1948-02-28 — Page 7

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY. 28, 1948.

CAD, SIR, SIDE BY SIDE! -VERY DANCEROUS! MUCH SAFER TO RUN 'EM BACK TO BACK, IN THE OLD STYLE. SUPPOSING THEY BOLT?"

DOUBLE HARNESS

(Copyright in All Countries

DRAMAS OF THE LAW COURTS

WAR DAMAGE

SHOULD BE PAID FOR

By Candidus”

AND so the Malayan War Damage Claims Com-

mission is at present in England for discus- sions with the Department concerned t No wonder the "Telegraph" employed the pertinent hending "And How About Hongkong?"

How about Hongkong, indeed! How about those thousands of unfortunate Chinese real- dents, who were called out of their houses and shops at a minute's notice, and herded away over. the Kowloon hills to starve or perish in China? They left their goods, and chattels to the mercy of the Japanese and, in hundreds of cases, lost their all. The same applies to people in all walks of fe-and yet, as far as can be gathered, there seems but a remote possibility of any re- parations being made.

I sometimes think that we should have been no worse off hnd we lost the war. As far as Japan is concerned, the occupational authorities appear to be doing everything they can to make the lot of the Japs a comfortable one, but if Japan is to provide any measure of compensation for the damage and loss she caused, Hongkong has not as yet been informed.

Gun drama in court that

saved a man's

After he

said

shot a woman

by

A. E. BOWKER

who was confidential clerk to SIR EDWARD MARSHALL HALL K.C., the famous

LTHOUGH

defence counsel.

I have

Then, and not

life

then, when

these points were firmly established In the minds of the jury, did Mar- shall Hall call Lawrence himself,

He was taken through his exami- nation with unerring core by Mar- shall Hall,

Lawrence told of his adventures in South America, and admitted that since then he had always kept n revolver under his pillow.

He had not bought ammunition

He described how he and Ruth Hadley had become heavy drinkers, Comine to the night of the trage-

Sir Edward Marshall Hall waited until Marshall Hall had many Dr Powell was called for the for more than 20 years, triumphs through his prosecution to give evidence spectacular career at the Bar, about the wounds. the little-known trial of Ed-

This was the witness for ward Lawrence was one of his whom our leader had been wait- greatest successes.

ing.

that it was out for a complete acquittal and not à verdiet of manslaughter.

The facts were these. Edward The defence for the first time. Lawrence, A Wolverhampton revealed to a breathless court brewer, had gone to n Dr Galbraith about 9.45 one evening drunk. He said: "Come at once, I have shot a woman.”

It was daring-in view At a later stage he said: What-we-were-up against.. Good God! She's not dead, is she? For God's sake do every- thing you can for her."

Then a little later: "I'm glad I did it. She is best dead. She drove me to it. You don't know what a wicked woman she has been."

From v hich you will gather it was a pretty hopeless case!

The woman was Ruth Hud- ley, with whom Lawrence had been living.

She was a barmaid. Lawrence was arrested and charged.

AN ADMISSION Then a denial

of

of

point upwards when the wrist de holder was gripped by another in the way shown.

If those who create wars are to be relieved of their responsibility to conipensate their victims, then there is little deterrent. In fact, war 18 almost encouraged if the aggressor is not to be made to bear the cost.

E trouble these days is that the

1 Colony hns по voice. The

promise Elven that some form of self-government would be established is almost forgotten. We boast of

democracy, yet in reality wo

Are the dumb slaves of an aufoern- the group system of party politics operated from London, which knows little of our special problems and expectations.

one

It must be admitted that Hong- kong has no claim to special treat- ment, and in this connection wonders what exactly is the Home Government's policy towards re- LOVE toparations.

It was clear that this demonstra- tion made a great impression on the judge, for he ordered Lawrence stand on the bench close to the jury: and demonstrate once more, time with the clerk, Mr Moorman, holding the weapon.

this

Lawrence did so-three times, in fact, Aloorman holding the revolver, his wrist and Lawrence gripping forcing it upwards...

and

It was a must

Impressive scene,

In the absence of any concerted protests or representations, little in- exerted upon those fluence can be who manage Hongkong from Lon- don, and the fact remains that we no body or organisation possess

point of view. who are called upon which could press the of those produce the Colony's revenue,

I repeat the

cinim

aim made before. sadly that

needs a tax-

that Hongkong

to

the court was spellbound.. payers' association which would be The man was literally acquitting prepared to place its caso Kefore Himself with his own tesümony, London If necessary, and which corroborated in so many ways by would make certain that the Colonial Ofee was made fully aware of local 'evidence niready given.

problems.

