Foreigners and a Chinese Watchman at a Timber Yard An alleged assault by two foreigners on a Chinese watchman at Nantao was the subject of a lengthy hearing in H. M. Police Court on Thursday when W. Col-Tims and P. Colman appeared before Mr. G. W. King charged with assaulting Lee Ching-yoong, employed at the Kow Kee Timber Saw Mill Ca., Machinery Road, Nantao.
Mr. R. G. McDonald appeared for complainant and Mr. Mansel Reece for the defendants.
Lee's story was that on Bun-day night he was on duty as usual at the gate of the timber yard, through which there is a path leading from the river to the road and tramways. There was a knock on the gate, and when he opened it he saw four foreigners, including the two defendants. One of the defendants had a stick in his hand and beat witness with it, while the other slapped him in the face. He was also. kicked. At first he ran away, then followed, the four men to a tram car, blowing his police whistle as he went, and eventually Colman was arrested.
In answer to Mr. Reece, witness denied! that he demanded a cumshaw from the four men and attempted to bar their way. He also denied that, at the Central Police Station, he said he did not wish to lay a charge but was persuaded by a Chinese police official to do so.
Dr. A: C. Price said complain nant had abrasion on_ the left cheek and bruises about the shoulders and body.
Several witnesses were called for the defence. The story was that, upon opening the gate, complainant demanded a cumshaw, and this being refused, he ran to his watchman's box and produced a heavy stick, advancing with it in a threatening manner. He aimed a blow at Colman, who was severely bruised on the arm in warding it off. Collins then grappled with him and got the stick away, in the scuffle Sealing him a blow which brought complainant to ¢he ground. The blowing of the police whistle attracted a crowd of Chinese, and two soldiers carrying guns, the soldiers following the foreigners into a tram car, They took Colman into custody, and later the Chinese police sent him to Central Station in company with an inspector.
In submitting that the defendants had acted in self-defence, and asking that the case be dismissed, Mr. Mansel Reece suggested that a conviction would possibly lead to the dismissal of the defendants, who were officers in the Municipal Revenue Department.
His Worship immediately observed that pleas of this character always placed him in a very unfair poSition. He did not think conviction should necessarily lead to dismissal, unless proceedings disclosed that a man was "a very bad. lot.' Otherwise, for a firm to dismiss an employee because of a prosecution could not be considered a fair proceeding.
After a full and careful review of the evidence, Mr. King decided to discharge the defendants. His Worship commented on_ the very correct attitude adopted by the Chinese police officials at Nantao, and said the corollary was that British subjects should take care how they behaved when going into Chinese territory. If there were to be many more of these incidents, it might be very awkward for British subjects and other foreigners moving about in Chinese territory, since the Chinese might not be inclined to act as carefully as they had done in this instance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.