Those arrested were Mr. Ander-fon and seven Chinese tidewaiters, held on a charge of receiving bribes, and the boatswain of the "Kungwo," who was accused of smuggling the On "July 6 the accused were brought before a military. court, presided over by Judge Chao, an officer of the Kiukiang Defence Commissioner's Yemen. The proceedings were duly reported in the coat Chinese newspaper. According to this newspaper the nccused—
"All admitted that they accept-a bribe. and said that they released the opium in accordance with the instruction of the Com= missioner of Customs."
This report is not true as Anderson has not signed any admis that he received a bribe. Tt moreover contains a contradiction, 2s it is made to appear on the one hand that the accused accepted a bribe not {0 report the discovery of the opium while, on the other hand, it admitted that they reported the discovery to the Commissioner of Customs.
On Suly 9 a further investig trial, it is impossible to discover Which, was held at the Chamber of Commerce before the same milit-
The Customs officials have made several attempts to get Andersen.
it on all but on ench occasion have been met with a flat refusal.
The boatswain on the other hand, who presumably as the actual) alleged smuggler of the opium is the most important prisoner, was offered release providing the foreign agent for Messrs.
wrdine & Matheson, owners of the ungwo," went bail for him, This the agent very wisely refused to do, as what was to prevent the boatswain disappearing "and giving the Chinese officials the opportunity to accuse the foreigners of sheltering the opium business.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.