Accused Man Acquitted: Mixed Court on Motives for Prosecution: Ezra's Claim and Denial of Joint Ownership of $1,000,000 Cargo The trial of Ching-teco, who sas prosecuted by G. Dadunashvilli and N. E. B. Esra for the larceny of 180 chests of opium valued at $1,000,000, was concluded at the Mixed Court on Wednesday with the we the accused.
r. Martin, British Agsessor, and Magistrate Kua: in their reserve judgment, did that no evidence had bee? iven upon which it could have been hoped to secure a conviction on the oF to cetablish a el in the civil ease, Regarding Ezra's offer to assist, the recovery of the claim in consideration of a reward of 5 per cent. of whatever could be got, the Ce rt points out that he did nothing beyond making two sug ions to M. clu Pac de Marsoulies (hi then counsel). He could hays rendered all the assixtauce in power and obtained his reward owner of the opium.
Finally, the Bench to mislead the Cow 10 granting security for $1,000,000, that no actual trial was ever contemplated, "ud that complainants hoped that " si n would be paid in consideration of proceedings being dropped.
'THE JUDGMENT IN FULL, The Assessor said that on Ni ember 20, 1924, a civil petition had been presented by M. A. clu Pac de Marsoulies on behalf of Mr. N. E.
B. Ezra and by Mr. A. Fishman on behalf of Mr, G. Dadunashvilli beyond any doubt that the opium was purchased by Gwan Ho with money supplied by them.
is also clear," the Assessor [went on, that the prosecution at no time had any evidence on which ebuld hope to secure a convicti fon the criminal charge or establish its claim in the civil case. and a criminal complaint was made by the same parties, both of whom alleged that 180 chests of opium Jointly owned by the complainants had been feloniously removed by the present accused and four other defendants from a Japanese ste er while passing the coast of China on a voyage from Constantinople to Vladivostok, and that as a result of the defendants' felonious acts the plaintiffs had been deprived of the cargo of opium at the port of Gestination, An application had been made before the Spanish Assessor and Magistrate Sung for the issue of a warrant against the defendants and for the issue of a summons for immediate security in the sum of $1,000,000. The effect of the issue of a summons for immediate would have been that the}
"In order to understand why the case was ever brought it is necessary to examine the part taken.in it by Mr. Ezra, Ezra Promised 5 per cent. for Services:
"In November Mr. Ezra sub. scribed through his counsel to a petition which stated that the bill of lading under which the opium was shipped was jointly owned by himself and Mr. Dadunashvilli and that he and Mr. Dadunashvilli were deprived of the cargo of opium at the port of destination, Vladivostok, by the felonious acts of defendant.
"During this trial he has stated that he was at no time a joint owner of the opium and that he had no interest in it whatever, and that his only connexion with' the case was that he was to render assist-its would be arrested and the Mixed Court until they had given security the sum of $1,000,000.
and Hlesal Transactions the petition bie for the Magis-ihe Court interpreter was Wl translated it verbally the istrate, On Tearning that the claim in respect of dealing in opium he demurred to issuing the sui n respect of transections prohibited by law, He agreed, however, to the issue of eh "warrant for the premises of the accused at 51 Canton Road and the result of the ensuing search had been that the present accused was arrested and charged by the Shanghai Municipal Police de opium, tried by the and him= self (the ruary 27 was sentenced to 18 monilis' imprisonment.
The trial of the accused on the charge brought by Messrs. Ezra and Dadunashvilli of larceny of the 180 chests of opium was post-ied owing to doubts having unson regarding the nationality of Kara,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.