82
THE ACCIDENT TO THE N. P.
STEAMER " VICTORIA.”
THE HONGKONG, WELKLY PRESS AND
innocence and calling for aid, even with the caps over their heads.
The inquest was hold at 350 p.m. in the gaol, Mr. H. E. Wodehouse presiding. The jury was composed of Mr. J. P. Cottam, Mr. J. Patterson, and Mr. A. F. Comedios.
[January 31, 1895.
had planned to avail of the kind invitation of the good fathers to visit it. For yeara the zeal and successful labours of those mission. Messrs. Dodwell. Carlili & Co. have cour-
aries had been known to us and now and again, teously supplied us with the following particulars
when some tastefully published work, in some of an accident to the N. P. steamer Victoria :—
almost unknown tongue, has fallen into our hands, The steaner Victoria, which left Hong-| | The first witness called was Mr. James Hodge, we have been surprised to see the imprint of kong on the 23rl instant en route for Tacoma, acting warder, who said that the two deceased Hongkong and of this Mission upon the title arrived at Moji on Monday morning, 28th, and were admitted to gaol on the 10th of January. page. Not infrequently our further surprise whilst mooring was carried by the strong current Their names were An Chuu, aged 28. and Li and admiration would be awakened by detecting across the stem of the Arinks Maru (at anchor) Pong, aged 31. They were condemned to in these prints new typographic impressions, and received considerable damage to her port death in the Criminal Sessions of the Supreme unknown before is press-work, and how these quarter just abreast of the saloon. The Victoria Court, on the 10th of January (the calendar could have been so well produced in such was cut down to the water's edge, and has a was put in evidence). He also said they were remote and poorly equipped countries, was an fracture 19 ft deep and as much as 3 ft. banged, in the yard of the gaol, at about ever increasing mystery. It was, then, with un- wide in places. Up to the time of wiring uo 6.30 yesterday morning, until they were common interest, appreciation, and curiosity damage had occurred to the cargo, and Captain dead. is Worship, the jury, and the press that we knocked at those friendly doors, Our Pauton intended to place a temporary patch over then adjourned to view the bodies, after which welcome was gennino and our invitation cordial the hole and then proceed on to Kobe, where the warden resumed his testimony and said that to inspect the work and methods of this unique a thorough examination of the damage could be the date of the warrant for the execution of the institution. Within the place is as busy as a made and where it is possible that either par-deceased was the 19th January, 1895, and that beehive and moves as quietly aud system- manent or temporary repairs can be mads. It the bodies were those of the persons sentenced atically to equally attractive and useful results, was expected that the Victoria would be able to to death by the Supreme Court on that date for gathering, the best thoughts of time, and leave Moji yesterday (Tuesday) morning for Kobe the wilful commission of murder.
judiciously distributing them through the wide Until the exact particulars of the damage can be
field of mission work. ascertained, it is impossible to say whether the vessel will be able to proceed on to Tacoma with her cargo.
THE EXECUTION OF AU CHUN AND LI PONG.
|
$4
Dr. L. P. Marques, was then called and said that he was the medical officer of Victoria Gaoland. This is the central editing and publishing also had charge of the post-mortem examinations; honse for all the numerous Far Eastern branches that he was présent at the execution of the two of "The Society of Foreign Missions, of. Paris” deceased; that the drop fell at 625 a.m.; that (founded in 1661) and especially for branches the bodies were taken down an hour later; that that have no adequate printing facilities of their both were theu dead; that be hold a post-mortem own. This large system of mission workers is examination, assisted also by a medical practitioner also part of the work aided by “The Association of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co; that the for the Propagation of the Faith, of Paris.” death of Au Chun was caused by strangulation The primary object of The House of Nazareth and that Li Pong died from dislocation of the in Hongkong was to found a
Retreat" or vertebræ resulting in complete separation of "Home of Rest" for the Fathers of the Missions, the spinal cord; that death in both cases was who are scattered through China, Cochin China, the result of haugi g by the neok that the Siam, Burmah, Japan, and other places in the execution took place inside of the gaol and that Far East. When ill, or over-taxed, or desirous the Captain Superintendent of Police and the of preparing some literary or religious work Superintendent of the Gaol wero present and a and needful of seclusion, rest, and bealthful sur- number of officials under them; that death in ronudings, since in taking their vows they have one case, that of Li Pong, was probably instan- pledged themselves never to return to their native taneous and in that of the other, Au Chun, it homes, they come to The House of Nazareth," was probably practically so.
