K 8

neighbours to enter the floor. In the confusion which followed the arrival of the Fire Brigade, this man disappeared. Enquiries at once instituted and as a result of which a Chinese male named Chiu Yuk Fai came under suspicion. Every effort was made to locate this man and he was eventually arrested on the 2nd of March, 1937. Keys found in his clothing were found to fit a lock found among the burning charcoal. A note addressed to his wife was found, the tenor of which indicated that he was in great trouble. Chiu Yuk Fai denied having committed murder but admitted that he had lured a Chinese female, Cheung Yuk Ching, to the aforementioned address and watched her strangled by a Chinese male, whom he had hired to render her unconscious in order that certain documents in her possession might be obtained. Jewellery found on Chiu Yuk Fai was identified as being the property of Cheung Yuk Ching (deceased). Chiu Yuk Fai was charged with murder and at the April Criminal Sessions was sentenced to death.

51. Murder. At about 21.10 hrs. on the 18th of May, 1937, Mr. Chan Sze alias Chan Lai Chun, Manager of the Sincere Company, Hong Kong, and one of the Colony's best known business men, alighted from a bus in Prince Edward Road, Kowloon. He proceeded to cross the road in the direction of his home, when a Chinese male ran out from under the verandah and fatally stabbed him in the back. Police enquiries were instituted and it was suspected that the murder was the work of a hired assassin. Working on this principle, Police pursued enquiries which led to the arrest of two Chinese males who admitted having taken part in procuring the assassin. Further enquiries led to the arrest of two other Chinese males, one of whom was the actual murderer. The two men first arrested, later gave evidence for the Crown, while the latter two were charged with "Murder" and "Being an Accessory before the Fact", respectively. On the 13th of September, 1937, Au Hing, charged with "Murder", was sentenced to death while Li Fook Chong, charged as "An Accessory" was acquitted. It is believed that a business dispute provided the motive for this brutal murder.

52. Armed Robberies. On the 4th of June, 1937, as a result of enquiries, a gang of 7 Chinese males was arrested and a quantity of arms and ammunition seized. It was found, upon further investigation that this gang was responsible for the following outrages:-

(i) Armed Robbery at Wong Chuk Hang village, Aberdeen on 9th May, 1937.
(ii) Armed Robbery at No. 1237, Canton Road, Ground Floor, on 14th May, 1937.
(iii) Armed Robbery at No. 121, Wellington Street, on 1st June, 1937.

All the robbers were sentenced at Sessions to terms of imprisonment, varying in severity according to their respective roles.

Share This Page