Angust 29, 1895.]
THE PORTUGUESE COMMUNITY AND DR. MARQUES.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
168
the mortuary, where it was taken on the after-half. It was not unusual for the men to com- noon of the 5th.
plain of a venereal disease.
Inspector Bremner said—About 1 p.m. on the On Sunday afternoon the Club Lusitano was 5th inst. I was at Aberdeen Police Station the scene of a most enthusiastic demonstration in when deceased's body was brought into the honour of a very popular and deserving member station in a very advanced state of decomposition. of the Portuguese community. It will be re- It was clothed in a blue cotton jacket, a pair of membered that in the report of the recent Medi- trousers, and a red band was round the waist, eal Commission, Dr. Marques, an officer of the The number 43 was on the breast of his cost. Government medical staff of the colony, was re- The Magistrate-Were the features in such a ferred to in terms far from complimentary to his condition that they could be easily recognised professional reputation. The Portuguese com- Witness-I think it would be very hard to munity having resolved to manifest their sym-recognise the face. The nose was partly gone, pathy for the worthy doctor, an address with close the eyes were completely gone, and the face was upon a thousand signatures was presented to him swollen and pulpy." on Sunday afternoon amidst a great concourse of Charles Halborg, tidewater in the Chinese ladies and gentlemen.
Customs, was recalled. He said-I was in the stern of the gig at the time of the accident. Lam Po was bow oarsman. I do not know him personally. His number was 43. Each man on daty bad a number, and the man that fell over- board was 43.
In handing over the testimonial Dr. Gomes feelingly did justice to the recipient's merits, and pointed out that never before had the Portuguese community evinced such enthusiasm as on this occasion, although in that very hall where they stood there had taken place various John Dalton, assistant tide-surveyor in the manifestations in favour of victims of persecu-Chinese Customs, said-I am acquainted with tions formented by hatred, vengeance, and the system of numbering and I have no objection to stating what that system is. When a man joins the service a number is given to him; if he gets promoted the number is changed. Lam To was enlisted as a gigman about April, 1892; he had previously served as a coolie; his number waE 43 and he has borne that number since. I re- ported his death to the Commissioner of Customs. The Magistrate-In your report you gave the number as 48 F
ill-well.
It was remarked in the address that the slur was cast in spite of fifteen years' distinguished service, and regardlessly of splendid professional diplomas conferred by one of the best medical schools in Europe. A slur so gratuitous and unjustifiable could not but arouse general in dignation; and it was not without justification that the Portuguese community deemed it their duty to repel the unjust assertion regarding one of their most illustrious members as well as one of their best ornaments; the more so when bearing in mind the noble, disinterested, and invaluable services which so endeared the worthy doctor, specially among the poor. The community, therefore, conscious of all this, could not but gather around him at this conjuncture and render the homage due to his recognised merits, deploring sincerely and profoundly that he should be so meanly slurred after such a bril liant career, and profferring him the address with the assurances of their sympathy and devotion.
Witness-No, the number was scratched out, because it was not very clear.
The Magistrate-Let me have a look at the report.
Witness (handing a report to the Magistrate) -This is a supplementary report. The first re. port did not contain the man's number, because I thought his name was sufficient.
The Magistrate-Do you mean to tell me his number is 43 ?
Witness Yes.
The Magistrate--I do not see how that can be 43; it seems clearly to be 48.
Witness-No, sir, it is intended for 43. The Magistrate-Is that your usual way of
+
Witness Yes, I wrote it with a “J” pen. The Magistrate-Show me how you write a 3. Witness then wrote the figure 3 on a slip of
The reply of Dr. Marques was quite in keep. ing with his characteristic good nature, With-writing a 3? ont the least shadow of an allusion to his own grievance, he heartily thanked the signatories of the address and eloquently dwelt upon the duties of the medical profession from a human-paper. itarian and philosophical standpoint, remark- ing that for many a medical man the motto should be, "virtue is its own reward.”
The address was beautifully illuminated. In the frontispiece was engraved the coat of arms of the Pereira-Marques family, to which a soroll was artistically appended, bearing on its folds in gilt letters Dr. Marques' medical and literary diplomas,-vis., Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Member of the Royal College of Physicians, Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons, Licentiate of Midwifery, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of Lisbon. Member of
the Hispano-Franco- Portuguese Academy, etc., etc.
Amongst those present was the venerable oo. togenarian, Commendador Marques, the doctor's father, who had purposely come over from Macao, During the proceedings the Amateur Portu- guese Band played several selections, notably a march specially composed for the occasion.
The Magistrate-It seems to me to be different from the other one.
Witness--It might be that I was nervous. The Magistrate-You reported the death to the Commissioner of Customs, and gave the num ber as 43, and the " 3" was not quite clear P
Witness Yes; I crossed the 3 out and wrote
a
figure clearer above. I did that before sending the report in.
The Magistrate-What figure were you afraid the 3 you wrote would be mistaken for?
Witness Well, it struck me as not being per- fectly clear and I altered it to avoid any mistake. The Magistrate-What did you think it would be mistaken for ?
