THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
How often do they have their heads shaved P Once a week.
All on the same day ?—Yes. What day is that Saturday.
On what day of the week did Tong Wing tell you he had had a fall P-I do the ordinary work in the ordinary course.
Do you know the day ?—I do not. Did you see any bruise on his head -He once had a boil. I did not see any bruise.
What he said was that you were combing his head too roughly P-Yes.
And that was ten days before he went to the hospital? Yes.
You told the Inspector that the boy had fallen down and hurt his knee P-Yes, I said so, You did not say anything to the Inspector then about his head I did not.
When did you first mention about his head to anybody?—I førget when.
Whom did you first mention it to ?—I have not told anybody about the boy's head.
Do you mean you have not it mentioned this about his head until the present moment?—I did not tell anybody before I came here.
Mr. Deacon Just think a moment. I think you told my interpreter. Didn't you come to my office ?
Witness-Yes.
When you say you have not told anybody, do you mean you Have not told anybody con-
nected with the school ?—Yes.
Was the injury above or below the knee ?- A little above.
Did you look at the flesh yourself ?—Yes. What was it like ?-The skin had come off a little; the flesh was red and blood came out. Fresh blood or dry blood P-Dry blood. Did Tong Wing say when he fell P-No, he
did not.
Might this be seven or eight or nine days before he went to the hospital P-I am not quite sure about the day.
Mr. Wilkinson-Did he tell you he had in- jured his head at the same time he had injured his knee ?
Witness Yes.
Li A Sam-I am an amah at the Diocesan School. In the morning I clothe the boys and
dress their quenes. I have been employed there since the year before last. I knew Tong Wing. I used to dress his queue and clothe him. Once while I was dressing his quene he said he had a pain in his head.
During those seven days did he complain of a pain in his head He did not.
Then he complained of this pain weeks before he went to the hospital F-Yes.
And during all that period, from the time he made the first complaint to the day he went to the hospital, did he make no complaint at all P No; he had fever.
You told the Inspector that the boy had had a fall and had a bruise on his knee The Inspector did not ask me.
You heard the other amah speaking to the Inspector -I could not understand the lan. guage.
What language does she speak P-She was speaking some distance away.
Yon speak the same dialect ?--Yes. When the Inspector was asking the other amah you were sitting close by darning stock- ings ---I did not hear what was said.
Were you sitting close by her P-Not far off-close by. I did not pay attention to what was said.
Who was the first person you told that the boy had complained of a pain in his head and that it was caused by a fall I have not told anybody.
Have you not mentioned it to Mr. Piercey or Mrs. Piercey or to anyone in the school -I advised the boy to tell the master.
Since the boy's death have you told anyone that he complained of a pain in his head ?—Yes, I have.
Did you tell Mr. Piercey ?-No; I told some little boys about it.
Did you tell Ho Kai Tin abont it ?-I did not; I do not speak to Chinese boys. (Laughter.) Who was the boy you told P-Those very little boys who sleep in the room with me.
Did you not consider it your duty to tell the authorities about it P-I dare not speak; I do not know their language.
Mr. Deacon-Did he give you any particulars of the fall f-He said he had fallen down in the school.
Did he give you any date ?—No.
Did he tell you what he was loing ?—No, he simply said "Pain."
How many days was it before he went to the hospital P-In the first week he said he had a pain, then he had fever for two days, then he went to school for a day or half a day, and then he had fever again and went to bed. I cannot recollect how many days passed after that before he went to the hospital.
Do you know how many days there are in a week P-We work six days and go to church on the seventh. (Laughter.)
You cannot recollect how many days or weeks was afterwards when he went to the hospital? -How can I remember all that? So many boys so much work. (Laughter.)
Mr. Bowley then called the witnesses he ten- dered to the Court.
His Worship-How long ago is that? Witness-It was over ten days before he went to the hospital. He had a lot of ink on his head. When he told me he had a pain in his head I asked him how he accounted for it. He said he had had a fall. While I was comb-it ing his hair I asked him why his head was so dirty, because my hands got dirty, He said it was only ink. I wanted to wash his head, but he said he had not enough time in the morn- ing, and in the evening he would not have it washed. I said that as he had a pain in his head he had better ask the mistress for å
some medicine and he said he would not, as he had had only a fall. Afterwards his grandmother came and I advised her to wash the boy's head. He then left for home. went away on a Saturday and came back the following Tuesday.
