The case was continued against' F. Ryan, of the Chinese Maritime Customs, charged with demanding 8200 by means of menaces from a Chinese, with intent to steal the came.
Mr. K. E. Newman appeared to prosecute, the accused being represented by Mr. E. W. Godfrey. Mr. A. 8. P. White Cooper watched the case on behalf of the Custome.
Sergt. Mackenzie, of the Hongkew Police station, stated that a little after five o'clock on the afternoon of December 2 the accused went into the charge room, and asked what the regulations were concerning the conveying of opium in the Settlement. Witness told him that he ought to know, and mentioned the fact that the police had nothing to do with the carrying of opium. The accused made a similar inquiry in October, and on that occasion he was given the information. During the evening of December 24 two Chinese went to the station In opening the case for the defence, Mr. Godfrey said the story of the accused was that he was in a coffee house when he received information from a Chinese informer that a large quantity of opium was shortly to be brought aboard the str. Loongwo, The informer a Kittle afterwards told him that the opium had been taken to a shop in Seward Road. The accused went to the shop, accompanied by an ae: quaintance named Hech, and found the complainant who admitted that the parcels then in his possession contained opium. The complainant agreed to go to the police station and sent for another man. Accused sent Hech out for a foreign policeman, but he could not find one. All parties then went to the Hongkew Police Station, where the accused went into the charge-room and asked the sergeant in charge if the police could take possession of opium in transit through the streets. The sergeant said that the police only had to do with licences, and could not take possession of opium. Accused then left the police station, and told the complainant to go away. "aeousea denied that there was any suggestion or demand of a payment of $200, and said that the complainant was joined by other Chinese after leaving the police station and someone then shouted out that he, the accused, wanted $200. and made a complaint about the accused, At the conclusion of the accused's evidence Hech was called to corro-
In reply to Mr. Godfrey, Sergt. Mackenzie said that in October the accused went to the station about 1 a.m., and had a packet which he said contained opium and which he had found on the tr.
Siangyang Maru. He asked then what the regulations were concerning the transit of opium in the Settlement, The owner of the opium shop gave evidence to the effect that he legally dealt in opium from Malwa, and paid the Customs' duties and likin, which amounted to about Tls. 396 per chest. He had paid about Tls. 200,000 in two years, borate.
Counsel on both sides having addressed the Court, Mr. King explained that as the case was being ied summarily he had to look at it from the same point of view a: a jury would have done had the prisoner been committed for trial in the other Court. He had to decide whether the threat alleged to have been made in the shop was actually made in the manner alleged by the prosecution.
After carefully reviewing all the evidence he could not feel justified finding that Ryan had been guilty of this blackmail, though his
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.