Prisoners, seamen of the Birchvale, were charged with stealing a coil of now rope from the hold of that vessel, about twelve o'clock on Thursday night. "The rope weighed 200 ibs,, and was valued at $29 or $30.
On being asked if they stole the rope, McKay replied that he could not seo any proof that they stole it.—Walters said, "We took it out of the hold, to part with it, if we could—it was the drink that did it, Mr, Srniiana stated that the prisoners rolled the evil of rope from the whan up the road to the place where there they were gain, to sell it, but it was supposed that a thir man helped them. The prisoners were caught at the door of the house of Ching-kee by PO, 29 and the captain and chief mate of the vessel. They were caught at 12.15 a.m, P.C, 39 said he saw the prisoners with the rope la their porsemsion, at the door of Ching-keo's house. The captain and chief Officer of the Birchvale, and a Chinaman, were with witness when he apprehended the prisone A, Topatax, chief mate, stated that he wont with Captain Garrett and the policeman to the house of Ching-keo, and found the prisoners knocking at the door. The coil of Topo was on the ground in front of the prisoners, Witness identified it as the proerty of the ship. The time was 12.15, on thursday night, Did not exactly know the value of the rope,—it was worth from $25 to $30. The prisoners were not sober; they were about "half-and-half."
His Woxsutr asked where the ship was lying?
Mr, Smmmrixa replied, ab the Hongkew Whart. Ching-keo's shop is near the Wharf Hotel, and the prisoners therefore had not far to take the rope—just off the wharf and into the road. The Chinaman who was with the prisoners when discovered by the policeman was a watchman belonging to the wharf. He—would be taken to the Mixed Court for Topatax, in answer to further questions by His Worship, said the ship's hatchways were covered at night, but the hatches were not locked. There was a watel: inan on board, a trustworthy young man, vot on this occasion fall asleep. Witness was often up at times during the night himself, and never found him asleep before, is Worsumy, referring to the fact of the hatches not being locked at night, said it would take but little time to lock riem, and it should always be done.
McKay now admitted that he helped Walters, at his request, to roll up the rope. He had been told it was the chief officer's rope—it mas not his (prisoner) The chief officer did not ask him to take the rope to He (prisoner) knew he had done wrong.
His Wonsmr, addressing the prisoners, said—The fact of your being the worse for liquor, as I understand from the chief mate you were, is no kind of excuse for what you have done. It does not even explain it, because you were not so drunk that you did not- know you were doing wrong. I cannot imagine, either, that you wero.so very drunk, otherwise you could not have got so large a quantity of rope out of the hold of the ship and taken it where it was found. I shall sentence you each to six weeks' hard labour,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.