Hongkew Story of Three Men and A Chit F, Leroy, mechanic, and "Nick" Boyle, pugilist, living at the Way-port Rooms, appeared before Mr. G. W. King at H. M. Police Court on Tuesday, charged with having assaulted C. Riviera in Boone Road on Monday afternoon.
Inspector Sinclair appeared for the police.
Complaiuant, the proprietor of a restaurant in Yuhang Road, stated that he saw Leroy passing in a riesha and stopped him to ask about payment of certain chits. He said he couldn't pay, and when witness asked him for a definite promise which he was likely to keep he became excited. Oh hell," he said, "I am not going to pay." Witness told him that was a liar, because he had broken promises to pay, and Leroy gripped him by the coat. Witness in pushing him off, probably put his hand in Leroy's face. A! {policeman intervened, but Boyle came up and hit witness right and left. He covered himself in time, otherwise he might have been knocked out. Leroy also struck witness again.
Leroy complained that Riviera egan by slapping his face.
No, your Honour," complainant protested, "I never started the trouble."
A Japanese constable. said that he saw both defendants {strike Riviera. He took them to the police station.
P. S. Mesney said the first. thing he heard on their arrival was a remark by Leroy: "Now you are in front of the sergeant I will fight you here." Boyle admitted having struck complainant on the jaw, and observed that there was a probability of his having toothache in the morning.
Boyle said he was a pugilist by profession. He had had, 64 fights, but never a single argument in the street. "I should be frightened to hit him hard," he added, referring to complainant. "I might break his jaw. He told me he was Kid Lewis from San Francisco."
His Worship observed that it was a great pity complainant had tried to collect chits in the street. The fact that he called Leroy a liar seemed to have been the beginning of the trouble, and he had also admitted that he might have struck him in the face. The police acted properly in arresting defendants, but on the evidence, the charge must be dismissed. "If you want to collect your chits," his Worship advised complainant, '"do not start in the street, and do not begin by calling a man a liar."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.