Chinese Police Constable 817, attached to Central Station, was trial on Monday, in the Provisi Court, before Judge Hsiung and Mr. Burdett (Senior Consuls Deuty), charged with having demand-fed a Uribe and facilitated the escape: of prisoners. Mr. P. W. Goldi prosecuted. It is alleged that the constable, after being detailed by. Volunteers and other police on search duty on Honan Road bridge, to escort several Chinese to the station, permitted three of them to escape after hho had demanded $3,000. The complainant in the action was fined $300 on Friday and sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment for smugeling opium.
Complainant said that he came to! Shanghai on Thursday. On the] train he met a Chinese officer and two of his bodyguards. The former, they neared Shanghai, suggested that he should engage a motorcar and drop complainant at his hotel. The search party stopped them and, examined their baggage. In wit ness's boxes they found nothing, incriminating, but, in the officer's, they found opium. The Volunteers, ordered the accused to take the Party to the station, but, instead, they drove to the Hua Shing Hotel, where they engaged a room. The} others, left and accused searched witness, taking $70. He demanded. $3,000, "which witness refused to pay, whereupon accused ordered him to leave the room. This witness refused to do, saying that, as hho had not committed a crime, he wanted his money back. The accused then took the money, opium, and baggage, and arrested witness.
Accused declared that, as the car drove off, the bodyguard threw him to the floor and held him there. He Deeged to be released and promised ithe others their betty if they released him. He was in uniform and. carried his' pistol and whistle but he did not shoot because the others were not armed, and he thought the Chinese officer was a high official. He denied that he demanded a bribe.
'A boy in the hotel said that the constable engaged the room and the: party locked the door at once. After several minutes, the soldiers left the room, to be followed later by accused and complainant, who appeared to be on friendly terms.
Accused will come up for judgment on Monday next,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.