EXTRAORDINARY CABLE JOBBERIES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1047, 11 January 1884, Page 4

EXTRAORDINARY CABLE JOBBERIES.

Seven Chinese connected with the

robbery aftd.cutting of the Great Northern an(d Eastern Extension Com- • paiftes’iPables were brought before the mimd (Court «t sShanghai on the 15th October.: ‘The court was composed of l^|ikrate r Ob6in, Mr VV. Patterson, Acting Consul for Denmark, and Mr Csijtle£,' ! ths. ( British Assessor, Of these two:,were storekeepers ; and;(the ; renr»ainder the cable-cutters. ThfiEf-magistrates cross-examined them for about an hour. They confessed the crfjttiSl’*'' ; Gearies made the inquiry whether "thVshbpkeepers were well-to-’.ind/to what their pro.amount,; whereupon Mr Dpn%-who appeared on behalf of the Eaaterhns Extension Telegraph Company, answered that their shops may b®' 3dP; taels. The two would fetch collars. Mr Dunn thought tha&>tfeeyy?ere, .well-to-do people, since theyiused-to advance to the cable robbertfmoney atthe ratebf z 50 dollars . per r The ! shopkeepers were therefore iufly ayvare of the manner the the wire. After over an hour's examination jhe ( court retired to consider their decision, and returning after about half-an-hbur’s absence, the.. British Assessor acquainted ’tliose 'present that the sentence was to be submitted to the Taotai for approbation before it could be made pabU& iFHi reason that the sentence was to be submitted to the Taotai for approval is that Ch£in thpught two year’s imprisonment a sufficient punishment, whilst..>Mr Paterson and the British assessor pointed out the great destructfhich required a severer term, and. proposed five years’ imprisonment It -appears that the robberies were guide systematically, and that the fishing vißiage on this side of the Lan-Shan Crossing had become a well-known and flounsHlng market for the sale of copper wire'aod* steel wires of the finest qual|ty. ; The, copper wire was melted intotersi ana the steel, wire made of the finest crncible steel, was cut into shqcfckngthsi packed in bound bundles weighing about one-third of a picul, W-theft who made the fine material into nails; The price at which the steel wire was sold varied from to 2# pei picul, and the princiHangchow. -The loss to the telegraph cofhpa&iiesds : of large amount. The finUhpdj Vfhle, when brought out by specially fitted vessels, and laid, costs at a very high rate per mile, and the loss iifltraffid caused' by one cut is very serious: To hire a steamer for repair? costs 240 taels per day, - other charges for coolie hire, inches, lighters, etc. The damageqpfle ,by the thieves, too, by which die cables have suffered, extends of thirty miles. In many have been one-half or one-third cat through; and then appatently dropped, 'perhaps when some foreign vessel came, in sight. Before ibetJßtdal' injury.dqne can be computed a ihombgb . and Expensive survey of the lines most be .until that is done the receftt repairs done 1 to the Upi - ' " ,: - 1

three cables of the Great Northern I Company and the one cable of the j Eastern Extension Telegraph Company can only be regarded unfortunately, as of a temporary nature. The thieves are hardy men, mostly rather divers and wreckers than fishermen. They had good boats, and were well provided with files, heavy hammers, and cold chisels. The chief thief is said to be able to dive into and do work in too feet depth of water. The receivers are well-to-do tradesmen. North China Daily News.