September 22, 1902.] objects. By this means, he argues, the people of the United States will be made to realise what Hongkong is and its importance in relation, above all, to the Philippines. The education of the people means the education of Congress, and in the education of Congress lies the hope of future American legislation with regard to affairs in the Far East being of a beneficial character to international progress and commerce.
As we have said, we think the idea deserves fair consideration, and we therefore introduce it to the notice of our readers.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held ou the 18th inst. in the Board Room. Present:-Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Officer (President); Hon. Dr. F. W. Clark, Medical Officer of Health; Hor. W. Chatham, Director of Public Works; Mr. F. J. Badeley, Captain Superintendent of Police; Mr. C. McI. Messer, Acting Registrar-General; Mr. E. Osborne, and Mr. Lauchupak.
RINDERFEST IN THE NEW TERRITORY. There was laid on the table a letter from Mr. A. Gibson, Colonial Veterinary Surgeon, re- garding the reported prevalence of rinderpest in certain villages in the New Territory. The villages in question are Shatin, Ho Wo Tsia, Sheung Wo Tsia, and Lek Un, and so far as could be ascertained about eight cattle alto- gether had died, all of them isolated cases, and no owner apparently losing more than animal. Mr. Gibson was of opinion that rin- derpest was not existent in these villages, and that further action was unnecessary.
one
Hon. Dr. Clark attached a minute to the
effect that as all the cattle proceed to the depot at Hunghom before being slaughtered, there was not much danger of infected meat being sold here.
It was decided, on the suggestion of the PRESIDENT, to take no steps in the matter.
FAT-BOILING ESTABLISHMENT.
A further application was read from the oc- cup'er of No. 8, Sutherland Street, asking that the premises be registered as a fat-boilin establishment. The applicant formerly carried on trede at Nos. 8 and 10, Lower Lescar Row, but as these premises were burnt down he now sought to have the licence transferred to No. 8, Sutherland Street.
The application was refused in the first in- stance because the locality was not deemed suit- able for the carrying-on of an offensive trade such as fat-boiling.
Hon DE. CLARK-The senior inspector of the district reports that he does not consider No. 8, Sutherland Street, to be a suitable place for the establishment of an offensive trade, and the Board previously decided only to grant future licences in suitable places.
The PRESIDENT--I move that the applica tion be not granted.
Mr. BADELEY seconded, and the motion was carried.
LIMEWASHING REIURN.
The limewashing return for the fortuight ended 13th inst. showed 1,171 houses so treated in the Eastern district out of a total of 1,257, and 51 out of a total of 3,857 in the Central district. In the former district these were 28 prosecutions during the period under review, and fines imposed to the amount of $154.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
THEFT OF FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
217
was searched, In the lower holds two Chinese stowaways were found, one of them a tallyman to the first defendant. He had hidden him- What is regarded as one of the biggest and board of a pseudo-tallyman, who was picked self away in order to screen the presence on most daring robberies in the history of the Colony bas occurred on 'bo rd the steamer
out from the compradore's men and put in irons. The steamer was searched again on the even. Zafiro, which prior to her la t trip to Manila was robbed of the immense sum of fifty thousanding of the 8th, without further result. On the dollars gold. The story, briefly told, is as
10th a suspicious-looking lighter came along. follows. The Zafiro, which is owned by Messrs.
side, and on its being searched two stowaways Shewan, Tomes & Co., left for Manila on the board, thus accounting for four altogether. It from the Loongsang were found hidden on 12th inst.. having shipped specie to the amount stated above, $50,000 gold.
would be shown in evidence, said Mr. Hastings, The bullion was consigned to a firm in Manila, and was taken that the first defendant paid the men on the on board here at the last moment, a rule in- lighter some money, in order, presumably, to variably observed by shippers in the case of a
take the stowaways ashore. On the 11th, on consignment of such a valuable nature. Shortly account of further information received the to the conclusion that afterwards the vessel sailed on a voyage which ship's officers came
another of the compradore's men was a stow- proved to be perhaps the most unfortunate she has ever made, for when Manila was reached away, and he also was taken away from the and preparations were made to land the specie, this man was put in irons, the compradore came number, thus leaving it at eleven only. When it was found to be gone. A search of the most to the captain in a temper and demanded— thorough description was made throughout the entire ship, but it was absolutely fruitless-not a trace of the treasure was seen.
The con-
jecture is that the box in which it was stored never left Hongkong, for, as far as can be ascer- tain, nothing of a suspicious nature transpired at the American port. Be that as it may, however, there the astounding fact remained. The Diamante, which arrived yesterday from Manila brought news of the loss, and information was at once lodged with the police, who are now doing all they can in the matter. The prospects of a capture or even of an elucidation of the mystery are not bright, however, for the thieves have had a start of about seven days, and have performed their work with such remarkable skill as to leave behind nothing tangible in the way of a clue upon which enquiries might be based. That several persons were implicated in the affair scarcely admits of doubt, and that they were fully cognisant of all the details connected with the shipment and storing of the money seems just as indubitable The task before the police is a severe one, but it is to be hoped that success will reward the efforts they are making
The mortality in the Colony during the week ended 6th inst. was 253 per 1,000 per annum, against 23.5 in the preceding week and 18.4 during the corresponding period of last year.
