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upon the bold denial, of their containing any evidence whatever of his guilt; and the "scientific" evidence of Mr. Caldwell—competent enough in the colloquial dialect, but hardly able to read the Chinese character—was vouched in proof of that assertion.
Access had been allowed him to all the books and papers at the Police Office, and, apparently, at the Supreme Court;—and, by a more criminal indulgence an order was made for the delivery to the "convict's friends," of the residue, which had been left at the Central Police Station; and this order was presented by Mr. Caldwell himself, as the "friend" of the convict; and it was executed in his favour.
But a very simple circumstance had occurred, which seriously hindered the working of the scheme. Mr. Dixson, the Government printer—from of old steady and vigilant in his distrust of the "connection" between Mr. Caldwell and Mah Chow Wong[1]—had heard with surprise of the intention to pardon the convict, and let him loose again upon the community.
To defeat this design, he printed in his newspaper[2] an analysis of so much of the contents of the books and papers as convicted Mah Chow Wong and also, but with hesitation, some of those which did the same for Mr. Caldwell.
Mr. Dixson was invited to attend the Executive Council, and give in the authority for his version. Mr. Dixson did attend; and, after being browbeaten by the Government, he says, as if–not Mah Chow Wong, but—"he himself was on his trial," did, with Mr. May's permission, vouch Mr. May and the "Two Memoranda," which, with Tong Akii's help, he had
