932
A FRENCH CRITIC ON
CHINESE POLICY.
L'Echo de Chine quotes an article from the Petite Gironde, wherein M. G. Hanotaux discusses China's attempts to sow discord among the Allies. The writer says
To America and France a request is sent for their mediation; to Germany, who must e5- pecially resent the loss and the affront put upon her by the death of her Minister, Baron von Ketteler, a humble apology is made, and pardon, so to speak, is begged. With Russia secret nego- tiations go on at St. Petersburg. In the case of Japan the identity of race and interests 83 against Europe is invoked. And finally with England a whole campaign of clever insinua tions and interested inducements is undertaken by means of intermediaries who are naturally the business men residing in the great commer- cial centres, Shanghai, Canton, etc.
So, while the allied troops, marching side by side, are capturing Tientsin, the Cabinets each and all are following a policy which, notwith- standing the mutual good feeling, is in danger of not being always completely identical, be- cause the interests concerned and the modes of thought of each of the Powers differ.
Russia recoils, England reflects, Germany sends a large number of troops quickly and quietly. Japan has already a whole army on the spot, and is preparing another. America believes up to a certain point in the good faith of the Chinese and hesitates considerably about going to the bottom of the affair. France does what she can not to be caught unprepared in the south, and sends such forces as she has at her disposal.
HONGKONG.
At the Supreme Court on the 15th inst. the Chief Justice gave judgment for plaintiff with costs in the case Sz To Shing v. Sit Yee.
Since last week's issue, only one fresh case of plagne and one death have reported in Hong- kong, the numbers for the year being now 1063
cases and 1005 deaths.
Early on the 19th instant a fire broke out at 178. Third Street, which is a joss-stick shop. The Fire Brigade appeared, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames. Only about $30 dam- age was done. The cause of the fire is un- known.
At the village of Tai Ko Hang, near Yaumati, on the 16th inst., a mat-shed caught fire. Sixteen others quickly became ignited, and by the time the Fire Brigade appeared-and it was soon on the scene the mat-sheds and their contents
were destroyed, 25 pigs and a number of fowls being also burned to death. The damage is put down at 8900.
At 5.55 8.m. on the 14th inst. Sergeant Garrod found the Traveller's Hotel in Queen Victoria Street in full swing, drink being served to customers. Six o'clock is the legal time for opening, and he accordingly took the landlady, Mrs. Oliver. before the Magistrate. She averred that it was six o'clock by her clock, which she kept by the city clock, when the Sergeant came on the scene. Under the cir- cumstances His Worship dismissed the case.
An article which is probably stolen more than any other, particularly in the harbour, is coal. Three men were charged at the Magistracy on the 14th inst. with being in unlawful posses sion of a ton. Lance-Sergeant Angus saw them drawing a truck-load along the Praya. He questioned them but could get no satisfactory explanation, and accordingly took them to the Central Police Station. One of them was fined $100, and the other two, who were in his employ, $5 each.
At the Victoria Gaol on the 18th inst. the sen- tence of death passed upon Tang Lin and Lo Tam at the Supreme Court last month for the murder of an old man named Cheung Lau, in Kowloon Bay, on the 21st of June, was carried out. Later on in the day the inquest on the bodies was held, at which Dr. Thomson give his opin- ion that Tang Lin died of strangulation, and Lo Tam. from the shock due to dislocation. It will be remembered that the prisoners were in a sampan in Kowloon Bay when they set upon the occupants, and injured an old man who owned the boat so severely that he died.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The Telegraph Companies on the 18th inst. informed us that a cable has been laid and is now working between Shanghai and Chefoo. Hongkong is therefore in direct emble communication with Chefoo, Taku, Weihai- wei and Port Arthur.
Paul Ruggeberg, tidewaiter, Western Hotel obarged with having in his possession a revolver and ammunition without a permit, appeared be fore Mr. Hazeland on the 19th inst., but was dis- charged, with a caution. The revolver and ammunition were ordered to be forfeited to the Crown.
Two women from Canton appeared before Mr. Hazeland on the 18th inst. charged with bring- ing five girls into the colony for the purpose of prostitution. The women brought the girls from Canton, intending to take them to Singa- pore. On the application of Mr. Lee, the case was adjourned for a week, bail being fixed at $200 each.
At the Magistracy on the 14th inst., before Mr. Hazeland, the re-hearing of the case in which Lo Fuk was fined $100 for infringing the rights of the Postmaster General by unlawfully convey- ing letters between Hongkong and Canton took place. Mr. Deacon (Messrs Deacon and Hastings) was for the defence, and he convinced His Worship that the letters had gone through the Post Office, handed to the Customs Officials at Canton, and distributed by them. The previ- ous connection was accordingly reversed and the fine returned.
A Chinaman told Mr. Hazeland the following story at the Magistracy on the 17th inst.: I have just come from Annam and am living in an hotel. At about seven o'clock this morning when I was standing outside the boarding house a man came up to me and said. "Neigh bour, there is something on your shoulder." I stoped down to pick up a piece of wood to wipe it off when the man put his hand in my pocket and took out my purse, which contained 3 cents. I seized him by the queue and gave him into custody. The defendant handed the parse to another man.-A Chinese constable said he
the queue. saw the complainant holding the defendant by He went up to him and asked him what was the matter. The complainant said the man had stolen his purse. He got hold of the defendant to arrest him when he said, "Don't arrest me. Here are the 30 cants which I return to the complainant."-The de- fendant said he did not steal the purse. The 30 cents belonged to him. He was a coolie. He added. "If it was me the purse would have been in my possession. The man who stole the money stole the purse as well."-Sentenced to
a month's hard labour
[September 22, 1900.
