Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-28
Administers Justice in the Police
Court.
DESCRIPTION OF A TYPICAL Case
Perjured Witnesses a Matter of
Course.
I PREVALENCE OF LOOTING
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

1, is n good government too though when
The Chinese tell the truth they do not eN-
press unlimited admiration for it.
The trouble, from the Chinese point of
view lies all in the way justice is admin
istered here. Not that it is Il bad way. On
the contrary. justice is splenditily admins
tered mere. but it Is done by man who
well understands the Chinese and their
ways that he makes very few mistakes
And that is what hurts the feelings Of
most of the Chinese. They get altogether
too much justice. They don't really object
TO justice, either. but they DO dislike to
have it meted out to them by one Of the
hated foreigners whom, not long ago. they
were chasing with bloody knives or shoot
ing at with strong-voiced Mausers. Your
Chinaman wants a home made article in the
way of law.
The provisional government is. Of course.
under international control. There
many regiments of the hated foreign
devils here. though only about eight hum
dred of the soldiers are American The
soldiers are, of necessity. the police force.
In most cases the soldiers deal with the
natives with considerable amount of leni-
ency. though the troops of some nations
try not TO be formal in their reports as to
yellow men shot While resisting arrest"
But we have had Sheriffs in America who
have been imbued with the same kind of
weakness, and it is unknd to throw mud.
The Judge who administers in police
court kinds of cases is Mr.. Walter En-
mons. For fifteen years or so he has been
local manager of trading company here.
lie understands every phase of native dia-
iect that is spoken. and knows the people
themselves as he does his own price lists in
the way of trade. These natives can't fool
him-that is not very ofter-and they hate
aim with cordially that is in proportion
Now Mr.. Emmons is really in great luck
IN one way He doesn't have to know a
whole lot about the notions of the late Mr.
blackstone, nor Yet must he he familiar
with the learned decisions of the United
states Supreme Court. He merely has to
show knack for good hard-headed conn
mon sense. a quality that he possesses in a
marked degree. There are, to be sure
some international police regulations with
Nhich he had to familiarize himself AS
these regulations are frequently changed
10 meet new exigencies, Judge EmmOns
sinds himself slipping away from the rules
once in It while. though all this is 2 very
1rifiinS matter for he has officers at hand
VINO Will refresh his memory and show
nun tIe new regulations printed in all
manner OF languages
The work of Mr. Emmous il 90 s,,;.eoo
tory that he is allowed in the main "a
Work out his own theories of Jurisprudence,
ne system of justice that he PLAYS is
mixture of American common sense and
= nhese traditions, with few international
ailiS thrown in for good measure
Police Court Case.
Let us take case as it comes before Mr.
ithlhohs 1t is that Of Chung a money
'halser over in the walled city. Chung
raised bowl yesterday morning lust he
cause TWO coolies-their names are unnro-
dIouhceabie, so l viii call them Wong ana
bihg-made a grab at his tray of money,
ailu got few handfuls OF copper coins
TWO American soldiers heard the hou,is
ana reached the scene on the donhIa min
ihey saw Wong and Bing fleeing AT u y *
1nen, ns .ts copper cash over the pave
Inn iia' "a, as sney went 1t didn't take very
tGhs LOT tne TWO troopers to catch un with
ttie 1ugltlVes. Had they been Chinese col
diers they would have stopped to n;ck m
me shoWered cash, and the felons would
: nave gotten away. Not being Chinese SOL
dlers, our two Yankee boys got hold Of the
fascals by the pigtails The rantins
money changer reached the scens after
having ,nanl stopped OPP on the way to pick up as
ii'ttuS OF the cash as he could
Neiiy good. You catch en- Now take
'em judge-side" 'aAe
10 the bankers great disappointment the
IsscaiS were not taken before the iudpa
but were locked up over the dav and Mn
In one or the local jails. That gave the
accused tune enough to communicate with
whoie retinue of their friends for In
china no man is too poor or insignifcant
TO have friends
This morning the thieves were brought
before Judge Emmons. Their retiuue OF
friends followed, talking clamorouslv The
pehker was called up first ana made his
Complaint Vehemently. Then the two SOL
diers told his honor in a straiehtfnrward
way what they had witnessed. The two
accused ones listened grnuingly Apparent-
them. 7''-''
But It came the accused ones turn to
talk; This they did In most artistic
FASHION They were two honest coolies
they declared. When they found two SOL
oiers In pursuit of them they ran. That
was natural enough. they argued, for the
soldiers were not always kind.
But how about ,-A, tl,rou,
away demanded Judge Emmons
There was very little" said Wong. TT
was our own"
Then why did you throw it away?"
Because we thought the soldiers wouId
stop to pick 1t up
And SO allow You to get away?" asked
his honor
Wong nodded Bing moved his head I'm
enc down several times, very rapidly. Then
both rascals turned. if certain that the
case was over. and that they could go
Hold orr ordered the Judge. This af-
fair isn't settled yet"
Whereupon the retlnue Of friends that
had followed the culprits to court set mn
another loud clamor.
What do these people know about it?"
asked his honor.
They are good people" replied B,ng.
"who saw the affair happen. and they
know that we speak the truth"
Are they ready to testify?'
Perjured Witnesses.
The members Of the retinue certainly were
ready. That was what they had come for
One after the other they told the same
story. Not even the most artful questioning
Of the court could shake their well-concoct-
ed lie Of how they had been present, that
they knew Bling and Wong, and had seen
that they did not take any money. Chung.
the money-lender, was an Infamous old liar,
as everybody knew. He had trumped up
the charge. knowing that Bng and Wong
would throw money to the soldiers, and
knowing also that American soldiers would
not deInean themselves by stopping to pick
1t up. 1t was a scheme Matched by the
willy Ching to get the spare cash of the
unfortunate coolies.
Judge Emmons turned to tho soldiers
They repeated their testimony emphati-
cally as before. leaving not doubt Of the
guilt of the accused in the courts mind.
cit is most certain that you rascals are
siilty-that you are vile thieves" said his
honor.
at cannot be certain argued Bing.
"Chung, though an old man. does not speak
= the truth. He has but two witnesses, while
we have twenty. Is 1t not certain that We