A well-dressed native, described as an interpreter, was charged with falsely representing himself to be a detective of the Municipal Police Force. and by such means extorting various sums of money from Inspector Bourke stated that on the evening of the 10th instant, a woman came to the Hongkew Station and reported that a man had been to her house, representing himself to be a detective, and had told her that if she did not pay to him the sum of $2 per month he would have har locked up for keeping a brothel without a license. She paid him $2, but a few days later he called again and demanded another $2. She told him that she had already paid, but he replied that the money she had paid was for the previous month and he now wanted paying for the current month. She told the prisoner to call again. On Feceipt of her complaint, the Police sent round two detectives to watch the house on the night upon which the man was call. Tt was raining that night, and the prisoner did not come. 'The' following night, however, he was seen to enter the house and leave a few minutes later. The detectives caught hold of him, whereupon he tried to throw $2 away. The two dollars found upon him bore the same chop as two other dollars in the brothel-keeper's possession, and the $4 had been paid to her that day by her husband. Another woman would also give evidence as to having paid the prisoner $2 on similar representations. Some three weeks ago the Police heard that a man was going about representing himself to be a detective, and this was probably the same man. Cases of this nature brought the native detective force into bad odour. There had been several instances during the past year in which native detectives had been charged with extortion. The prisoner spoke English fluently, and to ussist him in his schemes, he made a practice of entering into conversation in sight of brothels, with some of the new constan just out from home, and afterwards gain; to the brothel-keepers and representing that the constables were friends of The record of a previous conviction against the prisoner for defrauding riesha Coolies. and being in possession of counter-felt coin, was handed into Court, and Inspector Bourke reminded the Court that his method.of duping ricsha coolies was by riding through the Settlement, and_then pulling up at one entrance to Louza Police Station and making off through the other gates.
The prisoner was sentenced to 300 blows, 2 months' cangue, one year's imprisonment and expulsion from the Settlement.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.