Capt. G. W. Crum was summoned before Mr. A. Krisel, the U. S. Come missioner, on September 7 on 'a charge of improper and dangerous driving and was fined G.$10, A farther charge of driving at an excessive speed was dismissed, Mx. F. J. Schuhl appeared for the defendant.
Mr. H.C. Rabbetis said that, between midnight on August 29 and 12.20 am, he was driving along Bubbling Well Road towards Naning Road, when detenant's car overtook him. Judging from the way it was being driven, witness thought defendant's.car was' being riven by kidnappers or armied robbers: it would crawl at first and suddenly accelerate, after which there would be a jamming of the brakes. Witness followed defendant's ear and Jand he shouted out to defendant, who took no notice. He could" not imagine a man driving a ear in such a manner unless the driver wai drunk or else he had some malicio this statement as being most unfair and asked that-it should be stricken {trom the records, PS, A. H, Jonah and C. Tuck, who were in plain clothes at the time, also testified, Sgt. Jonah informing the Commissioner that defendant had invited them to race him up the road. Defendant's ear was travelling at a very high speed. [stopped at every road crossing and witness told defendant that he was Aviving in a very foolish manner and that he either was mad or drunk.
Ax, Schithl also objected to the latter statement, which was struck off the records.
Defendant, a member of ne Shanghai Licenced Pilots' Associ tion, denied that he was mad or Jdrunk. "He was on his way to the Customs Jetty to meet a tender and remembered passing two or three cars. There was no other traffic at the time. He was going at a rea sonable speed: the others were going very slowly. It was exaggerate ig to say that he had driven in a mu inner which had been described by the witnesses for the prosccuion. When approaching pedestrians or street corners, he slowed down to avert accidents, His ear was under perfect control and witness denied that he had driven improperly or dangerously, Mr. Schuhl, summing up, said that, if there was no traffic along Bubbling Well Road, he himself would risk going 50 miles an hour.
The Commissioner; And you would also run the risk of being pro-secured.
Continuing, counsel said that his wan only over-cautious and that was the opposite to what he was being charged with. Counsel Jasked that the charges be dismissed, It was a serious thing to say that is client had driven dangerously and improperly considering he had been driving for more than 13 years and had never been in trouble.
In dismissing the charge of excessive driving, the Commissioner found defendant guilty of improper dangerous:
$10.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.