It had been proved, for example, dy be said they had both been that, owing to a defect, the weapon drinking, the woman hurling eroc- could be fired without the trigger kery at him when he told her she belt pulled. was drunk.

GUN WENT OFF During the struggle

Ile

told her to get out. There was more quarrelling, and he got

His explanation of how the two shots were fred was convincing, The bedroom with the mattress turn ed over and things in disorder nil tittel .

But the main thing, of course, was the revolver from the bedroom in the demonstration with the revolver frighten her.

repeated over again and again.

"I fired wide of her, but I must have wounded-her- in the arm," he

did not know it at the time.

We learned afterwards that there

fact which doubtless helped them to come to their verdict.

Marshall Hall suggested that told the court, explaining that he was a firearm expert on the jury, a

the revolver had gone off neci- dentally while Lawrence was struggling with the woman.

I remember the doctor's reply, "No, sir," he said; "her face would have been blackened by a shot fired at such close range."

THE REVOLVER Counsel's demonstration

There was a stir as Marshall Hall picked up the revolver.

He motioned to Mr Copeland, solicitor for the defence, who took the weapon, pointing it at Marshall Hall.

by

Apart from properly seized the Japanese, or other losses caused by the invaders, there remains the

fact that even the Hongkong Go- quibbled over re- vernment has storing property requisitioned at the outbreak of the last war. vehicles form a case in point.

•

Motor

it

not reasonable to ask that those who filled in those impres sive and hopeful war claims forns should at least be given an assurance that the matter is being pressed in the

proper quarters?

The people of Hongkong," who have contributed to the Colony's re- venue for years and years and who. Having fired one shot, he returned Another thing which impressed me lost their all, have a right to press to the bedroom and hid the weapon was the apparent change in the dis- their claims; moreover, the Govern- under the mattress, and came back position of the judge.. where Ruth

all the "It shows that it is possible for the ment bears the responsibility of pre- into the diningroom, Hadley was swaying about.

shot to have been fired in this way,senting those claims with

command. The he told the jury, and I observed that Persiasion it can She then rushed upstairs into the from then onwards he addressed the question of Hongkong's case for re- bedroom, turning OVET everything prisoner as "Mr" Lawrence, and not parations is not one to be covered by the stereotyped red-tape treat- to find the revolver.

ment, but by the strongest repre- sentations which can be made, pre- ferably through Government, or In the last resori by the people them- selves.

This was borne oul by police evidence, for they stated that the room was in great disorder.

Presently fluth came down again, said Lawrence, and polated the re- volver at him.

Just Lawrence.

SUMMING-UP

In favour of prisoner

With the whole aspect of the case changed, counsel addressed the jury. Marshall Hall went straight out

"I could see the hammer rising, and made a most powerful appeal THE LAST OF AN

my

" seized

and I sprang forward to save life." he told the court. her right wrist, and as we struggled there the revolver went off and Ruth dropped to the floor."

for an acquiltal.

ANCIENT SECT

Once more during his closing speech he handled the revolver to emphasise the point he had made with such dramatic effect.

The last dancing Dervish (Maw- There followed

a favourable lawl) of Turkey has died in Istanbul. He was 70-year-old Shelk Sain- There was a silence in court, summiing-up by Mr Justice Jelf, and

absent only twenty haddin Ozel who, as a young priest Suddenly Marshall Hall grasp broken by a murmur of excitement the jury were

the minutes before returning their in Salonika, had whirled for hours ed the solicitor's right wrist as Marshall Hall said: "Take

Show my lord verdict of Not Guilty.

with eyes closed, chanting praise to acquitting Lawrence, Mr Mohammed and Jala Ud-din Arhy- Justice Jelf addressed a few words phenrumi, founder of the sect about of advice to him before he left the 1,000 A.D.

Ozel middle age,

left the But so ittle did Lawrence heed priesthood, became д Lay member them that within a low days he

of the Mawlawi. He started a suc- cessful matrimonial agency in 1stan- bul, was a justice of the peace and

town councillor.

and forced it upwards, showing revolver, Lawrence.

und the jury exactly what hap- · In

that If, as he suggested, the pened."

