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Shing firms. Debtor had not a share in the Kwong Wing On of Wing Lok Street.
By Mr. Bailey-You say you were manager of the Tai Chuen firm; how is it you got a salary of only Taels 10 a month ? he mana- ger was not a person of authority.
And you were quite satisfied with that salary? — had been all along.
Didn't you borrow certain monies from your friends to avoid bankruptcy two or three months ago? - No
The Official Receiver asked for an adjourn- ment, as he would be unable to close the examination.
His Lordship-What point do you wish me to bear in mind when reading the evidence.
The Official Receiver-It is alleged that the deb'or has failed to disclose certain properties.
When debtor had been examin d, Mr. Bailey asked his Lordship to issue a warrant for his arrest on the ground that be made c.rtain false statements in his stileme it of affair›.
His Lordship-I'm afraid I can'. I don't know that a prima face case has been made out. You and the Official Receiver have got certain facts, but it is a question whether they can be Fubstantiated. At present they are no more than statements thrown at him, and he has denied them.
Mr. Bai ey-We have witnesses. His Lordship-Very well, I will hear them after tffin.
When the Court resumed,
Chan Kee-ping, brother of the debtor, was called, and gare eridence as to certain lands owned by his trother ia Canton. This land he got from his father. The estate was divided between three brothers. Witness had not heard that d-btɔr had sold any of his land.
Chan Kwan-kwok, also testified to the debtor being a landowner in China. He had about 160 mow altogether, but witness could not eay whether he had sold any recently. Chan Bui-hon also waut under the name, Tien Po- tong. That was his "tong" name.
Chan Sia-hon, recalled, denied this and also affirmed that he had sold about 60 mow of his land, and mortgaged another 70 mow.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
change the firm's name and to advertise in the newspapers, bat Lai Chi-chin said it was not necessary in this i*stance.
After hearing further evidence his Lordship came to the conclusion that Lai Chi-chin was a partner in the Tak Li Lang firm, and entered judgment and costs for the plaintiffs against
him.
Friday, August 16th,
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE MR. A. G. WISE (PUISNE JUDGE).
A PENLING APPEAL
Mr. J. H. Gardiner, from the office of Messrs, Brutton and Hett. applied for a stay of exeon. in against Li Chi-chin, whom his Lords ip fount on the previous day to be a partner in the Tak Li-lung firm.
Mr. F. X. d'Almada s Castro, who represented the pisiatiff, objected to this and asked that a day be fixed for the hearing of the appeal,
His Lordship adjourned the case for one week to give the defendant sa opportunity of proceeding.
AN ANNAMITE'S CLAIM. Pham Pay Kien sued F. Flameut to recover $36 due for wages.
Defendant a mitted engaging the plaintiff and bringing him here from Saigon at a salary of $20 a month, but he bad to summarily dismiss him during the first month's service owing to his thieving propeusities,
Judgment was entered for defendant.
PRISONER'S ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.
to
ment warrant W18
The precincts of the Magistracy suddenly became alive with excitement on the 12th August when a coolie who had been seutenoed one week's imprisonment and who was detained in the prisoners' room while the commit- being made out, took advantage of the lukong's back being turned to bolt through the shroff's room and make a dash for liberty. He sped along into Arbuthnot Road but by this time the alarm Lad been given and Usher Fox and a number of lukongs were in hot pursuit. He dodged them as they were about to lay hands upon him sud dashed into Wyndham Street but fortune deserted him here. He attempted to take the steps into an alley at the same speed, but tripping fall to the bottom. He picked himself up and contioned bis flight but was stoppped by a coolie. The runaway tackled his captor so fiercely that the latter However his pur was forced to let him go. asked
The Official Receiver-You have not sold or mortgaged any land since?-No.
Then you have 60 mow now? That is included in what I mortgaged.
It was not your own then. The división was Lot till the fifth moon of this year, yet you say you mortgaged is on the Tuch moon, last year? I knew what my share would coms to. asked my father to divide, bat as be would not, I mortgaged my share..
of
Mr. Bailey ask.d for the djournment
the public examination, and his Lordship to grant a warrant for the arrest of the debtor user section 24 on the ground that the debtor had not given a full disclosure of his property in his statement of affairs.
His Lordship I think there is a prima facie ease, although don't quite know how it will ultimately wt out. Tuere certainly has been s ouse of suppression of the truth with regard to the asme Tien Po Tong," therefore the warrant must go.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION,
BEFORE ME. À. G. WISE (POSNE JUDGE).
A PARINEESHIP DISPUTE.
This was the trial of an issue to decide whether Lai Chi-chin was a partner in the Tak Li Lung
firm, and was the outcome of a former action in which judgment for $328.7• was entered against the said fru, and againstTM,¡ Hing-pong and Lai Chi-obin, partners
д
Mr. F. X.d'Almada e Castro appeared for the plaintiffs in the original action-Leang Shun-hing and Wong Tsoi--and Mr. G. K. Hall Bratton (of Messrs. Brutto; and wett) represented Lai Chi-chin.
rit.
