AN EXPENSIVE OUTING.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17074, 30 August 1917, Page 4

AN EXPENSIVE OUTING.

CHINESE GLOBE-BHEAKER,

MRS. WONG CHONG'S EXPLOIT/)

Attired ,n a costume of a cornflower blue shade, a large collar of (Maltese Z e>'AT y~]o^ng fuv * and a p^ turhat, a Chinese woman knowing Airs. y c .ns Chong appeared at &c Magjstr^tes Court yesterday, before nf Z:v i! L:, HeT 1. tt ' S-M -' o» a charge Oi wiLully breakmg two glass globes, ihe property of Ngan K ee r ' . ihe proceedings were watched by an interested gi-oup of Chinese, ant appeared for the defend-

Sergt. Taylor, who prosecuted said Uie woman was liable to a fine of £10 It was a peculiar- ease, and evidently the oufc<?om 0 of trade jealousy. Ntran Kee kept a fruit shop at the corner oi Cxiiyton St. and the Avenue, while the defendant-was the wife of a Chinaman livmg further down the Avenue. Early on th e morning of August 17th she was seen to come out of her shop, look carefully round, and then go up with ? n . iron bar and deliberately smash th« globes. Two constables, who were at hand, arrested her Ngan Kee and Co! had previously suffered annoyance by having a window broken and blinds taken awny. Air. Brodie said evidence would be given to show that the defendant iiad ine°nees g d° '^ the °fcher °™ill'

~ Proceeding, Sergt. Taylor said be felt justified m mentioning it. Mr Hewitt: If she was seen hy the constables, and-arrested, how can sh© S e*d not guilty? Do you suggest that there is any mistake? Mr. Brodie: Yes, your Worship. I quite agree that the circumstances are strange, but there is a serious possibility of mistake. . *~

Ngan Kee, a diminutive Chinaman, said the globes were unbroken when Jie left the shop the night previously. Constable F. ,o'Donoghue said that on the morning of the 17th inst. about 1.20 o clock, he was standing in the ■doorway of McGruer's shop. He saw the defendant come out of her place lower down the Avenue. Accused went up to Watson's corner, .and stood there tor a moment.. She .then crossed over tho.road and smashed the globes with an iron bar. He did not lose sight of Jiei: from the time she came out of the shop. Witness arrested her. " To Mr. Brodie:^ Witness (Started across .the road inimediately the first globe was broken." He arrested the defendant, at Watson's corner. Constable R. Wilson said he was with Constable O'Donoghue, and corroborated the latter's evidence. From the ■ time the defendant left her shop until the arrest', she was never out of witness's sight. . To his Worship : Witness flashed his torch on the defendant, and saw that She had an iron ■bar in her hand. This concluded the case for the prosecution.

Ihe services of a Chinese interpreter were called in a-t this stage; but .his command of tli© English language was somewhat limited, and at-times there appeared the need of an interpreter! to^ interpret the " interpreter." The oath was administered in the Cu'mege fashion, the defendant blowing out a lighted match. ( ': ' Mrs. Wong Chong's version of the aftair was that she 'was working until 1 a.m., and on hearing a noise outside sno picked up an, iron bar, and went outside to investigate. The interpreter-- arid-the.-defendant struck up a very spirited conversation in their native tongue, while the Court waited patiently for developments. Mr. Brodie (to the interpreter): Cut it short! What happened next? '">-■' . The Interpreter: She say go 'm corner,'" pleec 'm grab lm. . Sergt; Taylor : Ask her what she went up to tho corner for. • The reply was the somewhat .vague •'Pleec 'm grab 'in." Ssrgt. Taylor: Didn't she offer the policemen £o each to Jet her gop The Interpreter (after a long chat with defendant) : ,011, yes ! Sue say give Jm £5 let Jm go look after her children. /

Did she cross the road at the corner: Sne say "No.". ■ Doesn't she know why the policemen arrested her?— She say.didn't know. Mrs. Wallace gave evidence on behalf of the defendant. Witness had great respect for her as a neighbour, and always found her very decent. She could show a good many white women how to look after children. They were a credit to her.

Sergt. Taylor: We don't deny that. Proceeding, witness said she heard the glass break, but thought somebody had dropped a bottle. Some time ago she saw larrikins throwing stones at Ngan _Kee's windows, -and witness's own blind had been taken. She -thought in fairness she should make these statements, because of accusations against Mrs. Wong Chong. Mr. Brodie said the defendant had spent a night in the police cells,; and after her arrest had been put to the indignity of having her house searched by warrant.

Mr. Hewitt imposed a fine of £10, Ngan Kee to be paid £3 15s. out of that amount.