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سلسا

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

C.O. 882

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

200

the meeting house yesterday is a punishment richly deserved. There can be no doubt of the excellent effect produced in this neighbourhood by the steps taken immediately after having received information of the atrocious crime that had been committed.

The body of the deceased was found yesterday and buried,

Four houses have been closed at Ha Tsun and one at Un Long. The four houses belong to Tang I Shek, who was implicated in the murder, and the house at Un Long to Ng Fung Cheung, one of the ringleaders, who has fled.

J. H. STEWART LOCKHART.

Enclosure 13 in No. 172.

April 24, 1899.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

I received this paper late last night. I have already reported this case to Your Excellency and the steps taken in connection with it. I informed you yesterday that the body had been recovered. I now attach a statement made before me by the son of the deceased and by a clansman, who discovered the body. I have informed the dis- tricts concerned in the murder that 1,200 dollars will have to be contributed towards the support of the widow, to be divided as follows:-

Ha Tsun (where the murderer resided and where

those who caused the murder lived)

Kam Tin

Pat Heung

Shap Pat Heung

Ping Shan

$600

150

150

150

150

$1,200

All the districts mentioned are members of the Council, in the meeting house of which the murder was ordered. Representatives of all the districts were present when I announced my decision, and they all acknowledged its justice, and promised to pay the money in a month. I am taking one of the widow's twin sons into my employ.

J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,

Colonial Secretary.

Tang Kam-pi states:-

The body of my father was found the day before yesterday. It had fallen out of the pig-basket, but was tied to a pig-basket by a rope. I saw it myself.

Tang Shui, my cousin, found it. The corpse had gunshot wound on the back and two just below his right ribs.

The body was also covered with weals, the result of the beating, and the chain was still attached to the neck. The body was found near Wang Chan.

Statement made before me the 24th day of April, 1899.

Tang Shai states:—

TANG KAM-PI

Hia

Mark.

J. H. STEWART Lockhart,

Colonial Secretary.

I found the body of Tang Cheung the day before yesterday, the 13th of the Chinese moon (22nd April). I found it at Wang Cham in the creek. There was pig-basket attached to the body, and the chain round the neck, fastened quite tight, and locked with a lock. There were three gunshot wounds on the body, and marks of the body having been beaten. The body was buried yesterday at Shan_Pin Ling. The de- ceased was a clansman of mine. I recognised the body as that of Tang Cheung.

His

1

TANG SHIN X

Mark.

Statement made before me this 24th day of April, 1899.

}

J. H. STEWART Lockhart,

Colonial Secretary.

201

PETITION from TANG PING WING, aged 38 years, a native of Ha Chin, residing in Hong Kong. Sheweth:-

That on the 16th instant he sent his nephew Fang Cheung Hing with His Excel- lency the Governor's notification to go home to advise the different villagers and to enquire into the circumstances there, that he may return to the Colony to report. Un expectedly on arriving at Kap Sui Mun he was arrested by several rebels, who took him to Un Long Kuk (a public house of the village). On the night of the 17th instant Tang Ching Sz, who returned with over ten men after a battle with the British soldiers, in which they were defeated, saw him holding a notification in his hand, and saying he has secret communication with foreigners, ordered over 10 men to have him tied up and put into a pig-basket, where he died after having been beaten with swords and spears. His corpse was afterwards conveyed in a small boat to Un Long river, and thrown overboard, but has not as yet been found. I think that people who saw this would be grieved at his being thus put to death.

That your petitioner who makes the above true report and the deceased will be much grateful if Your Honour will request His Excellency the Governor to give strict order to have these perpetrators arrested and punished accordingly. Although the rebels have retired after the arrival of the large company of British soldiers, they do not seem to submit cheerfully. He therefore further prays that Your Honour will issue rewards to arrest them, that the place may be at peace, and the good may be undis- turbed.

Dated April 22, 1899.

Rebel, Tang Ching Sz, residing at Ha Chin, with over 10 men, fights against the British soldiers, does anything against the law, uses private torture, and strikes Tang Cheung Hing to death with swords and spears.

Let this be looked to at once.

April 22.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

Please see minute attached.

April 24, 1899.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

Enclosure 14 in No. 172.

H. A. B.

J. H. S. L.

Sheung Shui (near Fan Ling), April 26, 1899.

I RECEIVED here last night your minutes of the 23rd instant.

I much regret that you consider the means adopted in connection with the atro- cious 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 idénti- fied 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 un fortunate or oppressive, have expressed their thanks, not only to myself and to Colonel 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 would have received still further confirmation 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 is procurable. So far, therefore, as the people are con- cerned, 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 Your Excellency's Chinese proclamation, he was regarded as a traitor to the cause of the rebels and a sympathiser with the British. The crime, ir itself an atrocious one, was committed for political reasons, and therefore differs from the ordinary crime of murder.

It must also be remembered that one of the men implicated in the murder, Tang Ts'ing Sz, has been the prime mover in organising resistance to British rule. If prompt action had not been taken against him I have no hesitation in stating that the Un Long

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