Li Hing-pong said the Tak Lyo pang firm commenced business with a capitsarl; $10,000, of which amount witness supplied sad diin cash and $2,500 in materials. There; one ( three partnership books, one for each of ad in oners, while one was left in the shop. onogram
Cross-examined-The Tak Li›rn; diamem started business about five years ■ with pearls uzual when a new partner entere
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suers had now gained upon bim, but before they reached him two co lies tripped him up and he fell be.vily to the ground. He was removed to the waiting room where he faint- [ed, but he was soon brought round and on his way to do his six hours' in the stocks at
Kowloon.
SENSATIONAL AFFRAY ON THE PRAYA.
A sensational affair with a tragic sequel has just become public. On August 9th P. C. Bond, while on duty in Wing Lok Street, was approached by a Chinaman who complained of having been thrown into the water, and on proceeding to the wharf he met other two natives in dripping clothes who told a similar story and pointed to two men as their asssil. ants. He attempted to arrest them but they resisted. One man caught the officer by the throat and tried to push him into the water. Instead he fell into the arbour himself. The officer, without divesting himself of his heavy clothing, at once dived after the man and c.ught trim as he was sinking the second time. A struggle ensued in the water and finally, realising that he could do nothing to save the man, and that his own life was imperilled, P. (. Eond swam to the wharf, which he reached in a very exhausted condition. The would ba murderer soon sank and the other parties in the í affair did not wait till the officer returned to the Praya but disappeared. The affair is up to the present a mystery.
|
[ August 19, 1937.
THE HARBOUR MYSTERY.
UNRAVELLING THE MYSTERY,
AN ARREST EXPECTID,
GUN MEN
10th August.
The murder revealed by the discovery on the 8. Monteagle on Wednesday is one of the foulest and most gruesome in the annals of the Colony of Hongkong, while at the same time it was one of the most mysterious, and at first blash there appeared little chance of bringing the murderer to justice. But the energy of the local detectives increased in proportion tɔ the magnitude of the crime; an unexpected olne was discovered, and following this up, they have been successful in tracing the morements of the man why arrived in Hongkong with the murdered woman.
These visitors were from Manila. They were passengers by the E. and A. e... Eastern which versel arrived in port on Saturday last, According to the steamer's passenger list they travelled as Mr. and Mrs. Jones, bat on landing bere and going to stay at one of the leading hotels their names were entered as Mr. and Mrs. Davis.
Both are believed to be citizens of the United States, and so far as can be ascertained at present, the man was a captain, or ex- captain, in the American marines.
It would appear that the murder was com. mitted some time on Saturday night, probably between ten and eleven 'io, for socording to the story of the tilt boy at the hotel the box was taken down by him before midnight.
When the police visited the room in which the murdered woman and her companion were staying, they discovered three trunks which had been leit behind by the min, and these they seized. They have also in their possession the trunk in which the body was placed. It is a brown iron-bound box about two feet six by ne foot eight, and has a depth of about two feet. To squeeze the body of a woman about five feet nine inches high into this, it will be realised, must bave been a difficult task,
When the murderer had completed it, how- ever, his next arrangement apparently was to keep the corpse from bumping against the sides of the box. To effect this he jammed ‹ns of his nightshirts between the body and the wood, thus making more solid the contents with the object of averting suspicion so far as the bearer of the trunk was concerned. The nightshirt thus found bore the initial “ J.”
After this he secured his victim's jewellery, which is believed to have been of considerable value, and there is also a suspicion that he sum of money which was in her obtained a
po session.
On Sunday morning the man called at the office of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire, coolies accompanying him and bearing the box. When a clerk attended him, he said he wasted the frunk forwarded to Hoihow by the sa. Singan which was to leave on the following morning. The box was accepted and placed amongst other luggage on a verandab, the owner leaving when he saw it safely deposited. During the same afteracon, however, the stranger returned, and told the clerk be bad obanged his mind: he was going to Sydney instead of Boɑhow, and would take the box away with him again. It was handed over, and evidently when he left Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's he took the trunk on board the Monteagle.
His visit to the local shipping firm, however, was productive of one eveut which went a long way to assisting the cause of justio:, for the clark whom he approached was fortunately able to furnish a very good description of the criminal. He was a tall man, standing between five feet ten inches and five feet eleven inches, thin and sharp featured. Most of his front feeth were stopped with gold; his eyes were blue and his
hair was blonde. He was dressed in a tweed This a soft brown hat. suit, and wore description, we understand, was confirmed by a lady from Manila who was a passenger by the 5,5. Eastern,
So much has been gleaned by the skilful work of the local detectives who are engaged on the case, and all since Wednesday night. * But they have done more; they have been successful ia tracing the man, and his arrest ön
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