consider that these murders arose
from
unintentional offence
on the part of the unfortunate
20
though they
the
not have exactly preceded
officers
from
the
described by
Chinese witnesses, yet it is scarcely possible to believe that
the murders
were
preconcerted,
but that they must have arisen
from some accidental difference
in
the
which may have taken place
at or near to where
they met with their untimely end.
The evidence shows that
neither of the officers
were armed,
and consequently
were unable to
make any effectual resistance against
the armed murderers
by whom they were
hacked. Some
of
are known to be
of piratical habits, and their families fled from the
Island on
the night of
the murders, as is
the
proceedings before the Examiner;
moreover considerable
property
abandoned by them, and
this is
another
coming
to the conclusion that
the
murders
were brought on by
some event acting
in the first instance, which led to blows, and lastly to the
tragedy reported in this
Despatch.
I enclose copies of the
Notifications issued on the occasion, and trust that your
Lordship will approve rewards offered for the
apprehension
and conviction of the culprits
.