 per cent, on any order and if you have to place £5. £10, or £20 in the right place po so, full discretionary power is allowed you You will also be empowered to buy and supply stores not of Lipton's which can be had cheap in Hongkong, the idea being that you must get into your hands all orders of the fleet and you will be backed both tooth and nail by Liptons. If worked well there is a chance of getting into vary close relatious with Lipton and will prob. ably end in your holding large free stocks for ordinary and Government consumption."
It was with reference to the words "
They authorise you to bribe and give bonuses to the various heads of departments, &c.." that the Acting Chief Justice remarked that such a letter was discreditable to the writer and that such a mode of doing business was also dis- creditable.
His Honour did not say or imply that the Mutual Stores had availed themselves of the "authority" referred to in that letter, nor did he reflect upon the business carried on by those stores, with regard to the details of which no evidence was given.
ONG MURDDR.
THE U
EVIDENCE OF THE MURDERED MAN'S SON
AND WIDOW.
At the Magistracy on the 23rd June, before Mr. T. Sercombe Smith, Tang Tsing Sz and Cheong Ting were charged on remand with the murder of Tung Cheong at Un Loong in April
last.
Captain Superintendent May conducted the prosecution.
Tung Po said he was a fariner and was the son of Tung Cheong, who lived at Ab Chuen. He knew defendants. The first defendant lived at Ah Chuen and was a village elder. Witness's father was dead. He last saw him alive on the 8th day of the third moon of this year. He saw him at the door of the Un Loong meeting house on that day. Witness had gone there to sell some eggs. His father's hands were tied up. He saw Tang Tsing Sz. He was leading a number of Triad Society men who held his father, Tang Tsing Sz recognised him and told the Triad men to catch him. Witness ran away his mother, who went to Un Loong, and finally and was not caught He went home and told
came back home. He saw men coming to search the house, and ran on to the roof. He had five brothers. They all escaped with him to an- other house, and his clansman stopped the search from being made. On the 9th day he heard that his father had been killed, and he went to search for the body! He searched every day till the 13th. He found the body on the 14th at San Pui Creek, about a li from Un Loong. He and a clansman pulled the body out. There was a chain round the neck, the hands were tied together in front, and the feet were tied together, one over the other. He saw two bullet holes in the right side and also one in the back. There were marks of blows on the body and a string was tied round the waist. The body was not in a pig basket, but one was fastened to him by a piece of string. The
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