Kang I, Governor of Kiangsu, reports full particulary of a case of alleged murder the part of Yao Lan-chou, an employe in the office of the Shanghai Superintenaent of Customs, which had been appealed to the Censorate at Peking, and referred by the Throne to the Governor, Sung Chun, for a rehearing. The parties to this ease Chi ative of El a chow, a native of the ai hsien, and Hsit P*u-sheng, alias Hsii Yuan-liu, of Huichi hsien, holder of a situation in the Grand Secretariat.
Ting Chin-ch'iian is Hu P'u-sheng's maternal uncle and was the holder of a post in the Yamen of the Superintendent of Customs in which Yamen Yao Lan-chou was a sort of head clerk. The names of these two on the official register are Chang Chin-hung and Yao Chen-hsin respectively. The deceased Hsii Chuan-yuan was Hsii_P'u-sheng's grandfather, Hsii Jun-t@ and Chiinjui, likewise deceased, his uncles, and Hsii han-ho his brother.
Ting Chu-chuan to begin with borrowed $100 from Hsii Jun-te.
In the 6th moon of the 10th year of Kuang Hsii he found that he had no funds wherewith to replica certain public monies which had passed through his hands and which he had appropriated, so he returned to his native village and made up a story which he told Hsii Chuan-yuan, to the effect that he had borrowed.the above sum from Hsii Jun-te and was now unable to repay the loan. That moreover being in failing health he had resolved to retire from his official duties, but that should Hsii Pu-sheng feel inclined to fill the vacancy he would in consideration of another $200 use his influence in Shanghai to get the latter appointed. Hit Ch'uan-yuan was a little doubtful as to Ting's ability to carry out this promise and sent Jun-t@ to Shanghai to ask Yao Lan-chou if, such athing were practicable. Yao replied in the elirmative and they raised $200 amongst their friends which they handed to Ting for the purpose of putting through the negotiation, agreeing to meet at Shanghai in the autumn by which time all urrangenents would probably be completed. At the time appointed Hsit Jun-te and Hsii P'u-sheng proceeded to Shanghai, where to their surprise they discovered that Ting had in the meantime been degraded on account of peculation, and that they had been the victims of his dishonesty. They then went to see Yao Lan-chou who expressed his regret but could do nothing for them, whereupon Hsit Jun-t@ forthwith lod zed a complaint at the Magistrate's Yamen, and Hsii Ch'iianyuan on hearing thereof did his best to assist_his relatives but all to no purpose. sit Ch'tian-yuan was thus led to suspect that Ting and Yao had made a bargain to defraud the Hsit family, and after havin lent altercation with' Yao, went the next day and hanged himself outside Yao's window. Yao made some unsuccessful attempts to restore the old man to life and then reported this matter to the Magistrate and informed the Hsii family of the sad occurrence. The latter not wishing to be mixed up in an official enquiry gave Yau some money to prevent there being a regular inquest and proposed to take the body away and. bury it, Ashowever they had brought a charge nairist Tang and Yan of conspiracy. to di fraud, Yao refused to be put off in thin way. Thereupon Hit Jun-te and all the other members of his family went to Yao's house and made a disturbance which was only quelled after the police had been sent for. Not content with this they came a second time, whereupon Yao had them arrested and sent to prison. The Hsii family then accused Yao of causing the death of Hsii Chuan-yuan and orders were given to the District Magistrate to make a thorough investigation into the matter. Shortly afterwards Hsit Yuan-ho, Hsii Jum-t@ and Hsii_Chiin-jui died in gaol, whereupon Hsit Ptu-sheng held Yao responsible forther deaths. Some arrangement was eventually ne to and the case to all appearances settled, but Hsii P'u-sheng on returning home found all his relatives in such a state of grief and despair that he went to Peking and laid an appeal before the Censorate.
Memorialist then received orders to look into the case and with the assistance of the Provincial Judge has come to the following decision. Ting Chin-ch'iian for fraudulently obtaining money with the object of purchasing a vacancy in the public service is sentenced to three months' cangue and transportation to the Fever Districts. Yao for aiding and abetting him, with the result that lives were Tost, lias been sentenced to sixty blows and one year's banishment. Minor punishments have been awarded to the others concerned.—Let the Bourd of Poocishments consider und report.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.