He never saw any other patients with his brother at any time. His reason for going first to the Hospital to ask permission for his brother's entry, was that he did not know that it was so perfectly public.
Dr. Cochrane, recalled, stated he remembered deceased being taken to the Hospital, and also recollected how dirty the body was, and he was of opinion the deceased was ill for a week or more, but he could not say if death was accelerated by want of proper treatment. He could not say if laying off a blanket at night would hasten death, for the majority of the cases of jaundice brought to him were almost utterly hopeless.
Ng-tye-sing, dealer in Celestial cast-off raiments, &c., said he knew Wye-a-po, who was sent to the Yee-tsze ten days ago. He was landlord of the house where Wye-a-po lived, and he said he wished that some relation would come and take him away. He himself sent Wye-a-po on ahead in a chair. When he got to the Yee-tsze, he found that Wye-a-po was refused admittance, on the ground that he was not in a dying state. He paid a woman at the hospital 300 cash, and then the sick man was let in. The cash was given voluntarily to boil something for Wye-a-po, and look after him a little. (This Wye-a-po is in the Civil Hospital alive.)
Si-a-chee, master of the Fook-show coffin shop, said between the book produced—it was a record of coffins sold—but only four appeared as for emigrants.
The Coroner then said he was prepared to place the case in the jury's hands, and although it had been a long enquiry, yet the case was a serious one, and required to be thoroughly looked into. He certainly thought the case would have been more serious at first, but after the long investigation all endeavour to fix the responsibility on some one had failed. The first question for the jury to decide would be, who was the deceased, and how he died? The name of the deceased was unknown, but he certainly thought that there could be no doubt deceased was an emigrant, and came from the “Kwong-kee." He had found that emigration was an excellent thing for China, but in carrying out the arrangements for it, that many abuses appeared. Even Mr. D. R. Caldwell, with his long experience of China and the Chinese, could not entirely check the abuses. (The Coroner then referred to Mr. Lister's evidence, touching the state in which he found the Yee-tsze, but that has already been prominently before the public.) The second question which the jury would have to turn their minds to, was how the deceased died. Dr. Cochrane had, in his evidence, stated that deceased died from jaundice, but he had also said that he could not give his opinion whether the filth in which the deceased was found would accelerate death. He (Coroner) did not think that anything had occupied the public attention, and caused so much sensation as this enquiry, and therefore the jury must consider that they were representing the public in the matter. It was therefore expected that, over and above the decision as to the deceased's death, the jury would express their opinion as to the Yee-tsze establishment. It would have to be an exceedingly strong verdict for him to disagree with it, and he only hoped that the verdict they would return, would be such that an abuse of the kind would never again appear in this colony; with these remarks he would leave the matter in their hands.
The Jury then retired, and after an absence of three quarters of an hour, returned the following verdict:----
"We are of opinion that deceased died from natural causes; that a thorough and efficient inspection of the Yee-tsze has not been carried out by the person whose duty it was to pay attention to the state of the place. We deem it our duty to request you to forward to his Excellency the Governor our recommendation, that if the Yee-tsze is to continue open, and be considered as a Hospital any longer, that some efficient and responsible officer be appointed to control the place in future; or if the Yee-tsze is to be permitted to remain a receptacle for dying Chinese, that not only a thorough inspection, but properly framed rules shall exist for the future.
We, however, consider that a further continuance of the Yee-tsze in any shape is neither desirable nor necessary in this colony, and that a more suitable building be selected as a hospital for Chinese only, subject to proper inspection by the Colonial Surgeon."
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Daily Press of 30 April 1884,