Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 212

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On the 7th of August while the S.S. Monteagle was lying in the Kowloon Docks the body of a European woman, age about 30 years, was found by the Carpenter in a trunk which had been placed in the baggage room on the 4th of August. The trunk containing the body was handed over to the Police and the body removed to the Mortuary: the appear- ance of the body showed that death was caused by strangulation, a lady's dress band was tightly fastened around the neck and secured with a brush which had been used as a tourni- quet. Later inquiries revealed the fact that two persons who took a room in the Hongkong Hotel on the 3rd of August in the names of a Mr. and Mrs. JONES were missing from their room, this information led to the identification of the body and later the arrest of the murderer. The body was identified as that of a female named GERTRUDE DAYTON, one of the unfortunate class, and the man as one W. H. ADSETTS who accompanied the woman from Manila, arriving in the Colony by the S.S. Eastern on the 3rd of August. The mur der was committed sometime in the early morning of the 4th after which the body was put in the trunk and later in the day conveyed on board the steamer then lying at anchor in the Harbour. After disposing of the body ADSETTS fle'l from the Colony. He was arrested in Chefoo by the United States Authorities and conveyed to Manila whence he was extradited. ADSETTS was brought back to the Colony on the 23rd September, was tried and convicted of murder and hanged.

On the 26th of August the body of a man named FAN MUK FAT, age 38 years, a farmer residing at Pak Ngan Heung Village, Mui Wo, Lantao Island, was found by relatives on the roadside near No. 17 Pak Ngan Heung. It had on it several wounds. Death was the result of a rupture in an enlarged spleen. It transpired that deceased went to the house of a fisherman named To HING CHUN at 10 p.in. on the 25th, it is alleged for an unlawful pur- pose, and was beaten by the fisherman and his wife. The fisherman and his wife were arrested and charged with murder and convicted of manslaughter, the man was sentenced to 3 years and the female to 18 months hard labour.

On the 18th of September WONG TAM ON, age 34 years, an earth-coolie living in a mat- shed at the back of Yaumati employed on the reclamation work was removed to the Government Civil Hospital suffering from a stab wound in the side inflicted by another earth-coolie named HU YEUNG Ko, age 28, living in the same shed. WONG TAM UN died in Hospital the same day the result of his injuries. U YEUNG KO absconded immediately after the affray. No arrest was made. The motive for the crime was a quarrel between the two men over a loan of 10 cents which the deceased borrowed and refused to refund.

On the 11th of October the body of a Chinese woman named IM TONG, age 23 years, lately living at 168 To Kwa Wan, was exhumed from a grave on the hillside at Shek Shan in the Hung Hom District. Deceased was a widow and it was said that foul play was the cause of death and that her late husband's relatives were implicated.

Four men arrested and discharged at the Police Court owing to the want of sufficient evidence.

were

On the 15th of October a man named Fu KAT, age 22 years, a carpenter residing in a boat-builder's shed at Mong Kok Tsui in the Yaumati District, was removed to the Govern- ment Civil Hospital suffering from injuries inflicted by a youth named Ho Szɛ, age 16 years, who struck him with a chisel. Fu KAT died in Hospital à day later. Deceased and Ho Sze

a were relatives and were continually having quarrels over family matters and deceased struck the boy who returned the blow by striking him with a chisel. The boy absconded. No arrest made.

On the 29th of October the body of a man named CHEUNG CHEONG, age 50 years, a hawker who lived in a matshed at Lai Chi Kok in the Sham Shui Po District was found en the floor of his shed with the throat cut and a wound in the fore-arm. Robbery appears to have been the motive for the crime, as it was known by persons living in the neighbourhood that deceased had money and that he had $25 in his purse. When the body was found no money was forthcoming. No arrest was made.

On the 17th of November the body of a man named CHEUNG FUK, age 50 years, a stone- cutter residing at 59 High Street was removed to the Public Mortuary for Post Mortem examination. Examination showed that deceased lied from the effects of a poison. Deceased's concubine LAM Kur alias Mo Ho was arrested and charged with administering a poison. She was convicted at the Criminal Sessions and sentenced to be hanged, since commuted to penal servitude.