Mr. Maitland, opening ease, said that the prisoners were charged" with holding certain persons for ransom. Under the Taw relating to bandits, the penalty of death was provided for cases of this nature. The two complainants were induced by the third prisoner, Ying, to go to Chapei to play poker. Upon arrival there they were taken to a house in Kunghsing Road and detained and not allowed to I Letters were then sent to the captives relatives asking for money. Eight men had previously appeared Court on this charxe,—one was expelled, the others were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, the period amounting to 126 years. Unfortunately a Chinese detective, who was responsible for the arrest of the eight men in the former ense wid several in the present ease was shot and murdered a short. time ago.
Sgt. Tabrum was the first witness to be called. He said that, accompanied by Wang Zung: Tah, (the ~deceased detective) and Chinese Detective Constables 34 and 83, he went to 51 Rue clu Moulin, at 2 a.m, on January 10 and arrested the first prisoner. He found nothing, The Police had information thai his name was Woo, but_when questioned the prisoner: said "that his name was Li, not Woo. When the third prisoner was arrested in a private dwelling house on the following morning at 8894 Sinza Road, he admitted his name and said he know that he was. wanted by the Police, Acting on information given by this man, the fourth and. fifth accused were arrested at 765 Avenue Road the same day, the police entering by The fifth prisoner floor. He said nothing, pistol cleaning rod was' found on an. overhead shelf. The fourth prisoner lived upstairs in the same house, Witness sent several witness upstairs and knocked at the door of the room occupied by the fourth. prisoner, which was locked, and requested "him to "open it. After a few moments when the door was not opened, it was broken down, Witness was downstairs Joking after the fifth prisoner and he sent more detectives upset:
soon as he heard the commotion above. The door gave way and an entry was effected. Prisoner was found attempting to open a box under the bed. He put up a strong: resistance against arrest but was finally overpowered by detectives. The box was opened and "found to contain two, pistols-* with. "sever - magazines, charged, and~890 spare -rouriis of ;|that the father of the boy was ill-advised not to come to Court. The Police did all they could to recover his boy for him and he was doing nothing to assist the Police in return. How could he be expected to receive protection One of the kidnapped boys, Ying Ming-ts, 22, wid that he had been induced by the third prisoner, Ying, so to Chapel to play poker with the other boy, Mau Zung-tz. When they arrived at a house there, Ying: left und.a man already sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment on the same charge would not let them go. He recognized the first three! prisoners, but did not know the others. He and his companion' were asked for a loan of some money to support the southern Jarmy and said that letters would be written to their parents for funds it they did not have any- money. They were told to keep quiet and not to create a disturbance. He Jasked when he could go away and! was told in a week's time but at the end of the week he was not released. Finally Wang Zung-foo (the murfered detective) came after he arrested the prisoners and released them, Revolvers had been pointed fat witness and Mau.
This evidence was corroborated by the other kidnapped boy, Mau} Zung-t2. In eross-examination, th said that, although they were told the gang numbered between 150) and "200, no special names were mentioned. They were detained for 26 days.
The statements made by the different prisoners were read over! to them. All confessed, more or Hess, to having been implicated, one er two saying that they" were tortured to become members of the! ang. The fourth prisoner had to Ibe removed because he threatened colleagues in Court when they unitted parts of their statements plicating him.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.