BLAZE AT STRATFORD.

A CLEAN SWEEP. THIRTEEN FIACES BURNED. BUSINESS BLOOTi DESTROYED. (By Talegrapli.—Press Association.) STRATFORD, this day. A fire broke out shortly after midnight on the east side of Broadway, and, spreading quickly, destroyed a large portion of the block before the conflagration was arrested. The buildings destroyed were on a rail-way leasehold, and aU were of wood. The fire originated, in Mr. Sheahan's tobacconist shop, the same building also being occupied by Messrs. Sladen and Palmer, engineers, and Mr. Ford, bootmaker. The next building, occupied by Mr. Finnerty, estate agent, was destroyed, and also a block of buildings known as York Chambers, occupied by Mr. Richardson, grocer, Mr. Fargie, estate agent, Mr. Tyrer, solicitor, Mr. McCluggage, estate agent, Mr. Cook, tailor, Mr. Healey, architect,On Kee grocer, Harris, fishmonger, and Barker's refreshment rooms, all being practically destroyed.

The Central Co-operative Grocery Stores -were damaged severely, as was Foster's boot shop at the other end of the block. THE INSURANCES. In.surant__s so far available show: Dr. Paget's building, £525, in the United. Sheaban's stock, fittings, and billiard table, £400, in the Oceanf Ford's stock and stools, £50, in the Ocean. Theosophical Society, furniture, £30, in the Ocean. Kurgest' building, £700,' State. Fire Oflice. Tyrer, office furniture, £100, in the Northern. Mrs. Barker, stock and fitting's, £250, in the Atlas. S. S. Cook, furniture and stock, £50, in the Atlas. Harris, stock and fittings, £100, in the Commercial Union. J. D. Healey, office furniture, £50, in the Commercial Union On Kce, building £400, stock £500, in the Commercial Union. Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 107, 6 May 1919, Page 5

JOKE THAT MISCARRIED.

INTRUDERS IN CHINESE SHOP. FIRED ON BY OWNER. ONE WOUNDED IN THE LEG. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) HAWERA, this day. The ''Star's" Patea correspondent telegraphs that the peace of Patca was dig. turbed about 11 o'clock last night by the sound of discharging firearms. Wong, a fruiterer in Egmont Street, when retiring to bed heard sounds of his back window opening, and shortly after heard the footsteps of two men within the building. Wong loaded a revolver and went to the door of the room whence the sound came. All was in darkness. He called out two or three times "Hands up." Thrre was no response to the demand, and Wong fired at the floor. He again challenged without result and again fired, but this time hit one of the intruders in the leg. The other, who was unwounded, made a hasty exit. The wounded man came to Wong who, keeping him covered, switched on the light in the shop and ordered the man off the premises. The wounded man is now in hospital. The affair seems to have started in a joke to frighten Wong. Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 299, 15 December 1923, Page 6

BANKRUPT Chinese

THREE CONVICTIONS ENTERED PROPER BOOKS NOT KEPT. DEBTS ILLEGALLY CONTRACTED.

After a brief retirement, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on three indictments preferred against a young Chinese well known in commercial and athletic circles, Chan Shiu Fong (Mr. McLiver), at the Supreme Court this morning. The three indictments were: (1) Having failed to keep proper books of accounts; (2) having, while bankrupt, contracted a debt of £24 to Radley and Company, and £50 to the Pacific Trading Company; (3) having, while an undischarged bankrupt, contracted a debt of upwards of £20 to Ros and Glendining. On a fourth indictment, which the foreman stated had not been considered by the jury, Mr. Justice Alpers made an entry of not guilty. This charge was that, while an undischarged bankrupt, accused had obtained credit from Macky, Logan, Caldwell, Ltd., to an amount upwards of £20. Fong was remanded for sentence till Monday next, at 10 a.m. In 1022 Fong was a fruiterer and market gardener at Hawera. Creditors pressed him, and issued a bankruptcy petition, but he disappeared, leaving a letter to the clerk of the Court, in which he asked that the business be sold and matters settled. Fong owed a considerable sum at this stage, said Mr. S. L. Paterson, in opening tbe case for the Crown. Next, he commenced as a fruiterer at Morrinsville, trading under the name of Sun. He dealt witn firms to whom he was then owing money. A commercial traveller discovered that .Sun was Fong. In August, 1923, Fong was served with a bankruptcy petition and adjudicated. Fong disappeared, and was found in Wellington. >sext he was found in Whangarei, where he opened a silk and fancy goods shop under the name of the Shanghai Trading Company. Representing that he was in partnership with the company, he incurred several debts. When told that he was a bankrupt, Fong said he was only manager for the company. However, Eaid Mr. Paterson, it would be shown that Fong was the Shanghai Trading Company, no other person being interested in it. R. S. Sage, deputy Official Assignee at Hawera, deposed that accused had not kept proper books. The proved debts amounted to £383, about £S0 of which, were Morrinsville debts. Mr. McLiver stated that Fong had a system at Hawera whereby he knew what his financial position was. It was usual for Chinese to put names, other than their own, on shops. Some of the debts contracted while Fong was bankrupt had been paid. When Fong incurred the debts he honestly thought he could pay them. Had he been allowed to continue, he would have been able to pay. Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 105, 6 May 1925, Page 6

Eltham Fruitshop

A man walked into the shop of a Chinese fruiterer at Eltham the others day, and his attention was arrested by three healthy-looking Chinese boys, a whose ages would be from about 9 to 13. Though not :in anthropologist the man's interest was aroused in these, representatives of one of the greatest Eastern traits.  He had never seen Chinese boys at work or at play before, and as he watched these three sorting fruit he endeavoured to engage the Chinaman in charge of the shop in conversation about them. "Are those your boys," he asked? The shopkeeper acknowledged the relationship. and the customer, to keep the conversation going, remarked that they were fine hoys. The Chinaman needed no encouragement to talk after that. "No like-ee work," he said, "too much play-play all time. Eatum up all a plofit, too." He reflected a moment, and then went on: "Too much row—row  —row all-ee time: sometimes fight, too  fight, fight, all-ee time." "Oh, well,"  he said, after another little pause, "can't  help-ee," in a tone which conveyed to the customer his appreciation of the saying, "Boys will be boys. Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 301, 17 December 1920, Page 2