Commissioner, at the U. S. Court for China on Saturday, H. B. Kreuse, a seaman on the U.S. 8S. Talbot, was charged with assaulting a woman on the Bund, and creating a disturbance.
Sub-{nspector Powell said that a Chinese girl was sitting on one of the Bund seats on Friday evening, when the defendant sat down beside her. He put his arms round her neck, She resented his attentions, and was assaulted by him.
Mr. OE. H. Williams, commission agent and formerly U. 8. Court Marshal, stated that he noticed two sailors go up to a Chinese woman dressed in foreign clothes. She walked off and presently the sailors approached witness's seat. He heard defendant's companion offer him $150 if he could ''get off" with "Baby Mine." When she sat down again defendant accordingly took a seat between a civilian and the woman. She got up almost immediately, speaking to the sailor in an indignant tone of voice. She had gone about 20 yd. along the Bund when the defendant jumped from the seat and ran after her. He threw her to the ground, after clutching her by the throat.
"When they both fell over," said witness, "I rushed forward, stepped over the woman and pulled the sailor aside. I told him he Was a disgrace to his uniform. He was most abusive, and appeared from my speech to assume that I was an Englishman. This seemed to annoy him greatly and he became still more abusive.
After threatening to give the man in charge, witness walked off. The matter seemed. ended, but a few minutes later defendant came back again. He said he had been speaking to somebody who had said witness was an Englishman. Defendant again told witness what he thought about English people and himself. When some of the sailor's comrades came up, he got very brave. It became necessary to have him arrested.
Mr. X. Biettel gave his version of the affair, and recalled certain language used by the defendant to the woman.
Mr. Thurston Porter, the U. S. Marshal, said he took the accused into custody. He happened to be passing along the Bund when the police were' endeavouring to remove the defendant to the police station.
Defendant said he only shook the woman "'to scare her." They toppled over together. Concerning the allegation that he had again created a disturbance, one of his friends spurred him _on. This friend said, Will you take that from a dirty English pup."
In fining him G. $25, the Commissioner severely rebuked the blu&acket for his behaviour. The Court did not want to have the public believe that American sailors sould be guilty of such disgusting conduct. It grieved him that an American sailor should come into Court for such an offence. Defendant was handed over to the U. S. naval authorities.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.