In the Governor of Shensi's yemen there was o supernumery clerk named Chao, who had an acquaintaiace called Liu, a native of Kanchiian in Kiangsu. In the 1873 Li An-chi, an official belonging to Tali in Shensi, bought Lin's sister as concubine and took her back to Shen-i, In 1880 Liu went to Shensi with a quantity of articles for sale, ebony chairs and tables, paintings, jade ornaments, and 50 on, this time Li An-chi's original chief wife was dead, and Liu's sister, who had given birth toa son and two daughters. was promoted into her place. Liu went to pay his respects to Li An-chi, and in-duged him to buy a few tables and chairs, which were paid for in full at the time; but the rest of his things Liu sold to other persons. From that time forward Liu often went to Li An-chi's house; and after the death of the latter, which occurred in two years time, the widow kept him in the house to help her look after her affairs. He, however, abused his position of trust and cheated' her out of lar The suspicions of the deceased's in-law and other relations were gradually excited, and after a quarrel Liu jas turned out of the house. Liu imagined that relation named Li Pai-shun_ was at the bottom of this, He therefore, to revenge himself brought an action against Li Pai-shun, charging the defendant with Separating relatives and embezzling trust funds. However, he not only lest his ease, but was ordered to discontinue all relations with his sister, the widow, and to return to his own province. Instead of obeying, he went to Sian Fu and lived there quietly. Presently the widow, her son, and her mother-in-law, all died one after the other, and a family council selected an adopted gon for Li An-chi. When his sister's funeral ceremonies were being performed, Liu went to the house to take part in the Tamentations; but the members of the family reminded him of the judgment which had been delivered against him and refused to let him enter the premises. Smarting under this rebuff he lodged a EiPai-shun and the other members of the aint at the Governor's office, accusing
family of improper behaviour towards him, and stating that Li An-chi owed him' Tls. 3,900 for jade articles bought from him.' The case was referred to the local magistrate, who decided against Liu, and again sentenced him to be sent home. On the receipt of the magistrate's report, the Governor confirmed the finding, and further ordered Liu to be deprived of his rank of licentiate ay a punishment for his litigiousness. But. before he could be got hold of, Liu heard what, was impending on him and disappeared. He, after a time, orme back to Sian Fu and formed an acquaintance with the clerk, Chao. Talking over the affair with Chao, he expressed his wish to pay off old scores ith the Li family and obtain some of it money. If Chao could succeed in obtaining the reversal of the past decisions, get Li Pai-shun punished, and the price of the jade paid, Liu was willing to make him a very handsome present. "Chao was tempted by the bait and said that he thought he could manage the business. [As it was necessary that there should be some written proof of the debt, he asked for Liu's old accounts, and by' changing names and figures contrived to show a claim against Li An-chi. Be hoped that the judge would terminate the suit by a mise and order something to be paid to Liv, out of which he would get some recom Ho also decided that the case should be taken before the Taotai of the circuit, with whom it would have a better chance, as it had not been in that officer's court before. Next he told Liu that he hada friend in the legal department at the Governor's, a secretary named Chang Shu-yen, who had promised that he would arrange for the case to be sent Before the Taotai and would secure a favourable decision. Liu therefore gave him Tls. 100 for Chang, and when Chao said this was not enough, he promised Ts. 200 more in a few days, besides the large present which Chao was to have at the Successful termination of the case. Chao then made Liu write a petition to the Governor, which he took charge of. Having forged some instructions from the Governor, he attached them to the petition with a seal cut from an old paper, and despatched them to the Taotai in the ordinary course. About this time Liu's wife noticed that Chao was frequently com: ing to their house, and asked her husband what it was about. Her husband told her what was going on and bade her be sure to keep it secret. When the document reached the Taotai, that officer failed to notice the fraud, and summoned the parties before him, " But the case was decided as before and Liu got no benefit from the hearing. In due time the Taotai sent ina report which reached the Governor just as he returned from an oficial journey. There be examined, and i his horsy the Governor was thus a huge pile of papers waiting to
did not discover the forgery: As Chao was afraid of Liu's recriminations after the failure of the suit, he pretended to b ill, obtained leave of absence and disappeared. Shortly afterwards Liu was taken sick and died, after again 5 ing to his wife about the afair, of which he gave her a full account. As soon as Chang heard of his death he came back and recommenced his oficial duties. Thinking that Mrs, Liu as a woman would be easily cheated, he went to her and demanded the reniainder of the money which he said had been promised to him, But she was not to be bullied, and a violent altercation ensued between them. Somehow the story came to the ears of the Governor, who at once caused Chao to be arrested, and Mrs. Liu to be summoned to give evidence. She told her story, and Chao confessed to its truth. There' were only two matters in doubt, one whether he actually received Tls. 300, as she said, or only Tls. 100; the other, wrother the" secretary Chang received part of the money and was privy to the fraud. As to the first point Mrs. Liu did not appear to be positive, and direct. proof could only be obtained of the payment Of the smaller sum. 'The latter is therefore assumed to be the correct amount. On the second point, namely Chang's complicity, Chan's testimony wavered much.' At first he asserted it and then, when confronted with Chang, withdrew it, saying that he had alleged it falsely in the hopes of shifting part of the blame on to the other man's shoulders, the Governor states that the sentence which he has passed on Chao, is that of being sent into penal servitude in a malarious region on the Kuangsi or the Yunnan frontier. As to the secretary Chang;.no corruption has been proved against him, but the documents must have through his hands when they were returned to the Governor, and he therefore showed great carelessness in not detecting the fraud. He has therefore been ordered to be deported to his native province. The Governor has already in a previous memorial reported himself and the Taotai for the receipt of a penalty on account of their want of vigilance.—Referved to the Board of Punishments.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.