Chou Shih-chu and Wen Yo-tsung are natives of Chienauhsien in Chihli. "The former is a carpenter by trade and the latter belongs to the Banner corps of the The two men, living in the same village, are old acquaintances. Wen Yo-tsung and a fellow villager, Sun Lu-feng, and Sun T'ien-pi, his son, neither smoked tobacco or drank wine and gave it to be understood that they were members of the Tsaili Hui. Their object in joining the society was regard for their health, and they deprecated the idea that the society was an unlawful one and denied having acknowledged any one as their master. In the village there was a council which directed the affairs of the community Sun Lu-feng was the president of this council and Wen Yo-tsung was also engaged in the management of its affairs, In 1888 Sung Lu-feng engaged Chou chu to repair the furniture belonging to the council. As he did the work badly, his remuneration which amounted to some: thing over a dollar was withheld. This led to a quarrel between the parties concerned.
In February, 1889 Chou Shih-chu's nephew, Chou Fa, at the request of Wen Yo-toring, sold Wen Yo-tsung's wife, who was a worthless wonuan, to " Manchurian tobacco merchant for the sum of 4 dollars 50 cents. Instead of paying the money, the tobacco merchant yave Chou Fa a quantity of tubsceo and a horse. Chou Fa was proceeding homewards when he met a fellow villager Chou Tien-ming. This man had a connection by marriage, named Chang Yung-te, for whom in former days Chou Fa had' acted as agent, and sold his wife, misapproprinting the price paid for her. Chang Yung-t had repeatedly begged Chou "Tien: to obtain the money from Chou Fa. this, Chou Tien-ming had not bey able to do, and making the best of his opportunity he took the horse away from Chou Fa. Chou Fa asked Chou Shih-chu to recover the horse for him. Chou Shih-chu, with a view to his own interest, determined to get the horse and keep it until the money which the village council owed him for his carpentering work had been paid. He accordingly went to Chou Tien-ming and persuaded him to hand over the horse, saying that he would sell it and refund to Chang Yung-te the price of the wife which lad been misappropriated by Chou Fa. Chou Tien-ming, believing that he would act up to his word, let him have the horse which Chou Shih-chu led away and kept for himself. In April of the same year Wen Yo-tsung and his brother Wen Yo-wu went to Chou Shih-chu's house, and requested him to give up the horse which he refused todo. Wen Yo-tsung and Wen Yo-wu, thereupon assaulted Chou Shih-chu with a stick. Chou Shih-chu snatched up a knife and disarmed his assailants. Wen Yo-tsung took away the knife from him and wounded him in several pla At this juncture the neighbours and put a stop to the attray.
Infor-motion was lodged with the district magistrate who examined the wounded man and took his deposition. Warrants were issued for the capture of the two assailants but they could not be found. Chou Shih-chu got well of his wounds, with the exception of the most serious one on his right leg which was such as_to render him permanently lame. Wen Yo-tsung having failed in his first attempt to recover the horse, determined to in have recourse to violent measures. In June, therefore, he took with him Chao Yung-Kktuei, Chou Tien-ming, Chou Ming-shan, Chou Huan-tou, Wen Yo-wu, Wen Yo hsien, and they all proceeded to the house of Chou Shih-chu with the object of seizing the horse. When. they got to the house they found that Chou Shih-chu had gone out and had taken the horse with him. They accordingly laid hands on some clothes and provisions which they carried off. Later, in July, as Liu Wan-chuan, a labourer employed by Chou Shu-chu, was ploughing on Chou Shih-chu's land, Chou Tien-ming led away the ox and the ass which were drawing the plough. Chou Shih-chu reported the case to the district magistrate and begged him to have Chou Tien-ming arrested. Chang Ch'i-chih, the captain of the train-bands, arrested Chao Yung-kuei, Chou Tien-ming and Chou Ming-shan, but they escaped before he could hand them over to the police. Chou Shih-chu thereupon carried his complaint to the prefectural court. Wen Yo-tsung had a friend named Ho Shao-hsien, an official, at that time without employment. This man with a view to an amicable arrangement went to Chou Shih-chu's elder brother, Chou Shih-fang, who agreed to the terms proposed. Ho Shao-hsien then persuaded Wen Yo-tsung tu make an apology to Chou Shih-chus Chou Shih-chu, however, would have nothing whatever to say to this, and again carried his plaint to the prefectural court. The prefect again ordered the district, magistrate to take proceedings against Wen Yo-tsung.
Subsequently Chou Shih-chu got hold of a false story that Wen Yo-tsung, who had beaten hin and carried away his property, did so at the instigation of Sun Lu-feng and his son who were his enemies. Chou Shih-chu was very indignant at this and fabricated an accusation to the effect that Sun Lu-teng had founded an unlawful society, and lad ordered his subordinates to beat him and carry of his property, This accusation he had put into written form intending to take into the capitol. Having then ascertained that the Emperor was going to leave the Palace, he placed himself on the road along which the Lnperial cortege passed and presented his petition, Fur this offence he was handed over to the Board of Punishments, and afterwards by Tmperial command sent to the prosineial capital for trial. There it was elicited that he was in fact lamed for life and that his case was not a mere trumped up one.
The punishment for presenting a petition to the Emperor is 100 strokes with the bamboo and perpetual banishment to a place near the frontier. Although Chou Shih-chu's offence was committed before the amnesty of last year 10 diminution can be made in the sentence. But as he is a cripple he will be allowed to ransom himself. Wen Yo-tsung having assaulted Chou Shih-chu and wounded him with a knife, is to receive 80 blows and be banished for two years, Although he is a Bannerman, yet, according to the new law, he is to be punished in the same way as if he were a Chinese.
Chao Yung-kuei is to be punished one degree less severely. He is to receive 70 blows after which he will be discharged. en appointed military of Jeho. He is to his post with all possible despatch, and is excused from presenting himself at Peking for audience with the Emperor. _Té Ming has been appointed military lieutenant governor of Ch'abar. Pending his arrival at his post, the K'oupei Tuo. tai is to take charge.
Yang-yn has been appointed Tavtai of the circuit of Wenchou Fu and Ch'uchou Fu in Chekiang.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.