Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1896-06-13 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

PLUCKY CLEVELAND POLICEMAN.   A few weeks ago an armed attack was made on a shop in Wanehai, Hong Kong, hut owing to an alarm being speedily raised by the inmate; the police were successful in capturing five men. The capture was not effected, however, without a desperate struggle, a Chinese watelunan being killed and a lnkong shot through the thigh. About a quarter past ten o'clock a gang of five armed men entered an earthenware shop at 20, Cross-street, Wanchai, and having terrified the old man who was in charge, by pointing their revolvers at him and threatening to shoot him. they ransacked the lower part of the shop, and decamped with about 55 dols. of money. During the time the thieves were in the shop, another Chinaman was in the cockloft, but seeing the state of affairs he deemed it prudent to cover himself up with his blanket, and lay there conoealed till the robbers had left the premises. Immediately on the departure of the thieves, the old man ran out into the street and raised the alarm. crying "Thieves." P.C. Hoggarth, who. is a native of Upleathern, near Saltburn, was In Wanchai-road at the time, and hearing the cries of the old man, ran in the direction of the shop when he observed several men running towards him. He arrasted one of the men, and handed him over to a district watchman, who bad arrive(' simultaneously upon the scene. Hoggarth then went in pursuit of the other robbers. He had only run a distance of about fifty yards when he heard a revolver shot. Immediately retracing his steps he discovered the watchman and his prisoner struggling,. Another Filet was fired before he readied them,and the watchman staggered against • shop door. The robber fired a third shot, but Constable Hoggarth did not observe the direction in which he was shooting. The man then bolted, and was darting down a laud when the constable fired his revolver, the bullet striking him on the foot and piercing his ankle. The man entered a house in course of erection in the lane, and when he came out the constable fired a second shot, which took effect iu his other foot. He crawled into another house, where Hoggarth arrested him. Before removing his prisoner the constable made a search for the revolver, and found it lying beside the injured man A Chinese constable who was found lying wounded though the thigh was brought into the station shortly afterwards, and he stated that while running to where he heard the shots fired he was shot by some of the other robbers. Great praise is due to Constable Hoggarth for the plueky way in which he followed the murderer, knowing, as he did, that the man was armed and had not scrupled already to use his weapon in order to escape arrest. The chief of the English police in Hong Kong In a letter to us states: Hoggarth was engaged by me in January, 1895, for this police force. Seeing he is a native of your district, and that he has displayed qualities worthy of honour by all persons, I have sent you a copy of the "China Mail" in case you should think it advisable to briefly notice the exploits by which he has distinguished himself here." Two hours prior to these arrests Hoggarth arrested a man who pretended to be a priest, and was carrying a sword with which to slay the plague fiend. Another man who sought to assist the priest to escape was also arrested by the plucky constable.