THE CHINESE MURDER.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1091, 27 April 1883, Page 3

THE CHINESE MURDER.

In our last week’s issue was a brief notice of the death of a Chinaman named Ah Chin, at Shingle Creek, Teviot road, from gunshot wounds. Since then an inquest has been held before Major Keddell, Coroner, and after 1 a good deal of evidence, a verdict was returned of wilful murder by some prison or persons unknown. According to the evidence, deceased can.e to his death when lying on his i»ed in a cave under some rocks, and in winch he lived, and that at the same lime another Chinaman named Wah Ki was lying on the bed with him. This Chinaman in his evidence says that he aud deceased had been together all day, from 9 o’clock in the morning till 7 o’clock in the evening, when the shot was fired that caused his death ; that during the day the d ceased bought a duck fiom an European They went then to deceased’s c->ve, killed aud cooked the duck, and afterwards had some Chinese spirits, ot which they drank about a tumbler full. Witness then feeing giddy went to bed. The deceased was lying down ou his bunk smoking opium Both lay on the same bunk, with their heads towards the door of the cave, the witness having a box behind his head. After sleeping a time, witness was awoke by the report of a gun, aud deceased screaming “A gun shoot me” In reply deceased said the shot came from the door, and then he said, “ I die ; I die.” Witness when in the cive thought he beard footsteps outside, but on going out neither saw or heard anyone. Witness then made his way to Roxburgh, and give information to the police. Dr McLachlan, who made a post mortem, deposed that deceased died from hemorrhage, caused by gun shot wounds in the breast and head, and that if the deceased was lying as stated by the witness, Wah Ki, the shot must have come from the inside of the cave. The evidence of a stoiekeeper at Roxburgh, with whom deceased used always to deal and Mr James Mackay, Merchant, Roxburgh, who was in the habit of buying gold from deceased, was also taken ; both of whom stated they had not seen deceased for the last six weeks. Constable Pool also gave evidence to the effect that he found no trace of foot prints about the cave, and that he found loz sdwts of gold, 14s in silver, and a silver watch in the cave.