there to abide, without charge or duties as long as they may wish. This Mission, which is under tho care of five scholarly Fathers of ability and ex- perience, has now been in existence over sixty years and in that time has quietly and almost unconsciously accomplished a great work. Daring the latter years, through the generosity of one of their number, the institution has been able to extend the field of its usefulness by the addition of its large printing department, in the management of which one of the Fathers has developed rare ability and has made some im- provements and discoveries which, in the most efficient manner, secure admirable results. Here, hidden away on this steep hillslope, closeted in his little laboratory, he has through these years patiently and scientifically evolved bis method of making type-forms and matrices and moulds and type, without the slow and costly intervention of steel dies, expensive machinery, and multiple operatious, and the result is perhaps without its equal any- where for simplicity, efficiency, and eco- nomy. By its means, in a modestly equipped To the casual observer, perhaps, Hongkong and rather res'ricted series of small rooms, and may seem much like any other place; but to the with the help of but a few Chinamen whom he man who examines with care the many details has had to train, he has manufactured over that combine to form its complex entirety, a
30,000 matrices during the last six years, sincə very different view will appear. It will be found the final perfection of his process. The first that Victoria and its surroundings are in many 18,000 were made in small pieces of copper and respects unique and offer a field for introspection were then embedded in zine batts or badies. and study such as few if any other places in the Later he devisel a simpler way of making them world afford in the same condensed and char-entirely of one piece of copper and the other acteri tie form. It is a microcosm in which the 12,00) were so constructed. The copper used investigator daily finds, close at hand, some- by his process being chemically pure is harder. thing interesting, even on superficial inspection; toughter, and in every way superior to that. and if he brings the magnifying lens and the generally supplied by the trade, which latter search-light to his aid, the revelations are fre- varies in density, purity, and tensile strength. quently wonderful.
This clever investigator also simplified and perfected a galvanic process of making and fin ishing the matrix so that the type that comes from it has a face as smooth and even and if it had been struck from a
On inquiry it was found that the prisoners had remained more or less indifferent to their fate until last Friday, when they sent in a petition to His. Excellency asserting their innocence, saying they were strangers from Chins and visiting here and had no motive for wishing to commit a crime and asking to ba reprieved; but His Excellency, after looking into the matter. declined to interfere. They had since this apparently become more composed and passed a quiet and restful night prior to their execution The bodies when viewed at the post mortem showed that Li Pong had apparently died a much easier death than Au Chun.
On Tuesday morning as the daylight was just creeping over the high walls of the court of the gaol, the guards and officials interested in the execution of the death sentence passed upon Au Chan and Li Pong. two of the criminals in the Wing Lok Street robbery and murder case, marched into the yard of the gaol and took the various positions assigned them to await the fuller break of day, the appointed time for the execution of the law. At six am the noise of the crank turning of the hard-labour oriminals within the prison was ordered to cease and every foreign sound was husbed, save the few final The jury found that the deceased had come preparations of those around the gallows, imme-to their death from hanging by the neok, in diately concerned in the hanging of the criminals pursuance of a sentence of death, passed in Mr. F. H. May, the Captain Superintendent of accordance with the law and duly carried out Police, then stepped out into the court and upon the two doceased, Au Chan and Li Pong, conferred a minute with Mr. H. B. Lethbridge, on the 29th day of January, 1895. the Superintendent of the Gaol, and the order was given to toll the bell and bring ont the prisoners. A door was then opened at the bottom of a passage and from within came the orying and wailing sound of two Chinese voics, calling out" Save me, I am innocent," and this was kept up the entire way, while the officers partly supported and partly carried the con- demned men until they reached the drop under the gallows. The prisoners did not exactly re- sist, but seemed terrified and helpless and averse | to proceeding. Once on the drop they were strapped around the feet, Laving already had their arms pinioned; a cap was drawn over the head of each and the noose was placed aronad their necks, and at 6.25 a.m. the bolt was drawn. Li Pong dropped perpendicularly at full length and apparently died almost instantly. Au Chun, who had collapsed on the drop, went down sideways, and was jerked back by the rope in a kind of a letter S-shape, something like the lash of a whip when snapped. This broke the direct violence of bis fall and weakened the full theoretical effect of the six feet eleven inches dr p, which the day before had fortunately been increased from six feet four; as results now show it would probably have been better if it had been increased even more. This insuficient drop of An Chân, who was both younger and more muscular, being only 28, while Li Pong was 31, but less robust than Au Chun, resulted in death not being instantaneous, for on- examination twelve minutes after the drop he was found to have a low pulse, and during this. interval he was all the time giving more or less beautiful. Pansing for a moment ou a stone sharp as
The day was glorious, the view ex remely evidence of a quivering reflex muscular action, seat we revelled for a brief space in the match-fine steel die. This process is the Father's such as might be expected from a man suffering less panorama about us. While thus musing a own invention and is the secret of the from strangulation. His pulse did not stop soft silver-tongued bell sounded faintly near us Mission, as well as are his other working de- beating until sixteen minutes after the and directed our attention more closely to the vices that he has studied ont with so much drop, when both bodies were finally declared buildings behind. Clambering up and passing skill in the development of his system. The dead, and the court-yard was cleared. There were along the wide terrace, with its extensive and completed type is certainly all that could be present at the execution, besides the officials, glorious outlook, there was revealed through one desired, having sharpness, smooth finish, and only the representatives of the press and one of of the windows a type-setting room with men durability. He uses the best of type-metal and the the medical staff of the Pacific Mail Steamship busily at work. We suddenly realised that most efficient machinery. His experience with Co. There was no clergyman in attendance and this must be that interesting House of his matrices is that they work to perfection and no confession was made by either prisoner, but Nazareth" of which we had often heard, but seem to be as good after years' use as when first they both continued weeping and asserting their had never seen, although time and again we made. For several years he has been able to
THE HOUSE OF NAZARETH.
chance led our steps near Richmond Terrace.
In one of these waudering prospecting tours
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