MOLESTING THE CHINAMEN

PROSECUTION AT ELTHAM. (From Our Own Correspondent.) At the Magistrate's Court, Eltham, on Wednesday, before Mr Kenrick, S.M., Leonard Foster and Phillip Eva were charged with committing an assault on a Chinese laundryman named Chong Lee. Both of the defendants were represented by Mr Hopkins (Mr McVeagh), whilst Mr T. C. Fookes, of Stratford, conducted the prosecution. Mr Chew Ghong interpreted. Foster pleaded guilty, whilst Eva pleaded not guilty. From the evidence it appeared that a number of young men, including the two defendants, had been conducting a tin-canning campaign at a friend's residence on the evening of the 25th January. At about 10.30 p.m. they were passing  Chong Lee's laundry, and being rather full of liquor they knocKed at the Chinaman's window anoL.door until he came out to remonstrate with them. When Chong Lee appeared Foster seized him by the hands and dragged him out of the shop on to the footpath. Cotostable Wade gave evidence to this effect, and Foster admitted the fact. Constable Wade also stated that he saw defendant Eva strike Chong Lee a blow in the eye, whilst Foster held him. Eva denied this, and Foster also said that Eva did not strike the Chinaman, although he swore that somebody struck him, but he was unable to say who it was. In giving judgment, Mr Kenrick, S.M., stated that these assaults upon the- Chinese were becoming a too frequent occurrence in different parts of he Dominion. The Chinese were a lawabiding, peaceful Jot of citizens, and were entitled to the protection of the law. In other districts where he (Mr Kenrick) had presided, he had warned miscreants that if a second assault on the Chinamen took place he would punish the offenders by imprisonment without the option of a fine. He wished to give the same warning to residents here. In the present charges he would inflict a fine of 40s 'and costs, amounting to 21s against Foster, who had pleaded guilty. As Eva had pleaded I not guilty, and had put the prosecu- tion to the expense of procuring the services of an interpreter, he would fine defendant Eva £3 and costs amounting to £3 12s Bd. The default would be one month's imprisonment in Eva's case, and 14 days' imprisonment in the case of Foster. For the theft of tools to the value of £2, the property of the Egmont Box Co., Ltd., a young man named Robert Vance, a former employee of the company? was sentenced to three. months' imprisonment. A conviction was also recorded against him on a second charge of stealing a saw and a chisel, the property of Edward Henn, the Box Company's foreman. The goods were stolen prior to October last, and were found m accused's boxes at Eltham on November 15, when the boxes were searched under warrant by Constable Wade, Vance paying left the district and gone to Dunedin, where he was arrested on November 11, and sentenced to three months' imprisonment for stealing goods fronr his employers to the value of £18. Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVIII, 3 February 1910, Page 8