Witraac Pace, quartermaster on board the P. & O. ste. Ancona, was charged with stealing 163 bails of Malwa Tis, 500, from that and 30th August, while at Shanghai, Mr. Superintendent Pexroud and Mr. Inspector FowLer appeared to watch the case for the Police, and Mr. RE, Warxewnroar watched the case on behalf of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Freperick Eowix Burcas, Chief Olticer of the Ancona, was first called and sworn, His Woxsutr—IWill you tell me what you know about this matter Witness—In deli our opium here, we found, out of about balls of opium short, I other robberi On previous cessions in this port, Lapplied to our head clerk, Mr. Joseph, and the Custom House officers were sent on board to search for the missing opium; and on searching the cal h this' quarter. master lives, they found thirteen balls of opium, Were you there?—'The fifth officer was there at the time, and L came directly afterwards. The filth officer accompanied them on the search. stems officers were there Quartermasters 7—Also quartermasters, And you yourself strived afterwards was called a few minutes after they w into the cabin, and found part of the of the ship ton i ich this opium was have been found.
A locker?—Not exactly a locke: formed naturally by the abi In what?—Iu the recess better ship's side and the si tom House officers w: and Sergeant Mack tonk the prisoner in d suspicion of having stolen the total amount of the opium lost.
You gave him in charge?—Yes.
Whose bag was it that the Customs Officer had in his hand 7I don't know, What kind of bag was it?—A canvas bay.
Inspector Fowser produced a canvas bag.
Wonsup—Is that the bag?
Wi 8—Yes, that la the bag, C should say, You say that there were two other quarter masters living in the same cabin?—Yee, Have these men been charged with the theft at all ]—No, Sir.
Why do you charge this one in particular?—I thiok Sergeant Mack told us that hue hal confessed in a manner. He offered a Customs officer a sovereign to let him off From circumstances which came to your
—Yes. knowledge, you change hima in particular?
Que of the other two men could equally have put the opium there?-Yes, sir, I suppose 80, Or anyone else in the ship?—I think it very unlikely, less likely of course, but it might have been?—Yos. 1 should'say that ole circumstance that led to his being given in charge plum was stowed.
Wore the other two at any time?—No, is a circumstance wit in your own 0 1—Yes, all you have to say?—Y His Wonsure then asked the sce he had any questions to put to the witn The Prisoner—I am rather hard of hearing, and [did not hear half of what he said.
His Worsmir read his notes of the evidence to the prisoner in v loud tone, never lind charge of hold. iee8—Yes, you had.
isonor—Which hold Witness—Tho reserve hold, The Prisoner—I bey your pardo Wituess—I can bring lote of with prove it; there is no use arguing with him.
His Wors1r—You must not argue, but you must anewer any question ho puts to you, (Lo the accused)—You aay that you had not charge of the hold?
Pris"ner—The fore hold on}; His Wonsnir (to witness)—Is thnt a fact?—No.
What other hold?—At times, the reserve hold.
Was it from the reserve hold that the opium was taken Some out of the reserve hold, and some-out of the after hold.
His Worsmrr (to prisoner)—Ho says tin had charge of the rewrve hold at
Prisoner—I was only down there when we wore sorting out cargo for Penang. I was down there before we got to Penang, and have not been there si His Worsmir (to witnose)—Ho says ho has never been in that hold since th quite true, When was the opium suppoard to be 1 2—Leannot say. It munt h betwoon Bombay and here. ing opium within the port of Shanghai a the 20th and 30th August 16 to say when it wae atolon, He has not had charge of the reserve binid since before arriving at Penang Yes, that is correct.
Prisoner—I have not been down in the Hongkong and Shanghai, had no hold-work at all.
His Worstrr (to witness)—that the fact Yes, Sic; that is true. port the charge that quantity of opium hero in the port of Sh i. Perhaps you wore not aware that the charge has boon framed?—No, I did jot know it.
You have no that the theft took place here?—No.
His Worsurr—Of course I cannot deal with the theft if it was committed elsewhere than in Shanghai, or within 100 miles of the const of If the theft Wituess—He In Ho was not in el to the hold—access at any time, of the hold the same as any-
But this was the fact within your kuowledge which induced you to charge him in particular, The other two. men equally with this man could have gone into the hold?—Yes; a man could yo down into the hold in a surreptitious manner.
JouN Rozenrs was then sworn,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.