September 16, 1907.|
FRENCH STREET MURDER.
Two men, Kwok Chiu and Tse On. coolies, were placed ou trial at the Magistracy on Bep!. 10 before Mr. F. A. Hazland. They were charged with the murder of Lam Tsoi, a carpenter, who resided at 258, Desœux Road, on 27th August, in French Street, West Point. he other tão defendants were discharged. Inspector Collett prosecuted:
Mr. Frank Brown, Government analyst, spoke
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The
who gave a cry and fell to the ground. first defendant was the man who stabbed the deceased. Witness continued to run and on look-
ing over his shoulder saw he was being pursued by the second defendant.
Other witnesses were called who gave orro- borative evidence, and the case was adjourned.
The hearing of the charge of murder against the two men, Kwok Chin and Ts On, was continued at the Mgistracy on Sept 12 before Mr. F. A. Hazeland. They were charged with the murder of Lam Tsoi, a carpenter, who resided
to having examined the jacket belonging to de-at 2:8, Des Voeux Road, on 27th Aug 8, in ceased which was blood-stained He also received French Street, West Point. Inspector Collett a knife from Sergt. Gordon but it was quite prosecu ed. clean, having recently been scoured.
Inspector Collett produced a bottle of water in which he thought possibly the knife bad been cleaned, but witness said the liquid showed no traces of blood,
Dr. Heanley, medical officer in charge of the public mortuary, said that on the 28th August he examined the dead body of a Chinese male adult, aged about 80. l'here were seven wounds on the body. Oue measured over an inch in length. It was over the centre of the right collar
bone. The wound went downwards and back.
wards for four and a half inches. There were four wounds on the back. Of the other two wounds one was four and a half inches deep and the other seven inches deep. Death was due to hemorrbage and asphyxia caused by the second wound, He did not think the knife produced could have inflicted the wounds. Mr. H. Goldsmith of the P.W.D. produced a p'an of French Street.
A native who was called spoke to seeing the deceased in Des Voeux Road on the night in question. He also saw the accused. He knew that ill feeling bad existed between him and accused for some time.
Inspector Collett said the quarrel arose over a singing girl who went over from the defendants' club to that of which deceased was a member. A fight was arranged between the two clubs and the members from both turned out on the 27th ult. As the defendsuts' party returned to Chek-ton-sui they came upon the opposition
olan and obased them down a certain street. Deceased was set upon by several and stabbed.
The interpreter gave formal evidence after which the hearing was adjourned.
med,
The hearing of the obarge of murder against the two
Kwok Chiu and Tse On, was continued at the Magistracy on September 11th before Mr. F. A. Hazeland. They were charged with the murder of Lam Taoi, a carpenter, who resided at 258, Des Voeux Road, on 27th August, in French Street, West Point. Inspector Collett prosecuted.
Sergt. Gordon stared that on August 27th he was on duty near the junction of French Street and Queen's Road West, and hearing a noise in French Street, proceeded in that direction and came upon the body of the deceased. He was dead. A stream of blood was running from the body. On examination witness noticed six stab wounds in the back of the deceased and one stab
After the case for the prosecution had been completed,
The first defendant elected to give evidence, He admitted having been with the party from bis club on the night in question and with others carried a stick. They were attacked in the street.
their assailants drew knives and one of them slashed defendant over the left baud with his kaife. Defendant used his stick and hitting his assailant with it caused him to throw down the kaife. Another man named Koon Kwun, seeing defendant had been stabbed, picked up the knife and stabbed the deceased twice and threw the knife away; Defendant returned to his club house and bandaged his hand. The knife produced did not belong to defendant.
The second defendant said that when he returned to the Hop Sing after the scuffle in the street he was not feeling very well as he While there the first defendat asked him if he had heard that a man had been stabbed to death, and added that he had chased the deceased who fell to the ground whereupon he stabbed the deceased. The knife belonging to the deceased was larger than his and he said it was fortunate for him bis knife was sharp. Deceased stabbed him on the hand.
had been struck on the head with a stic
Both defendants were committed for trial.
THE DUMB BELL ISLAND MURDER.
THE STORM.
165
the storm of Friday night and Saturday morn- Opinion seems to be divided as to whether
ing should be described as a typhoon, but what- ever term be applied there can be no doubt that period at the time indicated. winds of great foros raged for a considerable Naturally the day in September of last year inclinet people's near approach of the anniversary of that awful thoughts to those unwelcome visitors which typhoon signals flashing out their warning on come about this season of the year and with the Thursday night from the Tamar and from the Observatory it was little wonder that typhoons should form the great topic of conversation. Happily the storm has passed without exacting damage has been done on a fairly wide sole, any great toll of human life, and though petty there are no accidents or losses of any moment to
report.
