October 25th.—(1) Li Hung-chang reports the result of the re-hearing of an appeal case. Sun Ch'ih-shih was the second wife of one Sun Chan-thing, who had also a concubine called Tso, whom he had bought previous to his second marriage, and the two women did not agree. The wife's father, Chith Wen-ch'ang, and her brother Ch'ih Pa lived in her hustand's house, and helped him in his business. The two were constantly inciting the wife to quarrel with the concubine, and Sun Chan-thing became disgusted with them in consequence. The concubine's sister's husband happened to call one day to take leave of Sun previous to going away elsewhere, and he took occasion to advise Ch'th and his son not to live constantly at Sun's house. Ch'th Wen-chang took offence at his remark, and a quarrel ensued which resulted in Ch'ih and his son tricing Tso up off the ground and leaving him hanging there, but he was taken down by the neighbours, who had heard of the treat ment to which he was being subjected. A large number of people had collected on the occasion, and the result was that the money the brother-in-law Wang Fa-kuei had collected for his journey, and his baggage, were lost. This loss gave rise to a Tawsuit, and Sun Chan-thing sent his nephew with a petition to the Sub-prefect charging Chih Wen-ch'ang with disturbing the peace of his household, while he himself went to live away from home in an inn outside the town of Ts'ang Chow, taking with him the title deeds of his house and land, until the trial should come off. He fell sick, however, and could not present himself at the Court, His elder brother, who had been adopted into another family, went to see him, and found him so ill that he begged the Sub-prefect to let him return home, [and postpone the trial] until he was better, home he died. His brother and the latter's adopted father carried the body home, but kept back the title deeds of the house and land that he had taken away with him, 'The wife, in the first instance, suspecting that her husband had met with foul play, applied to the Sub-prefect to hold an Inquest, but being afterwards satisfied that he had' died a natural death, she stayed proceedings and bugged that the, inquest might not beheld, 'The Sub-prefect, having engmized int the circumstances ofthe casey and finding that, Chih Wen-ch'ang, by tricing up Wang Fa-kuei had been the cause of his losing his money and effects, decided that Ch''ih was to make these good' and pay all legal expenses connected with the case. Sun Chan-ngao, brother of the deceased, raised the necessary amount for Clvih, he had no means of paying it himself, and the case was thus closed. Sun Chan-ting having no children, his brother wished to give his own son to the wife Ch'ih Shih as an adopted son, and his nephew to''so Shih the concubine, as a grandson to this deceased. There being some dispute, however, as to the terms, the contract or deed of option was never signed. Sun Chaning then invited the head of the clan to draw up a list of names of children that might be adopted, and submit it to the Subprefect with " request that he would decide which one should be the adopted son of deceased, but the near relatives of deceased were in favour of the adoption of the nephew referred to above, as being more appropriate, and petitioned the Sub-prefect to that effect, who decided in favour of the last proposal. Sun Chan-ngao and his son, seeing that under these circumstances they would have no means of recovering either the money they raised on behalf of Ch'ih Wen-clv'any to pay the claim of Wang Ta-kuei, or the expenses of Sun Chan-ting's funeral and their own travelling expenses and from the prefectural town, pawned portions of Sun Chan-t'ing's land and sold others, inviting owners of other portions upon which the deceased held mortgages tore deem them. They thus recouped themselves for the amount they had been out of pocket, and further appropriated the reniainder of the property. Sun Clrih Shih when she heard of this complained to the Sub-prefect, who gave the case against Sun Chan-ngao, but the latter delayed restitution so long'that the widow became impatient and sent an agent to lodge a petition at the Censorate in Peking. The women has been sentenced to fifty blows for having gone beyond the jurisdiction to which she was subject to lay a complaint at the Censorate before applying to the: higher provincial
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.