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suspending payment of debts. The peti. tioners had filed a declaration proving the assets at $29,000, consisting of stock in trade $1000, good will and signboard and residue of the lease $3,500, goods and substantial debts $15,000, and bad debts 8500. The liabilities amounted to $40,000 or thereabouts.
The application was adjourned pending the production of the notice suspending payment,
CHUNG SHUN KOO.
The examination of this debtor had been adjourned from last week.
Mr. d'Almada e Castro said he appeared for a creditor who was willing to accept a composition. The official Receiver said no trustee had yet been appointed by the creditors. He suggested Mr. Lowe.
The Chief Justice added that Mr. Lowe had experience in managing new property.
Mr. d'Almada objected to the app intment of Mr. Lowe. His client was the largest creditor for $60,000, and he would prefer to be appointed. The Chief Justice said they had discussed that fully last time. There were other creditors who had equal claims, and he thought it would be better to have an outsider.
Mr. Deacon, who appeared for another creditor, supported the official Receiver.
The order for adjudication was issued and Mr. Lowe appointed trustes.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION
BEFORE ME A. G. WISE (PUISNE JUDGE).
AN INTERESTING CUSTOM.
Li Pak In and five others sued Li Shuk Min. Mr. Otto Kong Sing appeared for the plaintiffs Mr. Atkinson, from the office of Messrs. Deacon, Looker, and Deacon, who had previously represented the defendant, did not appear and Mr. Otto Kong Sing announced that his friend had withdrawn from the case, defendant having absconded from the Colony.
It appeared that the plaintiffs were employed in the pawnbrokers' business known by the name of Him Tai at Yaumati. Defendant was proprietor of that shop and when it was sold a commission became due to the several fokis employed therein.
Evidence was called to prove the claim. His Honour (to Mr. Otto Kong Sing)-You must understand that with regard to this prac- tice of yours, I am not laying it down for any but this case. If in the future a case is disputed I must not be taken to have laid it down that such custom does prevail,
Li Pak In was put in the box and stated that the shop was sold for $29,700 and that the fokis were entitled to one per cent. of that amount by a custom prevailing in the trade.
His Honcar-I have never heard of a case before on this subject.
Mr. Otto Kong Sing handed in a letter from defendant's solicitors admitting that the custom did prevail.
Judgment was entered for plaintiffs with costs.
Mr. Otto Kong Sing explained that the ouston was intended to keep the fokis in the shop so that the new purchaser would be able to carry on the business.”
TRIPLE MURDER.
THE DEEP BAY PIRATES.
The hearing of the charge of murder preferred against five men, who had been extradited from Maoao, in connection with the death of a junk man and two of his family at Deep Bay on August 2nd, was resumed before Mr. F. A. Haseland at the magistracy on September 7th. Mr. P. P. J. Wodehouse, assistant superintend. ent of police, conducted the prosecntion.
An interesting story was disclosed by the prosecution. The principal witness, Sing Kip, who is quite a youth, lived with his uncle and his two sons and daughter on board a junk, While at How Hoi, Deep Bay, the crew of six men on Angust 2nd took possession of the junk. Waiting until the family had gone to bed they armed themselves with bamboos and overpowered the master and his family. Sing Kip was shut up in the hold and while there heard his uncle call out "save life" and afterwards heard the sounds of fighting on deck.
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THE HONGKONG. WEEKLY PRESS AND
After some time the defendanta came below and informed him that they had killed the master and his sons. They brought him on deck and declared that they were going to sell the girl and become pirates. They asked him to join them but he said he was afraid and they threw him overboard. For six hours he remained in the water, at the end of which time he was picked up by a junk and brought to Yaumsti, of the bodies was subsequently discovered and as where he reported the matter to the police. One the result of some clever work on the part of Detective Sergeant Wilden five of the prisoners were arrested. On August 16th he accom- panied the sergeant to Macao, from which they went into Chinese territory, where they met the first defendant and the girl Wong Tai. They all returned to Macao and at a certain house recognised the other four defendants.
The hearing was adjourned, The hearing of the charges of wilfal murder preferred against five of the erew of the junk Yau Lee, WAS continued before Mr. F.A Hazeland at the Police Court on September
10th.
Mr. P. P. J. Wodehouse, assistant super- intendent of police, prosecuted, the prisoners being undefended.
Ip Yung was the next witness. He said he was a fisherman residing in a matshed at Pat Tan. On the morning of the 5th instant he saw the body of a Chinese male aged about 21 years lying dead on the foreshore at Taug Kok in Deep Bay. The body was in a nu le condition, slightly decomposed, and witness noticed a number of bruises on the back. He also saw a tortoise shell bangle on the left arm.