On being charged he said to the police: "Murder, you say, do you? That's all right." accused had seized the wrist of The usher handed the weapon to lock.

But later on, when he had the woman who was threaten- Lawrence.

He took it, and before the eyes was charged with assault and fined, sobered up a bit. he said: "Welling him the revolver could have

been accidentally discharged of the jury showed on his own wrist although I belleve he was very there's one thing. I didn't do its. You were not there when it and the woman shot through how the revolver would inevitably greatly provoked.

was done. She shot herself,"

So we have a dead woman

the head.

It was a dramatic demonstra-

with two bullet wounds, one in tion. But it did not move the

her right arm. one in her head;

doctor, who insisted that at.

1

In

BY THE WAY by Beachcomber

the admissions to the doctor such close quarters the woman's met her

und the police true, made by a drunken man.

The man himself-reputation .bad; character violent, previous .convictions for savage assaults.

face must have shown signs of scorching."

some

STORY of a woman who No. wonder

brother after

flat.

Rorrowjul eighteen years and "hit him

him with her umbrella because he. The prosecution closed, and still wore a bowler," recalls' to the general feeling was that us who love literature the lines things looked very black against of Keats or someone.

Us.

: Marshall Hall opened quietly to an attentive but what I felt was n hostile jury.

our

and

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welcome fell branded by a flaming plece of wood, as a sign of her exalted position. silence we, klased She does not appear at feasts. On account of her rank she is given the In JETN Hiile round wickerwork ordinary, everyday food in her

kraal,

special squad singers howl outside her quarters all was this what we'd prayed through the night. If she wishes to

take exercise

is carried on sho Impudent liter of branches round and round -the compound. If she rebuken ono return after twelve years in of her chlidren. It is killed. If the

child, gets in first, she is killed, relle,

Oh!

hat.

Oh,

for and dreamed of

We had waited twelve years for his

coming.

In

loneliness? our

brati

With "Welcome" displayed on the

To

mat.

Bui imagine our rage when he turn-

ed up

In a little round wickerwork

hat!

In a little round wickerwork hat. Old days in Ahahaland

He was gentle and loving as ever,

Edinburgh Folk

Music Festival

Numerous visitors from the Con-i

TEL. 28273

BOOTLEGGER IN

THE PENTAGON

During the war the Pentagon,

The trial came on at Stafford „Assizes, and Mr. F. W. Sher- wood, for the prosecution, In-

tinent are expected among the many United States Army headquarters In sisted that the ovidence was

visitors to Edinburgh for the Fest-Washington was the object of many .overwhelming, and that a ver-

val of Folk Music and Folk Danc-Jokes because of its huge, size. Intend of calling Lawrence hin-

DISMAY at the Ministry of Bub

bleblowing Form F.7840138/

ing from June 28 to July 8, under One joke was about a private who the dict of murder was tho only self as the first witness for

With a small bit of Ath for the TE headman's chief wife is the 64/BN 42/ch/6081 R.G. D.S.K. the direction of the Scottish Anthro- entered the building, got lost and reasonable one.

defence, which, If the prisoner is

most important woman in the 3 P.108140. cs. B./017240/W.V.pologicat and Folklore Society. cania out six months later a caplain. called at all, is the invariable But the family Just couldn't village, with many privileges. She 60700401 N., dealing with engine-

Now there is a ́ a résì lifa Penta- The Festival has been arranged does no work, and is allowed to sit turned pot-nails, has been sent to with the approval of the Scottish gon story. After six months

of he charge, practice in a capital

wickerwork all day at the back of the kroat on the Filthistan Trio in error. A high Committee of the Arts Council of effort, guards have caught a bootleg- called a number of others to prove

n heap of baked mud. Sho le also official said, "It may be all right. Great Britain, and, in receiving the gerai was "smuggling" iquor Into man of violent character that Ruth Hadley had been a wo

the only woman who is entitled to They don't understand forms, and co-operation of the English Folk the Pentagon. He walked the long and

No wonder the neighbours were have the largest size of ring pushed what they all in doesn't even make Dance and Song Society and similar halls and washrooms, selling drinks

ancering.

through her nose, and her forehead senso, anyhow."

Fand half-pint bottles.

Two sistors swore that Law rence had shot at Ruth Hadley

twice before, and, had threaten ed to murder her.

„drunkard.

cat.

stomach.: #fis little round

hat.

'bodies--Associated Press.