CROMWELL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 291, 22 November 1867, Page 3

CROMWELL.

(from ocr own correspondent.) Cromwell, Nov. 20, 1867. Le Ah Cheong was this day brought hefore 11. W. Robinson Esq. R.M. on remand eliarged with the murder of Ah Hanc on or about the the 10th Sept. nit. Mr. Blewitt assisted by the Government Interpreter a Chinaman noted a*! interpreters. Mr. W. L. Bailey appeared f,ir the prisoner. Sergeant Thompson conducted the case for the prosecution. The indietm<nt having been read and interpreted, the prisonerin reply stated he did not understand. Joseph Stock ridge, miner, examined, deposed ; ■was examined at the inquest. Knew Ah Hang, when he lived at the Kawarau Gorge about half a mile from my house ; was working close to where Ah Hang and another Chinaman camped ; have noticed them for about six months previously. One of the two, was a tall, powerful man, and I believe the body upon which the inquest was held is that of the tall man just described ; the other was a shorter, and much darker man I discovered the body. My attention was first drawn to the spot, by noticing a piece of blue blanket sticking out of the "round. About a fortnight after I first noticed it, to satisfy a curiosity that had a hold of me, in company with my mate Thomas Tait, I went to the spot, and drove my pick into the ground close to it, and in drawing it out, drew with it a human head. I called upon Mr. Guilford to witness what 1 had discovered, and in the presence of Guilford and Tait uncovered the body, but did not disturb it; it was snipped in clothing, the whole being bound together with a cord. Th>> clothes now produced, I identify as the same as covered the bodv, also as the clothes worn in life by Ah Hang, the taller Chinaman.—Cross examined by Mr. Bailey. I could not swear that the body I found, was that of Ah nang but I can positively swear, the clothes found on the body, were those worn in life by Ah Hang, i know them by certain patches. To the best of my belief," the prisoner in Court is the shorter of the two Chinamen so often refered to. James Stuart, being sworn, said. I am a Hotel-keeper, and the owner of the Bannoekburn Punt I recollect two Chinamen living close to my hotel; had made an arrangement with them to cross and recross the river on my punt. The prisoner is one of them, the other was a much taller man, the two Chinamen have on several occasions left property in my charge. The last time I saw the tall man, was when he called for a ridge pole he had left with me ; to the best of my belief, this was the last Sunday in August. Early in September, the shorter man, . the prisoner, crossed the river on my punt alone, it was early in the morning, I observed ho was wet and cold, and asked him if he had been out ail nisht, he answered, 'mo savey." He came into my house, and had a cup o? coflee ; in about half an hour, he returned and recrossed the river. I never saw him again, until in the hands of the police. The clothes produced are the same as worn in life by the taller Chinaman. I identify them by the patches, the druggeting I also identify, as being the covering of some of the propertyleft in my charge by the prisoner and the taller Chinaman.—By Mr. Bailey : can swear the accused is the man I have crossed and recrossed on my punt in company with the taller man, during the past six months ; they have crossed on my punt numerous times. I can assign no particular reason, why I identify any of the articles prcdime, I cai k ly say," I fr.l ■ identify them, but cannot to 1 ! exactly why. The porfrmnai-* is similar to the one th* talhr Cmnaman was in the habit of paying money to me from. I may have seen oilier portmonaios similar Jamei Corse, being sworn, stated I am a duly qualified medical rractiticn«r, rcsid-

ing at Cromwell. On the 28th Oct. last,' I 1 made a post mortem examination on the body of a Chinaman, at the Kawarau Gorge There was groat lividity on the whole of the body, the neck was blue and black, caused I believe by the "tail" of deceased being wound tightly round the neck, acting as a ligature. Although I found the "tail" was twisted round the neck, I cannot say what effect, it caused during life, .13 the body was in an advanced state of .decomposition, on my examination. There was a lacerated wound on the neck about six inches in length ; the jugular veins were severed, and the wind pine scratched, the jaw bone was fractured. I also found two incised wounds behind the right hear, one fracturing the skull. I found another fracture of tic skull penetrating the brain, either this wound, or the severing of the jugular vein would cause death. I believe two instruments were used to cause the wounds as those on the head were incised, whilst those on the neck were jagged. It was impossible for the deceased to have inflicted the whole of the wounds, as one of them would cause instantaneous death. I should say the body must have been dead seven or eight weeks, when I examined it. By Mr. Bailey.—l believe the "tail" was twisted round the neck before the wounds were inflicted, and that by its effect, the man incapable of resistance.—By the Court.—The wounds were all inflicted during life. At this stage of the proceedings, Sergeant Thompson applied for a further remand of seven days. Jlr. Bailey opposed on the ground, that it was a hardship on the whnosses, who hid been summoned to appear, the most of them being miners, who had to pay twenty shillings per day, to have their shares represented, whilst 'n return, thev only received for their attendance shillings per day. The application was eventually granted to allow of the nreseire of the Commissioner of Police to bo present to conduct tho prosecution. Remanded till Wednesday, the 27th inst.