Newman for Defen~ lia: Biaivulit conducted" his through an interpreter. afore Sir Allan Mossop, Judge (Gudgment for Piatntit with costs) Shanghai, Jane 26 'The terrible treatment meted out: to 'a Chinese coolie-servant by a British fumily, by whom he was employed. Grew' scathing comments on the family's behaviour from Judge, Sir Allan Mossop in 11M, Supreme Court yesterday, when the servant,. Chu Zang-keng brought an action against his employer, Mrs, Annie Cock, for $2383, stated to be salary due to him, "He also claimed medical. expenses for injuries stistained, he alleged, at. the hands of Mr.
Cock, the female defgndan Mr. K. E, Newman appeared for the defendants, and the coolie conducted his own case through an interpreter.
cording to plaintiff, he had bees working for the first defendant since the hostilities at a salary of $10 per ninth. For a number of months, however his salary had been reduced 10.$5. At the time of leaving his job fon June 11 a total of $28.33 was owing fo him, being the amount of his salaries which he had handed back {o the frst defendant to Keep for him, Dafendants, who resided at Room 42, 149 Yuen Ming Yuen Road, on the afternoon of June 12, assaulted him, Mrs,-Cock slapping. him, and the "young thaster" pushing him out of the room and then punching him io the face and striking him in the side, 'A medical certificate issued by the Lester Chinese Hospital, produced in court, stated that he had sustained a Tractited rib and bruises to the face.
Continuing his evidence the cootie stated that he had been discharger because a former coolie employed by Mrs, Cock, had come back, The assauli took' place after he had asked for his savings and, he further slater that while Mrs, Cooke was holding his farm, the son beat him with a piece of Newman claimed that the coolie's story was untrue. He pointed out that Mrs, Cock was a widow, and, prior (o the hostilities had lived in Kinngwan Road. The family had stated that the coolie was discharged for insubordination and rudeness. He had been paid, they alleged, $1.83 for leven days wages for June due to Asked by Mr, Newman whether it was true that Mr, Cock tried to push him out of the room and that he (the ecolle) had struck Mr. Cock, the plainti replied that his hands bad been held by Mrs. Cock while the ther defendant struck him. He adelea that he had had to pawn his clothes to pay the court foes.
Miss Eleanor Gibson, American Secretary of R.C.A, Communications, stated that she lived on the same floor fas the Cocks, family and that she heard a disturbance which made her think that the whole family had chased the coolie into the kitchen, Leaving her room she went out and asked Mr, Cock to pay the coolie and tu stop ihe disturbance, Mr. Cock replied that the coolie had been paid.
When giving evidence the male defendant denied having spoken. Mise Gibson, but added that he would Not go s0 far as to say that Miss Gibson had told a jo. When the Sudge read parts of Miss Gibson's evidence to him, the defendant ox: claimed "I swore before the Bible that T would tell the truth."
Before leaving the witness stand 'Miss Gibson said' that she had no personal interest in the coolie, was a quiet boy, who had been made to sleep on the stairway by the Cocks, Since than she had taken pity on hit. and had allowed him to sleep in her servant's quarters and had given him some money. Miss Gibson's boy stated that he had seen Mr. Cock strike the plaintiff, The male defendant dented steiking the coolie, If he had hit him it was done in self-defence and, probably, the broken rib had been sus-{tained when he fell in the passage, Mrs, Cock and her daughter, Miss 'Margaret Cock,' stated that when, they saw the colic run towards the Kitchen they thought that was going for a knife, Mrs. Cock denied owing the coolie' money and said that she did not keep one-third of his frst month's salary as deposit, 'Her, former cook-boy, however, tated that It was her' custom 10
Keep some money from the wages as deposit, She still owed him $4 Which had' been taken as a deposit, The Judge then remarked that if she had told a lie about the deposit what credence could he give to her story, Summing up for the defence Mr, Newman said that the whole of the evidence was conflicting. Mrs. Cock's former boy, was in his' opinion, the most reliable, as he was-giving evidence against one of his own countrymen, Perhaps Mrs; Cock had kept back $333, but he thought that the coolie's story had been exaggerated, The Judge:—It is corroborated in many respects by a neighbour, Mr, Newman added that the servants hada chance to talk the matter over, and the Judge repu "The same applies to both sides, Mr, Newman added that when the coolie ran away they thought he was going for a knife, and. the Judge, interposing, said, "But why shouldn't the—coolie run. away from assault?" Continuing Mr, Newman said that the coolie was probably dissatisfied and he had brought the action because his wages had been reduced.
'Tu his summing up the Judge said "Here we have a plaintiff getting' Little more than 16 cents a day. T hardly imagine anyone here in this Court living so close to the round as that, Mrs. Cock said he was dismissed because he was too noisy, Her son said he was dismissed Leeauise he was too-cheeky. Plaintiff said he was dismissed because an old cook-boy shad returned, and plaintiff is probably.correct. ''There could be nothing more: mean then keep' back, the wretched pittance this, man hed earned. I: belfeve' that Mrs. Cock retained not only the $3.33 held. by her as a deposit, but also retained the four months" wages at $5 a month claimed by plaintiff, Yet We have this brave young cock of a-man going out and breaking the pluintifr's rib."
Giving - judgment for the servant for. $23.83 against Mrs, Cock for wages "claimed, the Judge also ordered the male defendant to pay $25 as damages for assault, Both defendants would have to: pay costs of the case, amounting to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.