Major H. H. Brown, R.A.M.C., Acting Principal Medical Ofiper, has been appo member of the Sanitary Board.
On the 18th inst. Lau Kit, servant boy to Mr. J. Alaks, of No, 1, Richmond Road, saw a loafer go into the verandah and come out again with a chair. The boy arrested him, and on the 19th inst. Mr. Haseland sentenced him, to a month.
Lance- orporal Bennet was near the Central Hotel on the 18th inst. when he hailed a rick- shaw. The coolie, Wong Tak, however, refused to take him and tried to get away. He was caught and given into custody. On the 19th inst. he was fined $3, or 14 days.
The crusade against neglecters of lime-wash- ing still continues, the owners of 31 houses being fined $10 per house on the 18th inst. for neglecting to attend to the lime-washing, and seven others were fined $5 for not giving notice. All the houses were in the eastern district.
Bay Sugar Refinery last week, some. Cantonese There was a row among the coolies at Quarry severely drubbing some Chiu Chew men, whom they out-numbered, one of the defeated party being so badly used that he had to be sent to the hospital. In consequence the Chiu Chew men were afraid to return to work. They want to the head coolie's house for their wages and on being refused, as they had not worked the week out, they appear to have created some dis- turbance. At any rate the head coolie sum- moned nine of them to appear at the Magistracy on the 15th inst. During the hearing of the case it came out that previous to their going to the complainant's house on Sunday the complainant and two of the defendants called at the Central Police Station. Inspector, MoLennau, who was on duty in the charge room, said that he heard the complainant promise to pay
the men, but that he afterwards refused to do so. Hence the disturbance. Under the circumstances His Worship discharged the men.
A kidnapping case of a most extraordinary character came before Mr. Hassland on the 18th inst. It seems that on the 13th inst. a woman named Chan Yee called upon a woman in Jubilee Street whom she had known some six years ago. This was at about half-past 12. The women talked about different things and in the course. of the conversation the visitor said she would buy the other woman's little boy a pair of wooden clogs. The mother, not to be out-done in generosity, said she would buy her some fruit in return, but this the visitor said she would not think of accepting. The visitor got up to leave at about a quarter to one, it having been arranged that the mother's niece should go with her for the clogs. As they were It is not generally known in Hongkong, leaving the house the visitor took hold of the writes B correspondent, that on Monday boy's hand, saying that he could come too, and night, the 10th instant, during the gale, led him away. When she reached the Prays the large Blue Funnel steamer Patroclus broke she said to the girl, “Oh, go back and get a adrift from her moorings at the Company's basket for the fruit.' The girl went back for buoy opposite Pedder's Wharf at midnight the basket, but as soon as the mother heard her and had a most narrow escape of doing dam errand she suspected that something was wrong, age to herself and other vessels as she drift- and she and another woman at once left the ed down the harbour. Fortunately Captain house with the intention of bringing the boy Dickens had given orders for steam to be got back. Both the boy and the woman, however, up early in the evening when the weather was were nowhere to be seen. She had given a threatening. When the mooring chains parted certain boarding house as her address, but it it was reported by the deck officer that the was found that she was not known there at all. ship was drifting and when Captain Dickens The police were then informed and enquiries found the report correct he called the Chief were set on foot. Chinese Detective sergeants Engineer, who informed him that he had suffi- 292 and 254 ultimately succeeded in tracing the cient steam to give the steamer a turn ahead or missing woman to the servants' quarters of the astern as might be required. The Patroclus Hospital Sisters on Monday morning. She denied drifted stern first towards the Praya but all knowledge of the child, saying that she left him by careful handling with the wind, and in the street, and one of the men-servants order- tide assisting she was driven down west-ed the detectives away. On producing a note ward sideways, escaping buoys and steamers with which they had been provided by Chief in a most marvellous way. Indeed, she only Detective Inspector Hanson, however, they were passed the Canton Steamer's Wharf within permitted to search the premises, but without a few yards When she cleared the shipping result. Detective-sergeant 292 then went into she anchored for the night at West Point. the yard and on looking up towards the per- Much credit is due to Captain Dickens for the vants' quarters saw a child standing on tip-toes able way in which he manipulated his vessel and looking through a window. He immediate- during her drift down the harbour, a journey ly rushed upstairs again, and got hold of the which few navigators would, attempt in a clear little fellow, who was identified by a woman he night with their ship heading straight to their had taken with him for the purpose as the destination and the steamer and engines under missing child. A further search of the pre- full control. The promptness, too, of the deck mises proved that the man servant who had been offoers in detecting the dragging at such an so saucy when the detectives first made their early stage is worthy of considerable praise. appearance and the woman who had taken the The whole steamer's company indeed have to be boy away were in league. They were according congratulated on their smartness, and seamen-ly both taken before Mr. Hazeland no the like manner in which they attended to their 18th inst., and each sentenced to six montha' duties.
hard labour.
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