The first session of the United States Court for China for almost a year opened promptly at 9.30 on Wednesday morning, with no unusual ceremonies, the Hon Charles S. Lobingier, who returned to Shanghai on Tuesday, presiding.
The most important case on the docket was that of Ralph S. Boyd who was charged with the embezzlement of $30,000, the property of the Hunan Provincial Mint. The, case was remanded for a week or 10 days to enable the prosecuting attorney, Mr. Husar, to present his witnesses. Boyd, it will be remembered, escaped from the gaol and was at liberty for a few hours on July 19.
Four American seamen, Richard Nordham, George F. Donack, William R. Tracy, and Matthew Dochene, were charged with vagrancy and pleaded not guilty. Mr. J. W. Schoenfeld was assigned by the Bench as counsel for the frst two and Mr. P. F. Faison for the last two. On behalf of Nord-ham, his attorney asked, that inasmuch as a letter had been received at the U. S. Consulate asking that he return home, he be allowed to plead guilty and to work his way home on a ship. The customary 24 hours was allowed to furnish bond. In the case of Donack, who will be remembered as appearing as_ witness in the Brooks inquest, it was brought out that defendant had appeared in this case before and was addicted to the use of drugs. Judge Lobengier gave it as his opinion that sufficient evidence existed to show a state of vagrancy but allowed the customary 24 hours to furnish bond.
In the case of Tracy and Dochene the Judge ruled that the evidence was insufficient to establish vagrancy and he discharged the defendantg, advising them to use every possible effort to get work at once.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.