Jan 14 in to
804
Sheung Shui
(Year "an Ling)
26. 4. 99.
Your Excellency
I received here last night your minutes of the
2-rd inst.
I much regret that you consider the means adopted
in connection with the atrocious murder of Tang Cheung
were unfortunate.
Since your minutes were written, you will have
received the Statements obtained by me from the man who
found the body and from the son of the deceased who
identified it. These Statements I forwarded to you yesterday
under a covering minute.
The inhabitants of the villages, so far from considering the action taken either unfortunate or oppressive, have expressed their thanks not only to myself and
to Col: The O'Gorman for having taken steps to deal with
those who have been terrorising them, but have stated
that unless action had been taken at once to mark the
horror which such a barbarous murder must inspire, an
impression would have been created that we are powerless
to deal with such a crime - an impression which was
if no action had been taken until all the evidence necessary for a
prosecution and conviction in a Court of Law had been procured, for I do not think such evidence procurable
So far, therefore, as the people are concerned, the procedure adopted has their hearty and entire approval.
In considering this murder, it must be remembered that the man was murdered because, being the Bearer of
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Your