Peiping, June 25.
Fitzmaurice, British Consul, sitting in the Embassy today, resumed the hearing of the charges preferred against two British private soldiers, Herbert Cooke and Ralph Hunt, who are accused of the manslaughter of a Japanese officer named Sasaki, and causing bodily harm to another Japanese.
The Crown Advocate, Mr. Victor Priestwood, is prosecuting, and Mr. P. H. B. Kent, of Tientsin, is defending.
Considerable inconvenience was caused to-day when it was found that various witnesses for the prosecution had not put in an appearance, the Court twice adjourning on this account. At' the morning session, the only witnesses were two Chinese boys employed at the so-called "Soldiers Club," who spoke"of certain happenings there. The Court then adjourned in order to give the prosecution, an opportunity to produce further witnesses.
Tu the afternoon, Kin Hoh-gi, a Korean barmaid employed at "No. 37, found him unconscious in the street, stated that, about midnight on May and took him to a doctor, who pro-26, she was sitting in her room with a nounced him dead.
Japanese guest whose name she did The Japanese officer had suffered not know, drinking tea, Suddenly, a blow over the right eye which had_ two British soldiers entered. (From fractured his skull and caused cere-amongst some soldiers present in bral haemorrhage, from which he died. Court, the witness identiNed Hunt as Near Sasaki was found a piece of the second and Cooke as the first webbing from a pack-strap, which, the enter her room.) prosecution alleged, went to prove that the assault had been committed Story of Assault by British soldies The witness said she had resided Onishi, a° Japanese from in Peiping for two years and she had 'Mukden, who visited Peiping on May seen these men in the bar three or 26, described a visit he made to a four imes monthly, as far as she re-Korean bar that night, Just before membered, for the' last five months. midnight, he stated, while he was The first soldier, she said, rushed into seated with a Japanese barmaid in the room and struck her guest with room behind the bar, two foreign his fist on the forehead; she could soldiers of a nationality unknown to not say how often he struck. The him entered the room. One of them guest escaped in a crouching position struck him a violent blow over the and she followed him to the bar, right eye. (The witness displayed a fre where she Tet him into the sear nearly an inch long.) The street, and then she rejoined the other Soldier continued striking him. He girls in the courtyard. Later, the would not be able to recognize the Guest returned to her room, where two soldiers again. she bandaged him. She was alone 'A Chinese boy employed at the then. so-called "British Soldiers Club,'
'Cross-examined—There was nobody called by the prosecution, gave sworn present except herself and the guest. evidence in detail as to' the oceur-They were sitting on the left side Fences there on the night of the of the room, she being nearest alleged trouble. 'The next witness oer, whilst the guest was the other side' of the table, both with their was the Korean manager of the place, who declared that the boy was cchalr-banks against the wall." Usually not present in the club that night, the Military Police visited the bar
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.