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The War in China - Examination at the Police-Office, Victoria, Hong-Kong, of Esing... 1857. Creator: Marciano Antonio Baptista
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The War in China - Examination at the Police-Office, Victoria, Hong-Kong, of Esing... 1857. Creator: Marciano Antonio Baptista
The War in China - Examination at the Police-Office, Victoria, Hong-Kong, of Esing, the Baker, upon the Charge of Poisoning, 1857. The Chinese in profile is Alum; the full-face is his father; and the Chinese woman behind is one of his wives...Esing (properly called Alum)...supplied the bread poisoned with arsenic from which so many people suffered in Hong-Kong, and who, with his father and eight of his workmen, are now on their trial for that crime...Two or three hundred people, altogether, had partaken of the poisoned bread, but no lives had been lost...Private letters from the Chinese Seas, received at Paris, state that Alum had been tried before a Council of War legally constituted, and convicted of an attempt to poison the English Charge d'Affaires and his family. The man was condemned to death and shot...'. In fact Cheong was expelled, and forbidden from ever returning to Hong Kong. From "Illustrated London News", 1857
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This thought-provoking image, titled "The War in China - Examination at the Police-Office, Victoria, Hong-Kong, of Esing, the Baker," was created by the skilled artist Marciano Antonio Baptista in 1857. The photograph depicts an intense scene taking place at a police office in Victoria, Hong-Kong. The central figure, identified as Esing, or Alum, is being examined by authorities in connection to a poisoning incident. The Chinese man in profile is identified as Alum, while the full-face figure is his father. A Chinese woman, believed to be one of his wives, stands behind him. Esing, also known as Alum, is accused of supplying poisoned bread to the community, which had resulted in mass consumption of the tainted loaves. Although no lives were lost, the incident caused widespread alarm. Private letters from the Chinese Seas, received in Paris, reveal that Esing had previously been tried by a Council of War and convicted of an attempt to poison the English Charge d'Affaires and his family. Esing was sentenced to death and executed by shooting. However, the records indicate that he was later expelled from Hong Kong and forbidden from ever returning. Baptista's masterful depiction of this significant event in Hong Kong's history captures the tension and intrigue surrounding the investigation and the consequences of Esing's actions. The image provides a glimpse into the complexities of colonial life and the challenges faced by authorities in maintaining law and order during this period.
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