SMART TRICK PLAYED BY A CHINAMAN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1485, 29 August 1888, Page 5

SMART TRICK PLAYED BY A CHINAMAN.

The San Francisco " Chronicle " tells us of a smart trick played by a Chinaman on his fellow-countrymen in San Francisco, whereby be embezzled 4000dols from them. On his way to China he gets off at Hongkong and transfers himself and his coin to another steamer bound for Australia or New Zealand. "Wellington may yet have the benefit of John's faithlessness.'

It is an established custom with the Chinese in the United States, when sending a remittance of coin to their relatives in the Flowery Kingdom, to intrust it to some one of their numerous cousins who is about to part for China, rather than send it through one of the banks or other Caucasian means of remitting funds from one country to another.

This was the course pursued by about fifty Mongolians, who intrusted several sums of money to the keeping of Sun Fook, who left San Francisco last December for China. He had made several trips previous to the last, and on every occasion he was intrusted with large sums of money from the Chinese here to their relatives at home. On his last trip he had nearly 4000dols in his strong box consigned to divers parsons in the Canton Province, where it was expected he would faithfully dsburse the funds on his arrival at that place.

For some reason best known to Sun Fook he forgot, however, to call upon his Canton cousins on his arrival at that place. This breach of trust did not become known to the Chinese in this city until the arrival of the last steamer from China, when some of the returning

Mongolians iuformed their countrymen that Sun Fook had betrayed his trust and bolted with the money intrusted to his keeping. As soon as this information became known, Chinatown, was wild with excitement.

A meeting of the indignant creditors was at once held, and Sim Fook was arraigned, tried, and found guilty in the short space of one hour. The penalty of death was passed upon him when found. It was ascertained that the dishonest Mongolian on landing at Hongkong transferred himself and his coin on board of a steamer bound for Australia or New Zealand, where it is supposed he low is. Efforts will be made to send a brace of highbinders after him, with instructions to get the money or take his life.