26
August 9, 1934
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
NULLAH OUTRAGE
CHINESE CHARGED
CHARGED WITH MURDER OF MICHAEL PINE
Story Of Dramatic Rescue
The sensational incident in Albany nullah, opposite the Lower Peak Tramway station on the afternoon of June 22 when five British children were thrown into the nullah, was recalled at Central Magistracy yesterday when a Chinese named Ng Loi Yuen, alias Ng Yik Sang was charged before Mr. E. W. Hamilton with the murder of Michael Pine, aged 8, and the attempted murder of the other children.
A dramatic story of the rescue of the children was related by the Assistant Attorney General, Mr. J. A. Fraser, in his out- line of the case, and the medical evidence given by Dr. D. J. Valentine was to the effect that the accused smelled strongly of alcohol on admission to the hospital and that he had endeav- oured to escape from the prison ward.
The children concerned, it will be recalled, were Michael and Mary Pine (twins), Fay Bromley Tony Flood and Norman Stone.
How Accused Was Arrested
Mr. J. A. Fraser, assistant At- | high above the nullah which was torney General, appeared for the Crown, and Mr. R. C. H. Lim, in- structed by Mr. J. M. Hall, repre- sented the accused.
Outlining the facts of the case, Mr. Fraser said that on the after- children, noon of June 22, five
Michael and Mary Pine, Fay Brom- ley, Tony Flood and Normal Stone were playing on the bridge which carried the path below the rail- way bridge just opposite the Lower It went Station. Peak Tram across the nullah called the Al- bany nullah.
ren.
That afte: noon just before the incident. Woo Lai the gateman of the tram station, saw these child- and immediately playing afterwards they were thrown over, one by one, by a Chinese alleged to be the accused. After throwing the last of the children into the nullah, he jumped over himself.
Mrs. Fairburn who was going down past Garrison School saw the thrown children being last two over from the bridge which cross- ed the nullah a little way down, The children were thrown in be- tween the road and the railway bridge, actually on the west side rather bridge and of the road
From that bridge one could see another Fair- down. Mrs. bridge lower burn was approaching that bridge from the east side and saw this man throw over two children and into the jump himself then
the man threw nullah. As the children, he faced away from Mrs. She Farburn, standing sloeways. could not see below the bridge at that point. The bridge was quite
nearer to the south end.
flowing strongly at the time. There had been a great deal of rain and the nullah was at least over knee deep in water for grown-up persons. Apparently by the time Mrs. Fairburn had seen this incident, three children had already disappeared.
The Rescue
The evidence wat that the child- Two of ren were thrown over. them. Fay Bromley and Tony Flood were
almost immediately | rescued by two chair coolies, Ching Kam and Woo Hay who were call- ed by Mrs. Fairburn. Fay Brom- ley was handed over to Inspector Andrews of the Peak Tramways. Peak A fitter engaged by the Tramways rescued Tony Flood. who was then just below the bridge and got stuck on the other side, but Fay Bromley remained knee- ling on a small step in the nullah there.
The third bridge was some 150 further down the or 200 yards nullah, opposite St. John's Cathe- dral. Some Children workmen employed by a military contractor were at work there. There were altogether six Chinese and a fore- man. The foreman was on the bank when he saw a boy carried down the nullah. This boy must have been Norman Stone. The foreman called out of the work- men, one of whom jumped in to rescue the boy. Both of them were washed away
workmen but the stuck and pulled the boy out of the nullah. The boy was handed over to the foreman who knew him and took him hack to his home.
SEQUEL
Mr.
165
Fraser said:
Continuing Connecting the two stages we have Lo Ching, a car cleaner who saw
a European
carried boy being down. He saw a Chinese and the European boy being swept down the nullah. By this time there were shouts and people were at- tracted. A "boy" employed by the N.A.A.F.I. saw a girl whom we now know to be Mary Pine, being car- ried down the stream. He jump- ed into the nullah. At the point where he jumped in, it was about fifteen feet deep. He imself was carried away. Mr. Bowles was at- tracted by the shouts and he also jumped in a little lower down. He stretched himself across the nullah making a sort of dam against which the girl could lie and crawl out. It was partially successful because when the girl reached him there was a momentary check. She was not the only person in the nullah for Michael Pine also came against this dam and then the N.A.A.F.I. "boy." So far all went well. But there was a fourth body whom we do not know. It must have been the accused. It came up against this dam and all were swept away. Michael and Mary Pine were swept past Mr. Bowles who saw Michael swept into the nullah and Marry to the side.
the South Corporal Giles, of Wales Borderers saw what happen- ed and jumped into the nullah. He saw the N.A.A.F.I. "boy" trying to rescue the children and say the He children being swept away. picked up Mary Pine and handed her over
The to Mr. Bowles. sentry on duty at the same bridge, Pte. Sellars saw a Chinese holding on to a boy in the water and pass- ed together into the tunnel. On the other side, Pte. Linton heard the noise and came to the nullah. Pte. Sellars called to Pte. Linton who rushed down to the Murray Path, got into a ricksha and went to the Victoria Recreation Club with the intention of rescuing the boy. Pte. O'Kelly, also of the Borderers, saw Corporal Giles and the others in the nullah. Giles called to him and he also went to the V.R.C.
Michael O'Kelly saw Pine floating in the water about twenty feet from the wall outside the V.R.C. He rescued him, ren- dered first aid and took him to the Government Civil Hospital.
Pte. McCarthy and Pte. Sim- mons who were in the Barracks at the time, also heard the commo- tion. They went down the west side of the nullah but met
no one
to at all. They came
en- the exit where the nullah
tered the sea. Someone told them that the boy had been taken out. They returned by the east side of the nullah. There are three man- holes somewhere about the Naval Yard. The nullah is dark except
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