Two Chinese wore charged in the Provisional Court on Monday morning with intimidating the workers of the North China Coal Ca, and with attempting to extort money from them. The case was heard by Judge Ling Pian and Mr.
Stevens, Senior Consal's Deputy, Mr. Tycho Wing was present for the prosecution and accused were not represented by counsel, In' his opening statement, Mr. Wing stated that the complainant. firm was engaged in the coal business. On Saturday, coal was being, unloaded from a to the yards in El id other men approached and demanded 60 cents. ton "squeeze" for each ton taken into the yards. The coolies were, not permitted to move the coal it they did not: pay the: money. The firm wae notified and the managing director himself went to the scene and the two accused were arrested. Counsel said that the case was deserving of exemplary. punishment been use there was no man less abl to pay bribes than these poor evolics. He was of opinion that it was most savage to try to get money from helpless people ike these and would ask for the heaviest punishment in order to prevent repetitions, Mr, H. Eruljee, a British sobject, corroborated this and said! that the coolies had worked with him for the past five years that he had experienced no dificulty with them. They received from $16 to $19 a month. A coolie had informed him of the trouble and he went to the yard He saw accused and half a dozen others, with bamboos in their hands, The others ran away when thes saw witness but, with the assistance of the police, the two accused were taken into custody. Accused were in the yards at.the time speaking to und intimidating the coolies.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.