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from the crowd and invited the rest to violence, and the outlook became so bad that the police had to fall back from Jervois Street by way of Morrison Street, They charged the crowd | about 1.15 p.m. The polios fell back on the ** Land we live in" because the crowd was pressing them, and here the crowd threw bricks and bamboos at them. Some of them were armed with hooks. The police stood under the verandah. Things became so bad that Sergt. Cooper drew his revolver and fired one round in the air. The crowd took no notice but continued to throw bricks. Sergt. Cooper left to teleptote for assistance, and the remainder charged the orowd repeatedly. They had always to return to shelter to protect themselves and guard the shop. An Indian constable was struck by a missile on the temple. This was not the first casualty as one of the petty officers was badly handled by the crowd. The other Indian constable band. aged his comrade's wound, and while witness discharged his revolver three times in order to over we the crowd wh ch was pressing them, petty officers Wright and Beer picked up the Indian's carbines, and fired, The orowd did not give way at all, but reinforcements came up and the crowd fell back. Then it was discovered that a man had been wounded. From where they stood a thick dense crowd blocked Queen's Boad,
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Police Sergt. Cooper said he was in command of the party of which P. C. Brook was one, on November 2nd, bis duty being to keep order is Queen's Road and Jervois Street. They charge ed the crowd in Jervois Street from 12-30 till 1-80 or 1-45, and had ultimately to fall back into Queen's Road, the crowd being too much for them. Stones, brick and pieces of wood were thrown at them. He posted a party at the "Land we live in Oonsi-ting of P. C. Brook, three petty officers of the Royal navy and two Indians. Stones and bricks were thrown at them and the crowd became thicker. Repeatedly the police and naval men charged the mob. Then witness drew his revolver and fired it in the air in order to show the crowd that they had loaded firearms and would use them, if necessary. Before going to telephone for assistance he told P. C. Brook not to fire and not to allow the Indians 'o load their carbines. He had to go a third time before he could communicate with the Central and had to go to No. 5 Police Station for assistance. He Не returned with Sergeant Hedge and several Indians and found that a man had been shot.
Witness asked "who fired ?" Petty offloer Wright replied “I did."
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Police Station where he learned that a man had been shot. He told Inspector Smith that he had fired two or three shots. He only fired two. | The Indian constables raa away after they wors bit. The reason they fired was because they were outnumbered. He informed the police that revolvern were fired from the crowd.
P.C. Brook recalled said shots were fired from the crowd. He could not say how many. Perhaps there were two. When he fired in the air Petty officer Wright also fired.
Bergt. Cooper was recalled.
You stated that when you returned to Queen's Road you found this body on the pavement. You spoke to Wright about it!-I spoke to him before I went to the body.
Did you draw his attention to it ?—No, He says he did not know until be went to the Police Station that a man had been shot? Is this true?—I could not say.
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Petty Offloor Beer spoke to assisting the police on the occasion in question, Sergt. Cooper | supplying him with a stick to use in charging When matters b-came serious. the crowd.
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witness at the request of Sergt. Cooper went off and obtained the assistance of three Indians, The sergeant then went to get reinforcement. better The crowd chṣrg-d and some one sid fire on them." Some one fired and witness took the carbine from the woundet Indisu and fired one round. Altogether he fired three four. After the first shot the crowd came up but he brought the carbine to the pre- They oarried on sent and they fell back. like this for some time and he fired again, From the first shot till the last the firing must have lasted for about twenty minutes. Witness red in the air, e was accustomed to tue use of rife. He did not fire at the mob.
Did you see this man fall?—I was firing up the street.
You consider none of your ballets could have hit him ?-No 8ir:
When did you first know a man had been bit?—I saw him on the footpath. I saw Sergt. Cooper go up to him: I did not know he was shot. I was told he was the man,
When were you told that P-After leaving the place.
James Buchanan, a petty officer, deposed to seeing Cops able Brooks fire his revolver in the air. Petty Officers Beer and Wright both fired r filer. They fired high, but he could not say how often they fired.
The father of decena d said that on the day in question his son was taking some guests to make purchaser.
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[November 14, 1908,
firing quite justified. They also wished to commend the notion of the three naval men in going to the assistance of the polios.
His Worship remarked that he been struck, throughout by the tact and self-control shown by the police." Both as individuals and as a fores we had every reason to be proud of their_record during the riot. He agreed with the jury farther that the petty officers were to be commended in answering the call of the polios on this occasion. At the same time he did not find himself alto- gether in agreement with the verdict of the jury. It was a serious matter to uss Arearms in a riot, especially when the police received orders from a superior officer not to fire. His Worship's view was that there was nothing to justify the police omloer in departing from his instructions. He further thought that no fire- arms had been used by the rioters, and that nothing at all occurred which justified the petty omloors in using firearms. He agreed with the jury that the conduct of the police, sad the patty officers in going to the assistance of the police was to be commended on this occasion. "Both the police in general and the pelty ofloors deserved the commendations and thanks of the public, which bis Worship give them. He concluded by discharging "and thanking the jurors,
A DISHONEST SERVANT.
