A CHINESE ASSAULT CASE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5171, 28 November 1884, Page 3

A CHINESE ASSAULT CASE.

. «, At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday five Chinese, Kuin Lo, Ah Tom, Ah Shea, Ah He and Vong Sun, were charged on information that they did assault Chong Ung. Mr M'Connel and Mr Weßton appeared for the complainant; Mr Holmes acted on behalf of defendants. The case for the prosecution was understood to be that all the parties were market gardeners. Defendar ts had considered they had a grievance j against complainant because he had supplied vegetables to some persons whom de- ' fendants regarded as exclusively their i customers. Defendants had consequently waited on complainant at his residence, Tuam street, on Sunday, Nov. 11, and given him a most cruel beating. Dr Russell, who was called to see the injured man, found his face much bruised ; he complained of severe pains in the side, and the doctor believed that a rib was broken. The complainant had been taken to the Hospital, from which he had only just been discharged. Several celestial witnesses, whose names were expressed in marvellous monosyllables, gave evidence in support of the above statement. The affray, it appeared, had taken place in an upper room, and in his defence Mr Holmes described it as an instance of " Celestial life upstairs," in contradistinction to high life below stairs. Ah Shea, the principal of the defendants, said he had bought from complainant a share in a garden and the right to supply certain customers. Complainant had broken the contract and persisted in supplying these customers. Ah Shea and the other defendants had consequently gone as a deputation to complainant to ask him to attend a Celestial Court, to be held at the residence of another Chinaman, to answer for his breach of contract. Complainant declined, and a disturbance followed, for the effects of which the defendants mostly blamed a table ; "he fell on top of the table and the table fell on top of him," was one witness' manner of describing the relative positions of complainant and the aggressive table. His Worship thought that it was clear Ah Shea had a grievance against Chong Ung, who had refused to allow it to be settled by "the Committee." They must understand that they could not force persons to attend thiß Committee, as they had tried to do. Ah Shea was fined £1 and the other defendants 10s each ; costs divided amongst them.