}
Witness-I do not know; I had no fear on the subject. I put the pen through the original figure and wrote 43 above it.
༣ ་ །
The Magistrate-You did not think it would be mistaken for any other figure; yon merely wanted to make it clearer ?
Witness-Yes, I wanted to make it clearer. Continuing, witness said I personally detailed THE EXTRAORDINARY DEATH AT No. 43 for duty on the morning of the 1st.
CAPSUIMOON.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
There are 54 gigmen at Capanimoon altoge ther, and they are told off for 24 hours' duty, twenty at a time. There are five giga patrol- At the Magistracy on Wednesday Hon. H. E, ling during the day and in each there are four Wodehouse resumed the inquiry into the oir-gigmen. cumstances attending the death of Lam Pọ, a The Magistrate-You understand you are not boatman, who met with his death somewhat obliged to answer any questions if you think you mysteriously on 1st inst, at Capsuimoon. are conveying information you would not like to
Lam Fuk Sau, uncle of the deceased, was re-convey. called, and said—I was on shore and not very far Witness, proceeding, said-The first informa from the boats on the morning of the 1st August. tion I had of the accident was from the signal. 1 saw that assistance was being rendered, I did not see my nephew fall into the water. man. I told an untruth when I said I saw decessed so I did not go to the place. The deceased was fall into the water; Iwas only told he did. I last a good workman and went on duty at 6 am. on saw him when he left my house at ten o'clock on the 1st. As far as I know he was well at the 1st August. Five days later I saw the bdy of time. I am aware he has been mutilated. The deceased in the mortuary. I do not know how mutilation must have been done either before he was mutilated. I did not know he had been the 1st or after that date. He could not have worked if it had been done on that day. Some mutilated until I saw his body,
time ago he complained of having a venereal disease and was away from duty a day and a
Inspector Hanson said—I first saw the body the deceased at 5.30 p.m. on the 6th inst. at
Dr. Cantlis, re-called, said—I first saw the body on the evening of the 6th. It had been in the water three or four days. I believe the mutilation had been done before death. My reasons for thinking so are that it was a clean out by which the penis had been removal and there were no signs of healing. It is ina. possible for me to say for certain whether the mutilation was done immediately before or after death.
The Magistrate-But you said the cause of death was the injuries received; therefore they must have been done before death.
Witness--Yes, but there were other injuries. The Magistrate-But surely the injury on the leg would not have caused death P
Witness-A large wound like that would cause a tremendous shock. May I add a further remark ?
The Magistrate--Yes.
Witness-This body was not found until font or five days after the affair; consequently it is absolutely impossible that the wound could have been inflicted after death, so far as I am able to judge by the evidence. Anatomically speaking -- The Magistrate-All my questions are put from a medical point of view.
Witness-That is why I asked permission to say something farther.
The Magistrate-I merely ask for your evi- dence as a medical expert.
Witness-Then as a medical expert I cannot say when the injury was inflicted. evidence you gave the other day ?
The Magistrate--You wish to modify the
Witness-No.
The Magistrate-You said that the penis had been recently removed, and you gave as a reason the colour of the tissues; and you said the re- moval must have been done during life. Surely that requires modification ?
Witness-That was only an opinion.
fonnded on the facts coming under your obess» The Magistrate-All you say is an opinion
vation; it is medical opinion. If after thinking over it you believe you have made a mistake I will record it.
Witness-I should merely like to modify my evidence in this way-that it was a recent wound. that it was a recent wound?
The Magistrate-Are you able to say now
Witness-Yes, I am still of opinion that the mutilation was recent.
The Magistrate-What do you mean by "recent ?”
Witness Within 24 hours of death. I can. not tell whether it was 24 hours before or after death.
The Magistrate-You said shook and hemor-
rhage were the cause of death. You concluded that would be the natural result from the muti- lation, or did you see any signs of shook and hemorrhage ?
Witness-There was an absence of blood in the body, and I saw signs of shock and hemor- rhage. The organs were healthy and there was no other reason beyond the one I have given for his death. There was practically no water in the chest or lungs; in the case of drowning the lungs would be full of water. I am quite cer tain that deceased's death was not caused by drowning. Mutilation is a painful operation, and would incapacitate a man from work for The mutilationspuld two or three weeks. have been self inflisted, and it could have same instrument that been done by the caused the wound on the leg. From the ovi- dence I am of opinion that it is possible the pro- pellor of the launch caused the wound in the leg, but it could not have caused the mutilation. The mutilation might have been done 24 hours" before death; it might have been done at the time of death, or immediately after death.
The Magistrate-Was the body too far de- composed to admit of the relatives identifying it as a certainty F
Witness--Yes, absolutely.
The Magistrate-The identification
pro bably owing to the presence of the clothes and the number?
Witness-Yes. I should like to add that at one time I thought that the penis had been re- moved by the people in the mortuary, but after consideration I find that is not consistent with the condition of the fegh.
The Magistrate-That has not been suggested.
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