No 94 $1848.
Inclosure No. 7 in Beth.
Report from the Superintendent of Police to the Chief Magistrate on an affray in which two Chinese and a Policeman lost their lives in the Harbour. 16th October, 1848.
235
[We are now enabled to publish a complete report of the evidence taken before the Inquest which commenced on Monday evening, and has been continued every day since till this forenoon, when the last witness was examined, the evidence gone over, and the verdict returned.
As the inquiry has created some interest, we believe our readers will consider us warranted in issuing a Second Edition of Thursday's paper, for the purpose of furnishing them with copies of the report. We have numbered the evidence, and printed it as nearly as possible as taken; but the proper order of reading it appears to us to be according to the following classification:-
1st, Medical Evidence, No. 5.
2d, Evidence as to the Origin of the affair, Nos. 1, 2, 10, 24.
3d, Of the Police, Nos. 3, 4, 15, 20, 23, 25.
4th, Of the Naval Officers, Nos. 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18.
5th, Of Witnesses who heard or saw part of the affair, Nos. 14, 19, 22.
6th, Of the Junkmen, Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, 21, 26.
7th, As to the existing Regulations for Junks frequenting Hongkong Harbour, and the conflicting duties of different Government Officers, Nos. 27, 28, 29.
The witnesses in this Inquest were excluded from the room until required to give their evidence; and the Chinese junkmen, after being examined, were put into a separate cell.]
(1)
CORONER'S INQUEST.
Monday, 16th October, 1848.
WILLIAM FRAZER BEVAN Sworn, states,-About half-past 6 o'clock last evening I was coming ashore from the Tam Shanter in a small China boat. Mr James Muir, Mr Roose, Mr Dale, and Mr Cooper, were with me; the boat was a small pull-away boat. Pulling along past two junks which were anchored together off the Lower Bazaar-our boat was a distance of about ten or twelve yards from the junks-the men in the junks were making a great noise as if pulling or letting out a rope; it was rather too dark to see. Some of the party in our boat called out "That's right, pull-away." Something struck our boat; was not aware at the time what it was. We had to pull round these junks to get ashore, and when opposite the end-I should think it was the bows of the junks-three or four stones struck the boat I was in. I was anxious to go on board the junks; went out of the small house that was over our boat, and got hold of the boat's tiller, and turned her towards the junks; she was pulled to the junks. When we got near, some more stones were thrown, but I only remember one more striking the boat. When this stone was thrown, our boat people would not pull any more, and got afraid, and we then came ashore. The others who were with me said they would lodge a complaint at the Police Office; I declined going; I did not think it worth the trouble. What took place afterwards I only know from hearsay. I was present after the junks were captured at about 11 or half-past 11 o'clock last night, and saw a man-I believe a Chinaman-jump into the water from the junks; and assisted, with my boat, the police and man-of-war's boats to chase him. I think two shots were fired at him; am not certain from which boat the first shot was fired, but the second was from the man-of-war's boat; the man-of-war's boat captured the man; did not see him after he was taken out of the water. I then came ashore; did not see anything else take place save the Police searching the junks after their capture. What was said from my boat before the stones were thrown was said in English. I do not know whether either of the men lying dead belonged to either of the junks.
Questioned by Mr Shortrede-What was said from our boat was not done to cause any alarm; there was only one call to them. We were sitting under the covering of our boat. Our boat was pulled by a little boy, a woman, and a man, and steered by a small boy. We had been on board the Tam Shanter that day about three hours; we dined on board; there was none of the party with me who in any degree had exceeded the bounds of moderation in what they took on board the vessel. There was no previous noise made in our boat; there was no singing-we were most of us smoking.
W. F. BEVAN.
(2)
JAMES DUNSMURE MUIR Sworn.-I was yesterday with the first witness, Mr Bevan, on board the Tam O'Shanter. We, Messrs Roose, Cooper, and Dale, were also with us. We left the Tam O'Shanter, to the best of my recollection, about 6 o'clock in the evening to come ashore. We came together in a Chinese pull-away boat with a covering over the stern. I heard a shout, and immediately after a large stone fell on the roof of the boat just over my head. From the shouting I thought it came from a junk, on board of which they were getting up the anchor or mast; this is what I thought at the time, as I was sitting so far under the covering I could not see where we were. When we heard the shouting, some of our party made a remark; it was about...