On Friday night the wind had risen to a barricane and the sea was running high, but there was little cause for alarm on sea as all the chorage and the larger steamers were prepared smaller oraft had sought safety in the usual an-
the tramway service was stopped shortly after to ride through the storm. As already reported eight o'clock on Friday night s the passage along the Praya had by that time become fraught with danger and the Star ferries ceased Tramway however maintained its regular running about the same time.
enough to remain on the streets for some service. Riosha coolies were found brave
The Peak
turned it scared the remainder and by midnight few hours later but when one or two were over-
About ten o'clock several men went down to the not a vehicle could be obtained in the Colony. vicinity of Pedder's Wharf to enjoy the spectacle of the seas dashing over the Prays. There was
a tremendous swell at that time and the waves
carried by the strong easterly wind, simply swept that thoroughfare. By eleven o'clock Padder's Wharf was unapproachable. It was battered by wind and water and occasion lly it looked as if the recently erected matshed was coming down. However it withstood the gale, as did the other
The fisherman To Hing Chun from Lantaomatsheds in the neighbourhood. Island who with his wife were charged with the murder of Man Yuk Fat at Pak Ngan Heung on August 25th were on Sept. 11th committed for trial by Mr. Melbourne.
Mr. F. Browne, Government analyst, gave evidence to the effect that the jacket produced bad a number of bloodstains.
Mr Goldsmith, assistant engineer, in the P.W.D., submitted a plan showing the house at which the murder was committed.
A Chinese constable spoke to arresting the second defendant, who bad disappeared after the murder, and had returned to her house for rice, Sergi. Angus deposed to having been in the Police Station at Cheung Chan on the 26th August when the first defendant, To Hing Chuo, came in and reported that his house had been robbed the previous night. There were a
under the right eye. Next day he was present number of men one of whom rushed at him with at the mortuary when the body was identified
a dagger but he struck him down with a bed as that of Lam Taoi, The defendants were
board. The four men ran off, leaving the fifth. arrested in a house at West Point. The first His wife and be tied the legs of this man. A defendant was sitting on a bed and a Chinese $50 note and three $10 notes were reported to constable pulled the second defendant from have been stolen. While defendant was making underneath the bed. Witness afterwards this report deceased's brother appeared at the searched the room and found the knife produced Station and declared that To Hing Chun had Witness spoke to arrest- in a mat bag bangi g on the wall. When murdered his brother. arres ed, the first defendant had a stab wounding the defendant and to discovering the body on the back of his left band. The nineteen of the murdered man covered with grass a little sticks produced
found
distance from defendants' house. In the house underneath the bed, another stick which was submitted 10
he found the two choppers and part of a queue the Government analyst being found in the produced. bag.
were
A blacksmith said he knew the two defendants. He was aware that a quarrel had arisen between the club of which deceased was a member and
that of which the accused were members. On the 27th August, about 10 p.m, witness saw the deceased in the company of several men. They walked about for half an hour, and when they were coming back along Queen's Road de- o-ased was in front at the junction of Queen's Road and Water Street. Somebody in another company of men called out. This crowd stopped and several of the men who composed it attacked the deceased, who with witness ran off. When
they got to the junction of French Street and Queen's Road witness saw a man stab deceased,
Defendants reserved their defence, To Hing Chun saying he would call a witness at his trial.
Another old resident, formerly of the Hong- kong Civil Service, passe away early on Sept. 12th in the person of Mr. João Miguel Sebastião Alves, at the age of 67. He came to Hongkong in 1859 to join the General Post Office and later, in 1865, he was transferred remained till 1897 and retired on persion. At to the Colonial Secretary's Office where he the time of his retirement he was first clerk olonial Secretary's Office. He was one of the promoters of the first Portuguese Club in this Colony, and later took an active part in the formation and amalgamation of the present ClubLusitano.
in the
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Sometime after nine the P. and O. hoarding was blown down and in other parts of the town similar damage was done. The three hundred foot pier erected by Mr. M. Razack at the Belle Vue Hotel, which has been so popular with bathers this summer, was swept away. Great havoo was wrought among the trees and flowers. Branches were torn off and littered the streets, flower pots were wrecked, and gardens destroyed. On the higher levels the damage in this direction was consider. able. Trees were stripped, garden seats lifted and thrown some distance, while the destruction caused in most gardens is almost incalculable. The Public Gardens suffered greatly and the efforts to restore them to the bloom and beauty of the pre-1906 typhoon have teen largely undone.
On Saturday, though the wind continued to blow with no little force, the sea was calmer. The tramway service was resumed and the fèrries commenced running. A walk through the streets of the Colony showed many traces of the force of the wind. But the P.W.D. had with ommendable promptitude set early to work to remove the débris and in a short time the streets were restored to something like their wonted appearance.
near
It was learned on Saturday morning that a godown the Tramway Depot at Bowrington had collapsed and that a wall at Tank Lane in the Central District had also given way. Shoring, too, at the Hongkong Hotel, fell on Saturday morning but the damage done was trifling.
On Friday night Mr. H. S. Humphrey, sa assistant in the International Bank, was being conveyed in a chair along Macdonnell Road whea`a sudden gust blew it into the side channel. The coolie behind was pinned to the ground, and when released, it was found that be had broken one of his fingers. He was taken to Dr. Jordan's surgery" where part of the finger was amputated.
The front walls of twɔ buildings in Tank Lane, said to belong to the Land Investment Co., collapsed, but strange as it may seem the roofs remained intact, and there were no
casualties.