U.S. v. Carl Gunther Before Mr. N. E. Lurton, sitting as Commissioner, on Saturday morning, Carl Gunther was charged with having committed an assault upon Walter Hanming Chen outside the Chinese Post Office in North Szechuen Road, about 11.30 a.m. on the 12th instant.
In support of the charge, complainant said that he wasa jour-rialist. After having previously been in hospital, on Sionday, the 11th instant, when on his way see his doctor, he called at the North Szechuen Road branch of the Chinese Post Ottice (near Range Road), to post an express letter to Hangchow, and before he had finished placing the stamps on the envelope and obtained a receipt, a big foreigner, the defendant, came in and rudely pushed him with his elbow, at the same time using abusive language and telling him to get out of the way. Witness refused to do so, and replied: "Yes, Chinese; and I'm proud to be a Chinese. That's nothing to be ashamed of. This is a: public office, a Chinese Post Office. I have as much right here as you. There is no preference shown here either to Chinese or foreigners: first come, first served." The defendant then turned upon witness and used further abusive language. ther argument ensued, and after posting his letter witness walked to the door.
Just as he stepped outside, the foreigner pounced upon him, seizing him round the neck, holding his coat, and tearing off the top button. Defendant then tried to strike witness, but the latter ducked, and the blow landed on a friend named Mr. Young, who was waiting for witness outside the door. Defendant then struck at witness again, breaking his spec-tades, and afterwards struck several blows, which witness managed to cover. Mr. Young had" in the meantime taken off his coat and retaliated, and both witness and Mr. Young then fought against the defendant. A Sikh. policeman (No.. 168) came up later and held witness and Mr. Young. Witness protested against arrest and insisted that if he were arrested, the foreigner should also be taken in charge; but while witness and Mr. Young were taken along the road as though they were common criminals, the defendant was allowed to walk by himself on the other side of the road. At the Police Station, witness and his friend were put behind the bar as if they were criminals, and defendant talked to the officer on duty of the counter. The sergeant on duty, after hearing witness's and Mr. Young's statements, said that he could do nothing in the matter, but suggested the taking out of summonses. Witness secured the number of the Sikh constable and the name of the defendant, and reported the matter the next morning to_
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.