A subscription was collected by witness from among the fishermen to raise funds to defray
the cost of burial. On the 19th instant witness pointed out to the Inspector where he had buried the body, saw the grave opened and the bangle taken off the arm,
Detective Sergeant Wilden stated that from information received on August 16th he went to Macao with witness Sin Kip and P.8. 396. He crossed over to Pak Shan in Chinese territory and thence to Lam Bban Wan. On the road be overtook the first defendant; explained who he was and gave him the option of returning to Macao and assisting witness to find the other men, or of being handed over to the Chinese authorities. The defendant agreed to return, and on arrival at Macao witness handed him over to a Chinese detective of the Macao police. About an hour afterwards he went accompanied by P. 8. 396 and the first witness room occupied by Chinese detectives He beard a number of men ascending the stairs and told the last witness if he knew them to call out their names as they came up. The witness picked the four men out of the number marched up the stairs, and the detective saw them lodged in jail, applied for their extradition to Hongkong, which was granted, and brought them back to this Colony.
to a
When the evidence concluded, defendants made their statements, after which they were committed for trial at the Criminal Bassions.
A GAMBLER'S END.
Before Mr H. H. J. Gompertz and Messrs M. Souza, W. L. Weaser and L. E. Lammert, jurymen, sa inquiry was held at the Magistracy on September 11th concerning the death of a coolie named Tai Cheung, who fell from the verandah of No. 2 Po Yan Street in the Central District on the 5th instant.
The evidence adduced showed that the house Watt and a posse of police on the night of at No. 2 Po Yan Street was raided by Sergeant the 5th instant under a gambling warrant, When the police entered the house a large number of people were gambling. Thess made frantic efforte to escape. the balcony and endeavoured to climb down ́s Deceased got over down-pipe. He was descending, rapidly, and on coming to a joint in the piping, lost his hold and fell to the ground, a distance of 35 feet. Death was instantaneous,
died from shock.
The medical evidence showed that deceased eight broken ribe, a fractured sp'een, a ruptured He had a fractured skull, liver and several minor injuries. misadventure.
The jury returned a verdict of death by
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[September 17, 1906. WHOLESALE MURDER IN A CHINESE VILLAGE.
The hearing was continued of the application by the Chinese Authorities at Canton for the surrender of Tsoi A-yana Ints of Pi Chung village in the Namhoi district, who is socused of the commission of the crime of murder within the jurisdiction of China.
Chief Detective-Inspector Hanson made the application for the defendant's extradition. he was a butoher residing at Pi Chang village Chan Kwong was the first witness. He said in the Namhoi distriot. In the second moon of
this year he was employed at the Tung Chan
Lo
cattle depot. A man called Chan Kai was the master. On February 24th he was in the cattle depot and arose as usual at 3 a.m. to kill cattle. He had finished killing about six o'clock Among other persons then present were the master of the depot and the defendant. The defendant accused a foki named Lo Cheang of being a mischief maker, but the latter said nothing. Then defendant went upstairs, but orme down again shortly afterwards. Cheung was then folding up some hides. Defend- ant approached him from the rear and shot him in the heal with a revolver. The foki fall, and then the defendant pat two more bullets into him. After that witness ran home, and about balf-an-hour afterwards told three village watchmen what had happened. He returned with them to the cattle depot, but defendant was not there. They saw the dead foki lying where he bad fallen. In conse- quence of the murder the slaughter house was closed, and witness had not done any work since then.
Chan Hoi, declared, told the Court he was accountint in the new slaughter house which August 9th witness arose at 3 s.m. with the was opened by Chan Kai on May 9th. On other employees to kill bullocks. Chan Kai waS present, but not the other partner, Chan Fan, The defendant entered the depot at 3.30 a.m. the murder of Lo Cheung?
His Worship Why wasn't he arrested for
Witness—I heard the matter was squared ́by a payment of money to Lo Cheung's alder, brother.
Continuing, witness said that when defendant called at the depot he asked him for the loan of a rifle, as he wished to smuggle some salt. He put him off by saying the rifle was with some- one else. Defendant then left, but returned half-an-hour later and said the rifle was at the
together with a bandolier. Defendant loaded depot. Witness told another foki to give it to the defendant and it was handed to him,
front of the shop and fired two shots. Then a the rifle with eight cartridges, sad went to the foki ran into the depot sad mid he was shot, falling down shortly afterwards. Defendant then entered, followed by a watchman who attempted to arrest him. The defendant turned round and fired a shot at him, but missed, and dropped the rifle, and when he closed with the the watchman closed with him. Defendant
watchman the depot cook appeared with a large buloher's knife and chopped defendant on the back. Then defendant drew a knife and stabbed the watchman in the abdomen. Witness then saw the cook run away, and the defendant, also ran. He came out from the shop, aud saw that the watchman was dead.
The case was adjourned.
STEALING "GHOSTS' CHOW."
Sergeant Gordon of No. 7 Police Station and a vagabond, also with furnishing pawn- charged Wong Kam-pul with being a rogue brokers false particulars.
Wong's roguery consisted of the unpardonable sin of robbing the dead. On Monday the ricsha coolies of West Point adjourned to the hillside to “joss" their ancestors' graves. They who gather like vultures on snob occasions for were accompanied by a number of the riff-raft the purpose of appropriating the fatted pork cakes and other delicacies which are spread out to allay the hunger of the forebears of the era, and so great was his desire to partake of worshippers. Wong was one of these plunder- the good things provided that he was unable to wait until the worshippers departed. Snatching up a piece of pork and a cake he dashed down
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