Illustrations depicting bread-poisoning incident

The Illustrated London News reports on the bread-poisoning incident that shocked Hong Kong, with illustrations depicting "E-Sing Bakery" (top) and "Cheong Ah Lum of the bread-poisoning incident taken in for questioning" (bottom). On 15 January 1857, about 400 Europeans in Hong Kong suffered from poisoning after consuming bread from the E-Sing Bakery. Cheong Ah Lum, the proprietor, and a few of his workers were arrested, but they were acquitted of all charges for lack of evidence. Despite being acquitted, Cheong and his workers were fined and deported from Hong Kong. The bread-poisoning incident illustrates the tension that existed between Chinese and foreign residents of Hong Kong at that time.