Charge at H. M. Police Court:
Violence in Hongkew and at Police Station A seaman' wild night ashore was described at H. M. Police Court on Saturday, when William Best, a sher of the crew of the sth William Camkin, appeared before Mr. Peter Grain on charges of having been drunk and disorderly, assaulting the police, assaulting a Japanese woman, and' doing damage: in the police station charge room.
From the evidence of various witnesses, it appeared that Best first became troublesome outside the Isis Theatre, where he made a rush for several rischa men, He} attempted to assault one who was drawing a riesha in ese woman was attempting to avoid him the coolie swerved and overturned the riesha, the woman receiving "an injury. which had to be attended to at hospital. Two foreigners, Messrs. Berthet and Hinton, assisted the police to arrest the defendant and he was got to the police station. Here he used bad language, broke the guard rail, apd threw a book the head of the sergeant on duty, but was finally put in a cell, where he raved for about a quarter of an hour before falling asleep.
Mr. Berthet, who is a chemis told the court that he noticed strong smell of cocaine about the defendant, who spoke to him of, having gone to a Russian house.
Defendant said that he _remembered nothing about the affair.
The Magistrate—You said you' had been to a Russian house.
Defendant—Yes, but when I am drank I'l tell em anything.
In answer to further questions, Best denied that he had taken cocaine on Friday or any other day, but added that he had had plenty of drinks.
The Magistrate, observing that) the case was a serious one, said: defendant would be lucky in not being sent to prison, and he would not do this because it would leave him "on the beach" and without a 8 ship when he came out in a month's. time. He would have to pay a fine of $10, and $25 (to be deducted from his wages) for the damages and compensation. Mr. Grain furthered ordered that the police should escort Best back to his ship, which was sailing that day.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.