On the grounds of there being no evidence to warrant criminal proceedings under Russian or Chinese Jaw, S. Tolstoff, of No, 11 Peking Road, who was described by his counsel as "a Knight of the highest Order of St. George. and formerly a colonel in the sian Army," was found not guilty at the resumed hearing last Friday at the Mixed Court of the charge of false pretences.
Mr. F. J.. Schuhl, prosecuting, "hot_the case first came before Mr. Ivanoff and Magistrate Tsang last week, called the complainant, Mrs, A. Velig, who alleged that Tolstoff persuarted her to buy a house, No. 2 Haskell Read. He had, she said, represented to her that she could obtain the lease for 100 years and eventually she paid him $2,250, in respect of rent due and the cost of the house and furniture, She stated that he promised on his word of honour to hand over to her the lease within three days, but failed to do so, The sum of $200 had also been pad by her to the defendant as "bar-win money."
In the course of the proceedings, Mr. Fishman, defending, produced evidence to show that the furniture was not worth the amount claimed and after further legal argument between counsel, the Bench gave the decision stated above.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.