CHINESE GUNNER CHARGED

Alleged Theft From Boy Scouts' Hut

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   A CHINESE gunner of the 8th Heavy Battery, Royal Artillery, claimed to be a boy scout, when seen leaving the Hongkong Boy Scouts Headquarters, Lower Albert Road, about 8 p.m. on Friday, carrying a table electric fan, it was revealed in the police court this morning.

   Gunner Tam Fuk was charged with housebreaking, and the theft of an electric fan from the Headquarters before Mr. R.Edwards at the Central Magistracy this morning. Tam pleaded not guilty.
   Kong Sau, a P.W.D. watchman, said about 8 p.m. he heard the shattering of glass, and saw defendant coming out the garage, behind the scouts' headquarters. He questioned Tam, who claimed to be a boy scout.
   Sergeant D.A.Packson (Secretary of the Boy Scouts association) said he visited the Headquarters about 10
p.m. and found an electric fan missing, and a pane of window glass broken.
   Tam claimed that he had no intention of stealing the fan, saying there were more valuable things inside. He said that Wong Yat-hung, Scoutmaster of 13th troop Hongkong, was a very good friend of his, and had told him that he had lost a fountain pen at the Headquarters.
   Wong told him that someone saw Wong Tung-hoi, using a pen similar to his, and he had also misappropriated some troop money.
   As Wong Tung-hoi had been passing remarks about him joining the service, defendant went to steal the fan with a view to getting him into trouble.
   The hearing was adjourned for 48 hours, as defendant asked that Wong Yat-hung, and the scouts of the 13th troop should give evidence on his behalf.