The-Hong-Kong-Weekly-Press-1896-11-11 — Page 14

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THE HONKGONG WEEKLY PRESS AND

It is contrary to regulations to strike on the head P-Certainly.

And nothing but a cane is used --Nothing else.

How often do you see the punishment book? -I keep it,

Who makes the entries ?The masters make the entries.

Then you do not keep it P-I keep it in my desk.

You would know if the deceased had been punished on that day ?—Yes.

With reference to the school attendance register, is it possible that boys may come down after roll call-It is possible. The register would then be altered by me.

Was the boy a sharp and a good boy ?- *He was a nice quiet boy, but not very brilliant. Was he often in trouble P-No, he was not. Mr. Dennys Mr. Piercy, when did yon last see the boy in school? I think he was in school on the Monday before he went to the hospital.

:

I know it is difficult to remember, as there are 108 boy's in the school, but will you try to think when you last saw him?+I cannot remember, but I did see him in school on the Monday before, the 26th inst. I withdraw the statement that I cannot fix upon a date.

Did you see him on the Tuesday he went to the hospital ?—No, I did not. To the best of my recollection I saw him on Monday.

Did you speak to him on Monday?—I do not remember speaking to him.

He is put down here as being in attendance. but can you recollect seeing him ?-No, I cannot. You cannot say whether he was ill or well? "No.

Why did you send him to the hospital on the Tuesday ? He complained of swollen legs and neck. The boy was sent down to see Dr. Atkinson, the school doctor, to save the doctor coming to the school.

Did you think there was anything serious the matter?-No; he seemed to be feverish. I did not see him.

How can you say he seemed to be feverish? -My wife sent him to the hospital and she told me he was feverish.

When you sent him to the hospital did you inform his mother?--We did not. We did not think it was serious, and that was the reason we did not tell his mother.

This is the first time he has been in the hospital -It is not the first time he has seen Dr. Atkinson, and I do not think it is the first time he has been in the hospital. The boy has been greatly absent this year in Macao, partly on account of the plague and partly on account of illness. He went to Macao in August and came back after over a month's absence:

Did you ever teach this boy? I have examined him and I took his class for reading about four times a week

When you said he was dull and backward was that from your own knowledge?—Yes; it was due to his absence. I said he was not brilliant. Did you have any report from Mr. Ralph about the boy?-Mr. Kalph has complained of the boy's backwardness.

Has he complained of the boy being idle- No.

Has he ever made any formal complaint about the boy ?—No.

Had he any spite or ill feeling against Mr. Ralph-Not that I know of.

Can you suggest why he should deliberately make a false statement about Mr. Ralph while he was supposed to be dangerously ill ?—No.

Do you know that he has made statements to other people about his being struck by Mr. Ralph ? Since his death his mother told me that he had complained to his grandmother that if he was late at school Mr. Ralph would strike him. It is not the custom to punish boys in that way for being late.

Have any other boys left the Diocesan School lately PA boy left last week. His name is Fung Nie.

Do you know a boy named Lung Hing Wan ?-I do not know a boy of that name.

Do you know Pong Kam Ting ?--Yes, he is not in the school now,

Can you say when he left?-He went to Borneo. I do not know whether it was this year or last. I do not think he was at school

this year.

You do not remember Lung Hing Wan ?--I do, but he went to Shanghai some years ago.

Hung Piu In, has be left ?--Yes, he left. He ran away from school. His friends wanted us to take him back and I declined.

Why did he run away ?-He was a very bad boy and troublesome.

What reason did be give ?-His friends wanted us to take him back again; but we declined.

That is not an answer.

Did he make a com- plaint of the way he was treated ?-No, I can- not remember

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[November 11, 1896.

the boy, found him to be sick, and ordered him to bed. He had improved during the week while he was in the hospital. The swelling had subsided and I could find nothing definite the matter with him. I saw him again on my evening visit on Saturday night. He com- plained of vomiting, but he did not strike me as being dangerously ill. No serious symptoms showed themselves until five o'clock on the afternoon of Sunday, 1st November. I was called by the sister in charge of the ward to see. him. I found him worse. He complained of headache on the right side of the then led me to Surely you can remember that?-The boy head and his condition left in May this year. Pong Kam Ting left in think that he might have received some... January.

injury to the brain. I asked him if he had had a You cannot say whether Hung Pin Inblow on the head or a fall which might have He then told me he had complained of having been beaten He was a injured his head. troublesome boy.

been struck by a schoolmaster on the head with a ruler. He said it happened on the previons Wednesday week, the 21st ult. On my ensuing visit, about 9 o'clock, I thought he was worse and I wrote to Mr. Piercy and told him that the boy's friends had better be sent for. I also mentioned in my note what the boy had told me. Mr. Piercy came down and saw the boy with me about a quarter of an hour after I wrote to him. The boy seemed to be quite conscious and he told Mr. Piercy that Mr. Ralph had struck him. He then said it was on Saturday week, the 24th ult. On the first occasion he said he was struck with a ruler, but I do not know whether he said so on the second occasión. I was called to see him again at five o'clock on the following morning. He was then unconscious and dying. He died at I made a post mortem examination on 5.30 a.m. the same day. The organs were not healthy. The spleen was large and from its condition he had evi- dently suffered from malaria. The cause of death was extensive hemorrhage under the dura mater under the anterior part of the right brain. If I had, known what was wrong with him I could not have done anything for him. There was no external injury. There was no bruise on the skin or on the tissues between the skin and bone. There is no fracture of the bone.

