A shopkeeper and a blacksmith were before the Court, arrested on a Mixed Court warrant, on a charge of being concerned with snather man not yet in custody, in manufacturing coining machinery and coining and causing to be put into circulation spurious copper tan-cash pieces, thereby defrauding the publi On the Ist of August three brose-smiths and a coolie were arrested by Detectives Gilfillan and Bookless at a house off the Tongshan Road, and two days later were charged at the Mixed Court with being in possession of machinery for manufacturing counterfeit ten-cash pieces. These men were all caught. st work on the machines, and three machines—for bevelling, cutting, and for stamping dies—were seized, in addition to about 7,000 counter-felt coins and revolver, and some ammunition. The men then stated that they were employed by a man named Wong, who was tobe found at a joss-house some distance away. One of the prisoners was sentenced to nine months and the others to six months' imprisonment. Since that date nothing had been heard of Wong, except that he had left the district. A fow days.ago, however, a blacksmith was given in charge by a shopkeeper for stealing copper opium bowl. These men were the two prisoners now charged, At the station the blacksmith said tha he called upon the shopkeeper to ask for Tls. 300, balance of Tls. 500 which the shopkeeper had agreed to pay for a coining machine which the blacksmith had made to his order. The blacksmith also asked for money to assist the wives and families of the men who were now in gaol, sentenced on the charge of the Ist August, above-mentioned. In this way the whole history of the coining business came to light, with the result that the shopkeeper and the blacksmith were arrested on the above charge.
The Court questioned both prisoners at considerable length, and then remanded the case, in order that the four men now in gaol might attend Court to give evidence. The shopkeeper was to be allowed out on bail of $1,500, oxsh down.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.