RETURN OF RATS.
A return was laid on the table showing that the number of rats caught during the week ended 15th September was 273, against 865 in the preceding week.
Hon. Dr. CLARK—T: o decrease in the latter week was owing to a strike amongst the rat- catchers. The Government have decided to increase the fee for each rat from three cents to five cents, but not to increase the wage.
Mr. BADELLY-Are they satisfied? Hon. Dr. CLARK—Yes. This was all the public business,
INTERESTING STOWAWAY CASE,
What for you lock my men up? You look out when we get to Hongkong." On the steamer's leaving she was fined five hundred dollars
the United gold by
States anthorities, because the compradore only left with eleven Loongsung left Manila on the 12th and arrived men, whereas he arrived with twelve. The
here on the 15th, and the captain and officers were so convinced that no man had escaped from the ship at Manila that they decided to search the ship again. After having been granted pratique by the doctor, the Loongsang went into the quarantine station and the officers com-
was
The
municated with the Water Police, whom they requested to use measures to prevent any person from having communication with the vessel. The entire crew were lined up on deck, and the officers and police proceeded to search the possible place, but could find no one. steamer thoroughly. They looked in every As they were coming out of the compradore's room, the captain noticed there a cask which appeared to be full of rice, and idly he poked his finger into the cereal. He brushing the rice away found that there was only surprised to touch something hard, and on
a thin layer of it. The barrel had been inverted, and underneath it lay the missing man. ruse was an extremely clever one, for the rice covering the bottom of the cask gave it the appearance of being full, in which case it would not have provided a hiding-pl.ce for anyone. The man thus unearthed was the second defer- dant, a tallyman of the first defendant, It would be proved in evidence, concluded Mr. Hastings, from the statement of one of the stow- aways who bad turned King's evidence, that the first defendant undertook to get him to Manila, and that the price agreed upon was $180, which was to be paid by the man's relatives and refunded to them cut of his wages when he got to Mauila. In consequence of that agreement, the first defendant stowed him away on board. the steamer; this man was one of those arrested in the ranks of the first defendant's men. sitting down, Mr. Hastings pointed out that under the Ordinance the punishment for aiding and abetting was by fine only, but if the defendant received $200 for each of the five stowaways, he could very well afford to pay a fine of, say $500, which would leave him with $500 still in hand.
Before Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Magistracy on Tuesday, the 16th inst. Mak Cheuk Ting, compradore of the steamer Loongsang, was brought up on three charges (1) unlaw- fully aiding and abetting five Chinese to obtain a surreptitious passage from Hongkong to Manila on the 2nd inst.; (2) unlawfully con- spiring with one Choy Ping and others to ship them as passengers on board the steamer Loong. sang without the consent of the owners or mas- ter; and (3) unlawfully conspiring with the said Choy Ping and others to defraud the Indo-China Steam Navigation Co., Ld., by obtaining for them surreptitious passages on the steamer Loongsang from Hongkong to Manila. He pleaded not guilty, and was defended by Mr. E. J. Grist; Mr. J. Hastings appeared for the prosecution. The defendant's tallyman was also charged with aiding and abetting the stow aways, and he too was represented by Mr. Grist. In detailing the facts of the case, Mr. Hastings said the Loongsang left this port for Manila on the 2nd inst., and before leaving the crew were counted on board in presence of the officers and a doctor representing the United States Consul. They were found to number sixty-two, including twelve men in the com- pradore's department. The object of this careful enumeration in presence of the representative of the United States Consul was that the men should be accounted for at Manila on the ship's leaving that port, in order that the authorities there should be able to see for themselves that every man who left Hongkong on the vessel also returned here. If anyone was missing, the authorities took it that be had escaped from the ship, which was held to be guilty. The steamer arrived at Manila on the 5th inst., continued Mr. Hastings, and on the 8th, in consequence of information received, the whole of the crew were mustered on deck.
|
|
The compradors (the first defendant) | was asked if his twelve men were all right, and he replied in the affirmative. Notwith standing this assurance, however, one of the compradore's men was suspected, and the ship
Before
Choy Ping, the stowaway who had turned King's evidence, said he was a shop coolie, and had resided in Hongkong for several years. His people wanted him to go to Manila, and to that end made arrangements with the first defen. dant. The first time witness saw this defendant was on 2nd September, at the door of the Man Li Yun-a Chinese firm trading to Manila whose address witness did not know. Witnes was taken on board the Loongsang by a foki of the Man Li Yan. Un board he first went to the accountant's room, where he saw the first defendant. Witness sail he wanted to go to Manila, and defendant said—"I'll take you there; don't be afraid; I'll guarantee you'll get there." Defendant did not say anything to witness about how much he was to get for taking him to Manila. The first defendant also said-" You will stay here; don't go out and be seen by foreigners. If you are arrested, don't speak. Say that no one brought you on board, that no one fed you, and that you brought your own bread." Witness was quite willing to carry out these instructions. When the ship
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.