1937-05-21 — Page 24

Crux Of Road Accidents Problem

SOME SIGNIFICANT FACTS

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 21, 1937.

NOT GUILTY VERDICT ON JUDGE'S RULING

ONE ACCUSED IN

TSUN WAN CASE RELEASED

7

tied around her ankles. In the process of being tied up there was ample time for her to have been held down and her ribs fractured. She was then carried into the store- room and may possibly have been Holding that there was no pro-dropped from a height of three per evidence that she took part in feet, which, medical evidence had London, To-day.

the attack upon deceased, Mr. Jus- stated, was ample to have caused The annual report of the Chief tice R. E. Lindsell directed the jury the fractures. Commissioner of Police, Sir Philip to return a verdict of not guilty on Game, contains interesting com-Chan Tsan, one of three accused of ments on road safety problems as

the murder of a 70-year-old widow information collected by the police as Chun Wan Village, Taipo, on the force and an analysis of accidents night of February 24-25. Chan Tsan was accordingly discharged. Her bears upon them. .:

was counsel

a

Mr. H. Somerset

in

His Lordship then said that there was no evidence to show that third accused had cognisance of a plan to steal money, and after argument

ruled that with Mr. Williams, the case of third accused there was no case to go to the jury and directed that they return a verdict of not guilty. Accused was then discharged.

Mr. Lo then mentioned that as

no copies were issued to the three accused when statements were made and as each of these state-

the others, the statements should be inadmissable as evidence.

Of 35,815 road accidents in 6-month period of 1936,

Fitzroy. involving death or injury, just under one half The remaining accused are Chan occurred at road crossings or junc-Lo, alias Chan Yuk-nam, alias Chan tions and the significant fact Hing and so-called wife, Ching Sau- emerges that 40.7 per cent. occurred chi, who are represented by Mr. T. at uncontrolled junctions whereas F. Lo, instructed by Mr. G. S. Ford only 8.4 per cent. occurred at junc-and Mr. H. C. Macnamara, instructments might have implicated any of tions controlled by either police ored by Mr. W. C. Hung. automatic signals.

Mr. Fitzroy said that the duty of That fact, and also the statement the Crown was to prove beyond rea- that of pedestrians injured 76.4' personable doubt that deceased met cent, were themselves mainly res- her death in circumstances which ponsible according to the evidence indicated murder and this, he con- of witnesses, for the accidents intended, they had failed to do. There which they were involved, lend were no marks on the body that point to Sir Philip's conclusion would have caused death and the that the crux of the whole problem is how to improve road sense, care and consideration among all classes of road users.

crown had failed to enquire into the possibility that death was due to an accident. His submission was that death had taken place before the woman was tied up.

au-

In the other section of his report, the Commissioner calls attention to

NO SIGNS OF STRUGGLE the misleading consequences of Mr. Fitzroy then quoted an careless news reporting especially thority to show that it was possible where political deductions may be for a mere slip to cause a spontane made either at home or abroad ous fracture of the ribs. from exaggerated or inaccurate Dr. Henry had stated that in his statements. He cites, as examples, opinion the woman had lost con- political demonstrations in Hyde sciousness immediately after

the Park and Victoria Park at which fracture of the ribs and then died, crowds of 1,200 and 5,000 as-If the woman was dead before sembled, according to Police com- 12.30, none of the accused coul putation. In these instances, esti- have had anything to do with it. mates of 250,000 and 100,000 res- There was no sign of a struggle, pectively appeared in the press.-no sign of any disturbance. Was it British Wireless.

conceivable that a would : submit having her trousers pulled down and tied around her ankles, as had been the case, without any resistance? She must, at this time, been either scious or dead.

MILITARY REVIEW IN BUDAPEST

In Honour Of King

Of Italy

-

His Lordship ruled that in this case the statements were admis- sable.

The case is proceeding.

PARIS BARBERS CAPITULATE

Open Shops At Last

Paris, To-day. Frenchmen can once again get their hair cut in a barber's shop.

For some time, the barbers of the capital have been on strike but yes- to terday they decided to return work with the dispute *** still unsettled.

It is the first occasion since the Blum Government came into power that a labour unión has consented to return to work before an agree ment has been reached in a

tonese woman pute.-Trans-Ocean.

uncon-

Medical authority was then quot- ed to prove that a body takes from four to five hours to cool off to the temperature of its surroundings and yet a witness had stated that at 5 a.m. the body of the woman

Budapest, To-day. Thousands watched a brilliant military parade which was held was quite cold. here yesterday in honour of the visit of the King of Italy.

DEAD OVER SIX HOURS The body must have been dead After the parade, King Victor for over six hours or well before Emmanuel and the Hungarian midnight, before any of the accused Regent, Admiral Horthy, drove could have appeared on the scene. through the streets to the former It was for the Crown to prove that Royal Palace in an open carriage.the woman was alive when tied up Trans-Ocean.

FRENCH DEFENCE

COMMITTEE

Geneva Conference

Discussed

Paris, To-day.

Counsel maintained that she must have been dead, and maintained that there was no case to go to the jury, as it was possible for death to have been due to shock caused by an accidental fall or stumble and it was the duty of the Crown to prove that death had not been caused be- fore the woman was tied up.

FRANCO-GERMAN TRADE

dis-

Negotiations Meeting With Difficulty

Paris, To-day. Negotiations for conclusion of a new Franco-German economic agreement, which have been pend- ing here for some time, are meeting with considerable difficulty.

It is considered extremely doubt-

ful whether an agreement will be

concluded before, the Reichsbank President, arrives in Paris-Trans-Ocean.

Dr Hjalmar Schacht,

RUMANIA'S WAR PREPARATIONS

Defence Main Plank In

Programme

Bucharest To-day.

STOP PRESS

TEL. 20022 or 33993

INTERNATIONAL

RED CROSS

Conference Called At Budapest

Budapest, To-day. Although the Air Ministries of Europe are designing more and faster planes, there is a group which believes in the use of air- craft for humanitarian purposes only.

It is the International Red Cross, which has summoned an interna- tional conference here to deal with the question of "use of the aero- plane in life-saving."

So far, 22 nations have accepted the invitation to participate in the Conference, which will be held from July 11 to 14.Trans-Ocean.

Egypt And League Membership

London, To-day. The United Kingdom delegation

Mr. Williams, in reply, said that "Rearmament will continue to be to the special Assembly of the Lea- it was inconceivable that three the main point in the Rumanian gue of Nations convoked for the The French permanent defence finding deceased dead or uncon- the Foreign Minister, M. Antonescu, of the Covenant for admission

people going into the house and Government's programme," declared purpose of considering the Egyp tian application under Article One committee met yesterday under the scious would then go to the trouble prior to his departure for Geneva

to chairmanship of the Defence Min- of tieing her, in fact, tieing every yesterday.

membership of the League is leav ister, M. Edouard Daladier. The part of her that could be tied, and

Referring to the problem of de- ing London for Geneva at the week-

end-British Wireless. Premier, M. Leon Blum, and the then carrying her into the store- fence of Rumania's frontiers, the Foreign Minister, M. Yvon Delbos

Minister denied that conclusion of were also present.

CONSCIOUS WHEN TIED

a military alliance with Poland had It is announced that question The woman must have been con-been discussed with Colonel Beck, which will be submitted to the scious when tied up. She pro- the Polish Foreign Minister, on the Digarmament Conference at Geneva bably made efforts to move and her occasion of the latter's recent visit were discussed.→→→Trans-JOcean. trousers were then pulled down and to Bucharest, Trans-Ocean.

room.

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