Mr. G. W.'King, charged with being on board the P. & O. S. Dongda on Sunday afternoon without authority and with assaulting two Chinese watchmen anda coolie Inspector Mellows appeared to prosecute.
The No, 3 watchman who was on duty at the gangway stated that the Indians came along and wanted to go on board, but he refused to let them pass- One of them struck him and, when he blew his whistle, other Chinese came to his assistance, and there was a general mix up, several Indians from the boat joining in with hammers and pieces of iron. Witness was hit by 30 or 40 men.
His Worship—There is obviously some mistake here. He says he was hit by 30 or 40 men, and the medical certificate shows he was not seriously injured. I think we had better have a proper interpreter.
The case was accordingly ad journed until-next morning, the defendants being released on their own recognizances, Upon hearing this announcement one of the accused, probably thinking the case had been dismissed, fetched a very broad smile, but the smile instantly vanished when the Magistrate stiggested the matter was net a joke and that warrants would be issued if any of them failed to turn up next morning.
The five Indians appeared. before Mr. G. W. King again on Tuesday.
The Chinese on duty at the gangway said that when he refused to allow the accused to pass one them slapped him in the face, and all then pushed their way The other two complainants gave a similar account of the melee on board, but were not clear in their identification of the men who struck them.
Mr. E. W. H. Carpenter, representing the P. & O. Ca., said that none of the accused had any right to be on board the ship, and the watchmen had had strict orders not to alloy unauthorized persons on board. There had been many desertions'in Shanghai in consequence of Indians going on board and managing to get the men off. Another reason men like the accused were not wanted there was the smuggling of arms.
Witness handed in a letter from the first officer stating that the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.