Two natives of Hupeh were chi with being concerned together with two other men from Hupeh, with being in possession of 83 yards of silk, 53 yards of satin, one blanket, and a cotton umbrella, of the total value of $120, and being unable to give a satisfactory account of the'samei; further, with"having stolen a gold watch, valued at $45, from 491, Nanking Road, at 120 p.m. on the 16th instant.
Two other natives of Hupeh were also before the Court on the first From the evidence, it appeared that the first two prisoners went into a native jewellers shop in Nanking Road, saying that they wished to purchase a gold watch. Some fourteen watches were shown to them, but after i1 ing them, they informed the store-keeper that they did not wish to buy. They then left the shop, and as the store-keeper was putting the watches away, he found that one was missing. Ho rushed out, caught the two men, and gave them in charge. When they were searched by the police, the gold watch was found in their possession. At the station they were questioned, and stated that they came from Hupeh with the other two prisoners. The police searched the rooms occupied by all four prisoners, and there found some of the property mentioned in the first charge, the remainder being discovered in a pawn-shop.
The prisoners asserted that they had brought the goods with them from Hupeh, but Mr. Liebe, of Nanking Road, jentified the silk as his property and ted that it must have been stolen from his store.
The prisoners connected with the theft of the watch were sentenced, one to 300 blows and three months' imprisonment, the other to 100 blows and two weeks' imprisonment. The other two men were discharged on ition that they find security. Mr. Liebe was informed that he could regain his property by making application to the Court and paying the amount to the pawnbroker which the Istter had advanced on the silk—$31.
The Confidence Trick.
A cash-shop servant and a hawker were charged with being concerned together in uttering s counterfeit $5 Hongkong and Shanghai Bank note, at a shop No. 2099, Sinza Road, at 7 p.m. on the 17th instant.
Detective-sergeant Burnside produced 8 certificate from Mr. A. J. McClure, of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, to effect that the note was undoubtedly a forgery.
The evidence showed that a native woman gave the hawker " Russo-Chinese Bank note for $5 to get changed for he Presently the hawker returned, handed her the forged Hongkong and Shanghai Bank note, and said that they would not change the note at the cash shop as it was bad.
Detective-sergeant Burnside said he had had cases before in which it was proved that the man in the cash shop had taken a good note, changed it for a bad one, and then told the customer that he could not change the note because it was bad. In this case it was difficult to decide whether the shopman or the hawker was the guilty party.
After examining both defendants at some length, the Court dismissed the case against the hawker, and fined the cash-shop servant $60.
Shanghai, 24th October.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.