The Governor of Honan reports the rehearing of a case which had been presented to the Emperor in person and which the Board had referred for trial to the authorities of the province to which the plaintiff belonged. The Plaintiff Li Feng-hsien is of Yenchenghsien, in which his futher Li Chien-pang was the roe jeter of a small shop. On the 3rd of november, 1885, about midnight this shay was broken into and several things cam off. The father who made an attempt to arrest the thieves stumbled in the dark over the threshold of the door, wounded his forehead and broke one of his fingers. The next day Li Teng-hsien on hearing of the theft lodged a charge of burglary with violence against some persons unknown hoping thereby to ensure the immediate arrest of the offenders. The Magistrate on cnatiets into the rae found that hu mounted to Tle. 1b, and issued warrants total value of the stolen property
for the arrest of the thieves. These however remained undiscovered and no action could by taken, Two years ago, Li Feng-hsien himself opened a small shop in Lobo street which was on two occasions broken into and some bales of cloth removed. A man named Hung Sui-chen was arrested as being mixed up with this affair and on examination confessed that he and an accomplice named Lit Ta:-an
receiving as his share two pieces of cloth, had on a certain date robbed Li's shop, he aten and pipe. The cloth and the fan [he sold to a stranger and the pipe to friend of his named Li Chiang. On interrogating the latter he admitted having purchased the article in question, but professed ignorance of the fact that it was stolen property, and was accordingly released on bail. Hung Sui-chen was remanded until Lit T'ai-an should be arrested when they could be confronted. This mode of procedure did not please Li Feng-hsien who,- resenting the delay, made out an accusation against the magistrate's police charging them with conniving at theft, and presented it at the yamen of the Provincial Judge who referred the case to. the lower Courts, Li Feng-hsien again disappointed, next conceived the idea of making an appeal to the Emperor in son, but as he realised how trivial the nature of the charge was, headded "charge against the police of harbouring criminals, This together with other trifling additions he presented to His Majesty at the roadside for which offence he was forthwith arrested and sent back to his native province for trial.
The case has now been reheard anid the following decisions arrived at. Of the minor offence of inaccuracy in Li's charge no notice need be taken, but in that he ventured to break through his Majesty's bodyguard and presenta petition he ought to be sentenced to one hundred blows and banishment to the nearer frontier. As his parents however are advanced in years and he is an only son it is requested that he be only beaten and exposed in the cangue so that he may be able to support his parents.
The police for their carelessness in not sooner effecting the arrest of the thieves, with the result that all this trouble has arisen, are sentenced to 80 blows. Let the Bourd of Punishments consider ani report.
26th June, DEATH BY DROWNING, Chang Yao reports the death by drowning of K'ung Chao-tsai an expectant chihsien together with some others, which took place on the 22nd of April under the following circumstances. On the day in question owing to a strong wind the waves were seriously undermining the bank of the Yellow River at Yangchuang in. the Kangeh'ing district. K'ung with a military chijjen named Ma, recognising the danger, at once set to work to strengthen the em. bankment. The wind however increased in violence and stones and dust filled the air to such an extent that it was impossible to see, when all of a sudden a portion of the embankment gave way and K'ung and Ma, along with thirteen soldiers who were assisting them, were precipitated into the raging current and drowned. Their bodies were afterwards recovered and handsomely interred.
Kung was a Kinngsu chin shih detached for service as expectant trate in Shantung where he distinguished himself so greatly in connection with river-work that memorialist was just on the point of recommending his promotion to the rank of sub-prefect. The circumstances under which he and his comrades met their death while engaged on work for the public service are extremely distressing and memorialist would ask that the Board be directed to award some distinction in recognition of their great merit.
In a postscript memorial he goes on to state that the widow of the aforesaid K'ung on hearing of her husband's death refused all nourishment for several days and then took poison not wishing to outlive the
deserving of the highest praise and it is deceased. Such great virtue. is assuredly requested that a flag with an honorary inscription be made out in her honour,—Request granted, 27th June.
SUBSCRIPTIONS TOWARDS FAMINE RELIEF, The Viceroy at Canton submits a list of officers for whom he solicits the bestowal of rewards on account of the contributions they made for the relief of the distress which recently prevailed in the North. Contributions of Tls. 1,000 each, or its equivalent in wadded clothing were received from the following—Su_Ming-chang, an expectant Secretary in a Board, his brother Ssu Ming-shen who holds a similar position, and Lo-fen, the son of Lo Tun-hsien, formerly President of a Metropolitan Board.
each case permission has been granted to erect a memorial arch bearing the inscription "They delighted in charity and loved
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.