He
Did you see any bruise on the head ?—I did not.
Did he complain of anything else -No; he was a weak boy and was always sickly.
Mr. Bowley-You say that the boy went away from Saturday to Tuesday. Was it before he went away that he complained of the pain in his head ?
Witness-Yes.
The day he went away was the 10th. October P-I forget the date.
You remember the Tuesday Tong Wing went to the hospital P-I only remember it was
Tuesday.
The week before he went to the hospital did you dress his queue every morning ?-He was for the greater part of the time in bed. He complained of a pain in the foot and fever.
How many days was he in bed before he went to the hospital ? He was in bed for about three days and then he got well again. He was like that often
Did you dress his hair on the seven days before he went to the hospital ?Yes:
Lau Sing said-I am the mother of the de- cessed. I live in Macao. My boy is twelve- Chinese fashion. He had been in the Diocesan School for two years and a few months. He spent his summer holidays with me in Macao. His grandmother brought him back to school on the 9th October last. He was then in good health. I have not seen him alive since
then.
His Worship-Did your boy ever complain to you of being punished P-Witness-Yes.
Did he ever complain of anything else P--He
told me of a wooden rod in school which gave
pain when it was used to strike a boy.
Was he ever struck with it ?—He told me that other boys had been struck and that he had been struck himself. I remarked that he had been lazy,
-Did he say who struck him?-He said the third master.
Where He told me that when he did not know his lesson the third master would some times beat him in the thigh and side with the rod and sometimes with his hand.
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days picked up a
on any person it!
Did you instruct plain to Mr. Piercey time. I intended
December 8, 1896
speak to the headmaster but forgot all about it.
Before the holidays did the you of being struck P No that time the third master engaged.
Where were you when the deceased died P At Macao.
Was he a healthy child P. Formerly he had excellent health.
Mr. Deacon-He suffered from boils P Witness Yes, very small boils on the fore. head, spese vetstone opera
How many months ago ?--I forget. Before the summer holidays ? Yes I will not call them boils. It was an eruption thero were white spots on the head
Between one
How long did he have that and two months.
Did a doctor attend him ? Yes a Chinese doctor.
Didn't the boy have fever Pes, a little bit during the summer holidays. He had it about a day. A doctor attended him.
Did he have any other disease PN So that he was rather a weak boy really He was a strong boy. →
play
He couldn't be if he had two illnes few months. He was in good spirits was nothing the matter with him.
name ?-No; he mentioned him amply
Did he ever mention the third-
third master.
there
iter.s
Did he complain of anything else ?—–—–— Mr. Wilkinson-He told you the third master was the only master in the school who struck the boys ? Yes.
And that the only thing used for striking the boys was a piece of wood Yes
You are quite sure about that P-Ye You understood him to mean a stic boy said it was something like a cane [The Chinese word was A-wan] -
The
The boy had a book in his hand when he men You were casually talking about the school tioned it.
And he told you all the boys in the school were thrashed by the same master He did not say so much as that. He said everyone got the
cane.
1.
You say you attached no importance to this, thinking he was a lazy boy Yes, I said no doubt he deserved it.
As a matter of fact the whole thing went in at one ear and came out of the other P-I did not think it was important.
And it was not until after the boy's death that you remembered this conversation P-L6
At this stage the inquiry was adjourned. ber..
The inquest was resumed on the 26th Novem
Ng A Tai-I am grandmother to the dece and took him back to the Diocesan Scho the 9th September from Macao. I School on Saturday, 10th October, an deceased. He was in good health and nothing the matter with him. Yaumati and brought him back to following Monday. On the way to thei told me that the third master was at the
teaching his class! He, préceeded, "I d know my lesson, and I will not now.' He sat on the roadside and I something to eat, He cried I
11.
to the school and arrived įthere ringing for tiffin. took Whilst he was sitt at the gohool ca Wing, why are grandson replied, master will not be going back to ?—That is so, an
after tifin. Whe I spoke to the beating the boy and plained that when he the third masteräil every, here
He only mentioned the thigh and the side Sometimes he was beaten on the head.
What with P-A piece of wood—a wooden rod. He only mentioned the third master. He said none of the other masters struck him.
Did he describe the rod He said it was about this length [about two feet but I did not ask him further questions as had something to attend to.
18 no fear.
the thigh.
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