You know what the question is. Are you prepared to swear that the boy did not com. plain of having been beaten ?—I cannot recall it. I am not prepared to swear that he did not. Have any complaints been made to you of Mr. Ralph having ill-treated the boys ? The only case I remember was Fung Mi, who said that if he did not-

I am asking if any one has complained to you of Mr. Ralph's ill-treatment P-To the best of my recollection nobody has,

Do you know a boy named Gubbins ?—Yes, Thomas is in the school.

Do you know the brother ?-Yes, Joseph. Has he complained of being assaulted by Mr. Ralph ?-I do not remember. Joseph left the school last year, but returned as a boarder at the school? Mr. Ralph came in August, 1895.

Is it against the regulations for a master to use a ruler to puni-h the boys ?- Certainly.

And it is contrary to the regulations to hit them?-They get their ears boxed sometimes. I never say anything about that.

Have you ever known any of the masters prod the boys ?-No, I have never known it done.

Have you ever seen them lift their hands except to bok a boy's ears or to cane him?—No. Has this boy been caned?—I do not think It will be in the punishment book if he bas and I will get that book. Boxing the ears is very seldom done.

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The Chinese are averse to corporal punish- ment --They are averse to Europeans ad- ministering corporal punishment.

What time did you see the boy in the hos- pital?-About ten o'clock at night. I am told he died on Sunday, the 1st inst.

You sent a message to his friends?—Yes. Then on Sunday night you realised that the boy was dangerously ill ?-We heard that the boy had been discharged on Saturday and that he vomited on coming downstairs. They were letting him out when he vomited-so I am told.

You thought the boy was in a serious condi- tion on Sunday?—Yes.

Did the doctor send for you? Yes, the doctor sent to tell me.

And then you were told that the boy had had a blow on the head?--Yes.

Was the boy asked if he had received a blow on the head? He was asked.

And in reply to that question he said that Mr. Ralph hit him?-When I went to the hospital I was told he had made a statement and we were verifying it.

Did the boy volunteer the statement after or before he was asked whether he had received a blow on the head ?—I cannot say.

The Magistrate-With the exception of your teaching him reading, did anyone else but Mr. Ralph take his class-Mr. Blayney sometimes took his class.

As a rule Mr. Ralph took the class ?—Yes, Mr. Ralph had most to do with the class.

Dr. Atkinson-I am Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital. I produce my report of the post mortem examination of the body of Tong Wing. He was admitted to the hospital at 11 30 a.m. on the 27th October. He was sent down with other boys from the Dioce- san School and as he seemed ill I admitted him to the hospital. He was suffering from anæmia He remained there and swelling of the legs. until the 31st, when, on my morning visit, I thought he was so much better that he could go back to school. On account of a report I received from a sister about an hour later I gave orders that he was not to go back. I saw

His Worship-Could this have been caused by a blow on the head with a ruler ?—It might have been caused by a direct blow on the head as described by the deceased.

Without any external injury at all ?—Yes, it is possible.

Could it have been done by a fall ?--It is just possible.

Did not the boy fall on learing on Saturday night ?—No.

He did not actually leave the hospital on Saturday P-No, he was not discharged from the hospital.

By the jury.-I do not think an extensive hemorrhage of that nature could have been caused in any other way than by a blow or fall.

His Worship Did you think the hemorrhage. so far advanced on Sunday as to have an effect

reason ?-I do not think so. ou his

conscious. It Was

to is impossible whether his intellect was

affected by such a large hemorrhage as that. He appeared Such a me to be perfectly conscious, hemorrhage might render his intellect cloudy. I cannot say it would, but it might.

to

He

say

Mr. Dennys-I propose that we adjourn now, your Worship. I understand it will be con- venient to other people to adjourn. I shall have to ask Dr. Atkinson some questions, but I' propose not to do so to-day.

His Worship then adjourned the inquest until 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon.

Two accidents in the navy have recently hap pened in Hongkong. On Thursday night a steam pinnace belonging to H.M.S. Narcissus ✯ was swamped during a gale and she sank. As she was going down a sailor on board was told to pay off a rope, the idea being that the pinnacea would be hauled up again in the morningli Divers were sent down in the morning, but they could find no trace of the pinnace and there is a suspicion that the job of hauling her up was secretly performed by a sampan woman. The second accident happened on Friday afternoon → to No. 20 torpedo boat, which went on the rocks at Stonecutter's Island. She was soon beached a There are twenty-one holes in her bottom. Both these incidents were humorously treated at Saturday night's performance of “Fra Diavolo,"