At the Magistracy on Nov. 11th Dr. Stedman obarged his “boy" with stealing $10 and a gold finger ring set with pearls. The complain- ant had missed sums of money recently and took the preosation to ta e the numbers of notes which he had in a small jewellery osse. A tow days ago several were missing and he called in the police who searched the suspected boy and found in his possession one of the $10 notes the A gold number of which the Doctor had noted ring which Mrs. Stedman identified was also found upon him. Defendant admitted the theft and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment.
THE NEED OF A FIRE BRIGADE AT PEKING.
Chinese Public Opinion is urging the nend of a properly organised fire brigade equipped the latest fre fighting applianceą. with Almost every year, our contemporary a ye Indian P. C. 651 testified to being struck byłeking suffers from a sort of epidemic of fre, a stone daring the riots. He did not know who fired, as he was sleeping for about five minuter.
Petty Offloor Buchanan, recalled, said shota were fired at the police from the mob.
Indian Constable 794 said he handed his rifle to a European constable who passed it on to sailor, and the sailor fired two shots. He fired high. He did not see any shota fired by the crowd. They only threw stones.
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Petty Ofor Wright, of the "Alacrity,' having been cautioned by his Worship, said that ou November 2nd he was in the International Hotel with two petty officers. Bergt Cooper hailed them to assist in keeping order, and they helped the police, obarging the crowd for about one hour and a half. The crowd beo ming too strong for them, they fell back to the "Land we live in", where the crowd closed in on them on every side. Bricks, flower pots and bottles were thrown at them and two men dressed differently to the others carried revolvers in one Police Sergeant Hedge bore testimony to hand and Chinese placards in the other. They Sergeant Cooper calling on him for assistance, kept calling out "ta! ta!" About three as the mob had taken obarge. When witness revolver shots were fired from the crowd, one of sppeared on the scene he saw the constable and which narrowly missed his shoulder. The party oue sailor with arms at the realy near the stood this for about a quarter of an bour Land we live in " Hotel. Witness tld the when he heard an English voice saying "fire in police to unload, and they did. Then the crowd the air," the crowd being then within ten yards made a rush at the police sad had to be beal En and some of the men displaying books. Another off with batons. Witness saw that a man had charge was made during which witness WLE been shot, and was told by the crowd that a separated from his associates. He was separated | sailor had shot him. Witness would not have for some time daring which he had his head | fired without orders from a superior authority cut open in several places He captured one of The Coroner, in summing up, told the jurors the ringleaders and pulled him through the there was nothing before them to show from crowd. When the order to fire was given which rifle this ballet came. They could not firearms were discharged. Witness was struck hold anybody responsible for the death of the on the breast with a brick. This made him feel man. In order to bring in a verdict of man. a little giddy. On recovering he asked one slaughter they would have to bare evidence of the Indians for bis carbine and on receiv. that one person had fired the shot that sotually ing it asked for some blank cartridges. He killed this man. There was no such evidence |
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only ball and it seemed to him that they had no option cartridges. He took two rounds and fired one but to bring in a verdict of accidental death. shot at an angle to clear the mob and pass over The jury retired at five miutes past five the houses. The Indian constables ran away returning into Court ten minutes later, when and as the crowd again beḍame dangerous he they brought in a verdict of sopidoutal death bailet wound fred by the fired a second round, receiving at the mme time | caused by a a blow from a brick on the shoulder. This police or one of the petty officers from made him semi-conscious and he handed the H.M.8. Alsority" who assisted the polios
In the sireum- } arbine over. Then reinforcements arrived in suppressing the riot. nd his two colleagues took him to the Central' stanood the jury considered their action in
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and in these are lost hundreds of thousands oa Taels worth of valuable property, a great dea? of which could be red by a properly! equipped Fire Brigade. Take for iɑstanos the low-en during the early part of this year. 'T'hey will be found to amount to some mil- Hoos of Taels. There is not the slightest doubt that at the burning of the Industrial Exhibition building hundreds of thousands of faels worth of valuable exhibits and many neighbouring properties could have been saved from the famer. The ocat of equipping ■ maintaining a Brigade for a year, wʊald be leas than the amount lost in this one fire, but no lesson is taken from ́ita occurrence and nothing is attempted in the way of pr viding against possible contingencies in the future.
Paking has now a number of very valuabis modern building. There are the new Courts of Justice, the Wai Wa Pa Buildings, the Bailway offices, the Board of O mmunications the Board of Education and innumerable other structures all of which are absolutely inadequate- ly protected against the fire-fiend.
The Foreign Legation Quarter is not, it is true, strictly speaking, within the sphere of operatious of a Chinese Fire Brigade, but it is none the less to one interest to be able to render efficient assistance in the event of an out- break of fire_therein.
The introduction of the waterworks will, it is true, assist somewhat in rendering more efloient the app lances for suppreezing fires, but hydrants alone cannot, for a long time to some be suficienty numerous to mities för all the "reeds of "this" rest town in this respect, Powerfat and well built steam fire engines are necessity and wal trust to hear soos of the inaágüration of the Peking Brigade among the reforms of the Empire,
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