The examination of Mrs. Margaret Florence Evers, 48-year old American woman, charged with an offence under Section 174 of the Harrison Narcotic Act, was concluded before Judge Milton J. Helmick in the U.S. Court for China yesterday afternoon after witnesses had given testimony for the prosecution.
Mr, Leighton Shields, the District Attorney, who conducted the prosecution, and Mr. J. B. Davies, appointed to defend Mrs, Evers, will both sum up in the case this morning.
During the morning session of the court, Dr. William Robert Reeds, a missionary doctor stationed a! Anyang, also known as Changteh, Honan, testified that be first saw Mrs, Evers on July 6, 1997, when she arrived at his hospital compound. Witness said it was her third visit to his mission station, she having admitted to him personally: her two previous visits there. He received her in his office and then had her escorted to her room in the hospital.
Witness continued that it was his duty to see that the patient's luggage was examined. Mrs. Evers said, however, that two suitcases, which the police of that place wished to examine, did not belong to her and she had no keys, She seemed to be very upset at that time. Nevertheless, the suitcases were opened in her presence and in a brown case, six packages each containing 25 ounces of white powder were found. In the larger case, eleven more packages were found, Both suitcases were then sealed up and along with Mrs. Evers, hey were taken to the Magistrate's office of that city. The cases were not accompanied by any certificates or huchiao.
Cross-examined by Mr. Davies, witness said that Mrs. Evers had three other pieces of baggage besides those two suitcases.
Dr. A, E. Fletcher then entered the witness" box. He stated he was capable of making chemical analysis of narcotics, In reply to Mr. Shields, witness said he had examined the contents of two packages, which the prosecution produced in the court yesterday as evidence against Mrs. Evers, that he had found the contents contained 97 per cent, of heroin and diamorphine in one package and over 99 per cent, in the other package, and that they were prepared by skilled chemists. Witness replied in the affirmative to Mr, Shields' suggestion hat it was rather unusual for a person to be in possession of such a quantity of drugs.
Another witness was Inspr. E. Papp, former chief of the narcotic quad. of the Shanghai Municipal Police. In reply to Mr, Shields, wit-ress said that, to his knowledge, no sarcotic of such a grade as that ex-Met in the court had ever been "ound in Shanghai.
Referring to Section 174 of the "arrison Narcotic Act, under which nis client was charged, Mr. Davies stated that there is nothing in Section 114 which makes the transportation of heroin a criminal offence because this section has provisions only about the importation into, and exportation from, the U.S.A. of narcotic drugs, The prosecution had so far failed to show that heroin in this case. had been actually imported into China. Avithout that, it would be impossible to bring about a conviction under this Section, Mr. Davies said.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.