Complainant was then taken from the launch to the licence office opposite Foochow Road, where he was hit again, Mr, Newman continued, and from there to the Central Police Station "Here is the laughable part," he added, "for the complainant was charged with assaulting Sergeant Phin." The next morning the laodah was taken to the District Court, being allowed no witnesses and he was fined.
The fine was paid on Thursday, Mr. Newman went on, and complainant was released on Saturday, having been kept in custody from Sunday to the following Saturday. As soon as he had an opportunity of taking legal faction these proceedings had been brought.
On oath, the complainant said he was a native of Pootung and aged 26 years. On January 8 he was instructed by his employers to take the launch to ihe Customs Jetty at 5.30 p.m. to take passengers to the s Nellore. Just as they moored along side a foreign sergeant, number 253, and a Chinese constable came and asked him to move away. Witness replied that the launch was there to fake passengers to the liner and that it would move off at 6 p.m.
"Rascal"
The two policemen then walked away, continued the laodah, but returned two or three minutes later and the foreign officer shouted "rascal" in Chinest and, jumping on the deck, took out his baton and struck witness, who ran inside the wheelhouse, where he was struck about the head and body. Following this the sergeant dragged him out of the wheelhouse and, placing his arm behind his back, took him to the licence shed where his face was slapped twice. From there he was removed to the Central Folice station where he was detained overnight.
Cross-examined, witness agreed that he been convicted of an assault upon a foreign policeman. Handing complainant a police baton and a book Mr. Williams then asked him to strike the book with the same force which had he said had been used by Sergeant Phinn. After this had been done Mr. Williams asked him why he had not consulted a doctor and witness replied that he had not enough money. He denied that he had been medically examined at the Ward Road Gaol.
At this point Mr. Newman protested that Mr. Williams "was making a mountain out of a molehil At no time, he added, were the injuries said to have been very serious. Continuing, complainant denied striking Sergeant Phinn.
Tsang Tsoh-kung, engineer of the Moina, described how Sergeant Phinn had chased complainant to the wheelhouse and struck him before dragging him out and taking him ashore. Toe number 2 laodah, Loh Yoh-kung, also gave evidence of seeing Sergeant Phinn strike eight or nine blows at complainant o: the deck of the vessel and in the wheelhouse.
The hearing was then adjourned until today at 10 a.m.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.