Youth who Objected to Becoming a Priest Tez Fah, a Chinese lad, 15 years of age, was charged at the Mixed Court on Thursday with assault and attempted murder, Br, Peterson appeared for the complainant, the abbot in charge of a local temple, and stated that, his client did not wish to carry on the charge against the accused on recount of his youth and that he was doubtlessly under the influence of others, but wished to ask the court to explain to the accused the seriousness of the charges brought against him, and also have him expelled from' the Settlement.
Complainant. stated that the accused had attacked him with a knife, but he did not want to proceed with the charge.
Dr. Mei who represented the accused said the boy was a member of a. body of priests who had left the temple, and that he was the only one of the old crowd that remained. 'The present abbot, who was the complainant, had' been Jdesirous of initiating the boy and according to the law of Buddht initiation could mot take before the age of 20. Th plainant continually insisted on this ceremony, which included branding on the head. The accused was goaded into desperation which Ted to the attack on the complainant.
The accused asked the Court to send him away to the city. He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment to be followed by expulsion the sentence to be suspended for period of five year's and accused placed on his good behaviour, the expulsion to be for five years, whereafter it might be cancelled.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.