Sun Ah-bing, a Cantonese, wis charged with wilfully setting fire to the premises No. 342, Hupeh Road, at 7.15 pam. on 19: h inst., thereby endangering life and perty and att: to defraud the aaland Insurance Company.
Inspector Wilson stated that at 7. pan. on Tues lay evening a fire broke ous at an opium shop occupier by the defendant. Native constables Nos. 517 and 601 went to the shop and with assistance succeeded in extinguishing the Hames.
'The accused was standing by, but gave warning was issued to all shopkeepers that any cat or decayed trait would be se' not the least help. This aroused the and de Since that time there suspicion of the constables, who asked been him if the place were insured, and demned to date would amount to [received an answer that it was, They 100,000 Ibs. The Chivese shopkeepers had then arrested him and reported the matter to the sergeant in charge. The Inspector writen to the Coun ig them not to and Detective-sergeant Brown visited the seize water melons, as they were wholesome fruits which was equivalent to siyivg the tminatioan found that the space be-wholesome shop shortly afterwards, and on ex-othe; tween the ceiling and the upper floor who had gi a report strongly condemning it Council seemed powerless to prev -nt the sale of such fruit, th-y were bringing the present action asia test ese too see if the Court could assist them in the matter. The bad fruit was largely consumed by the poorest classes, chiefly ricsha and wheel-had been tilled with straw which had been 1 Saturated with kerosene and grease. So freely had the oil been used that it was ipping through the celting into the room jw. There was vil all over the place. The insurance was for Tls. 1,0J0, and the whole of the contents were not worth more than Tls. 100, An expert whom the Inspector had called in ty vains the contents said he would not give 870 for the lgt~
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.