Chu Loong-loong was brought up on remand charged with being the proprie-for of certain gaming tables in Li Hongkew, and with controlling, within the Settlement limits, an armed gang, thus being s menace to the peace and good order of the Settlement.
Mr. L. E. P. Jones appeared for the ition, and accused was represented Mr. T. Morgan Phillips.
Mr. Morgan Phillips said he approached the opening of the defence in this ith a greater feeling of responty than in any case in which he been engaged in this Court. That il was caused by the prejudice. which was imported into this case,—prejudice which was duc telei the unfortunate family antecedents defendant, He did not fear a critical ex-case, indeed it was that which he asked for and which he had no doubt would be made by the Court in such an important case aa this. The Court would have to contrast the evidence which had been called behalf of the prosecution and that which would be called on behalf of the defence.
Counsel submitted st the outset that the direct evidence which had been called by the prosecatinn to show that' Cha Loong-loong was the owner of! these gambling tables and that he was! a gambler, was utterly unreliable inasmuch as that evidence was the statements of the lowest class of mon one could find in the Settlement. Counsel referred to the direct evidence that this man had any interest whatever in this place or in these tables. Perhaps it would occur to the Court that there faculty in upsetting and ing in erose-examination such statements as those made by these witnesses. They had made the simple, bold statement that they were people were there and saw this man coming there and collecting the proceeds these tables daily. Tt was almost impossible to disprove such evidence by ross-examination. Bunt what the Court would have to consider was the probability of those statements, the character of the witnesses. and' afterwards the evidence which would be called for the defence to show that this' evidence was untrue. Counsel would later call evidence as to. the character and habits of the accused, to show that the evidence given by these men for the prosecution must be false. Ho would show that the accusal was a respectable hui leg Unfortunately for him he had father who was a well-known, notorious gambler who owned, so far as counsel knew, gambling tables! and defendant had a brother who carried on sequently. the fed_name and he had been the victim of unwarrantable accusations and extortions on account of these family com After leaving school at about defendant entered the service of Farnham & Ca. as an apprentice. Farnham & Ca. were then well-known dock proprietors. Defendant was afterwards engaged by Boyd & Ca. for period of three years; he then went. the Yue Yuen Cotton Mill for a period of three years; and then to the Ewo Cotton Mill, where he remained for over half a year. After that period of apprenticeship and work he started the Kung-shi workshop, a business of building and repairing steam-Inunches. This business was started five years ago, but it was given up after having been ran for four years. Defendant started, as 'a large partner, in the Tai Shisg Steam-launch Ca., which counsel believed was: formed in 1904. The Shing Ca. had been leased to company named the China Islas Navigation Ca. The chief business which defendant had been sctivd: engaged for some years past was that Tice shop proprietor. He was now the proprietor of the Zan Kee rice shy, which business was commenced ty him, about ten years ago. Another shop was the Sun Keo, which established about eight years og. The turn-over of these was very considerable—oue about $100,000 1 year and the other $40,000 to $50,000 year. Defendant was the proprietor of these businesses, also the active manager, and for years past he had bees actively concerned in carrying on thee pyaer Defendant had been met a shops daily by persons of grat respectability whom counsel would all Uefore the Court—men who had gar there in the ordinary course of hussites and bad faind defendant at his regular place of business, daily. His thes tas the person, according to the evidence of these creatures who had been calle? before the Court, who had been dairy going to these gambling shops to collet money. A petition had been signed by various business men chiefly conceroal in the rice business, in which defendant was most actively concerned. The petition to the Court had been actually signed by eighteen hange and chopper by nine more, Twenty-seven rice hangs Shanghai counsel imagined will alnest constitute the rice basines of the place, and those hongs came fir. Ward to testify to the respectability of this man, and more than that.
The Magistrate—Will those why signed the petition come before the coe and give evidence Morgan Phillips—All, i€ soo wish. T took the statements of srily seven: Tdid not think I would take the time of the Court by collin, them, but T have here " tata nmnber of them.
The Magistrate—Very well.
Mr. Morgan Phillips continued that the members of these hongs in the petition asked the Court to believe fendant was a respectable business man, and they would give evidence that they had known hit since his boyhood and new him to be engaged in this busines. They would say that they considered it impossible for him to engage in such a business ox had been stated in the evidence before the Court. Prior to his arrest defendant was at Pootoo for two weeks and for what was commonly called "'chin-chin joss." He had brother, who also was at Pootno: he was a man of known respectability and not the man of whom the Court hed heard. On July 30 defendant returned from and that day he spent in his hong. The next morning he went to visit" relative at it was at this house that he was arrested. Counsel would discus for a moment or two what he thought he was entitled to call the ridiculon story of his arrest. It was- insiausted. counsel thought it was stated, on behalf of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.