ALLEGED ASSAULT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19994, 11 January 1927, Page 4

ALLEGED ASSAULT.

ELDERLY CHINAMAN CHARGED.

COMMITTED FOB TRIAL.

Kum Chong, an ancient Chinese who gave his age as 77 years, appeared yesterday before Mr H. Wf Bundle, S.M., to answer to a charge of having on December 15, with intent to do bodily harm, assaulted and caused bodily harm to Charlie Loo Hung. , , , No sooner had the charge been read than accused launched into a spirited harangue in his native language, which, appatently, indicated his considered opinion of the whole proceedings. “No wantum, no good,’’ he concluded. Here the magistrate managed to _ get a word in. “We cannot have him going on like this,” ho said. “Please” (to the interpreter) “ask him—” “No, No! no good,” interjected defendant. , ..... . . With some difficulty and not a httle tact, the interpreter managed at length to question the loquacious old fellow who again broke into what seemed to be a vigorous diatribe against British justice. Interpreted, his remarks were to the effect that he did not care if he died; he was over 60 years of age; he was Scotch and not Chinese; and he deeply resented everyone looking at him. Sub-Inspector Fahey outlined the case, and said that accused and Loo Hung had been friends up till September 13, on which date complainant killed a blackbird which, evidently, did not meet with accused's approval, and he had promptly attacked complainant. Witnesses had seen defendant on top of Loo Hung on the day in question when no appeared to be striking the latter with a knife. Both were inmates of the Benevolent Institution at Caversham. and the alleged assault took place not far from the home. ■ Dr Cecily Mary Clarkson gave evidence as to complainant’s condition on admission to the Hospital. He was suffering from severe lacerations to the race ana neck, which might have been caused by the knife (produced). Asked by the interpreter if he wished to question the doctor, accused gave vent to a heated refusal to discuss the matter iat all. Loo Hung, he said, was, as a matter of fact, already dead, and it could not therefore be he who was there that Loo Hung, who said he was 66 years of age, gave evidence against his former friend. He stated that he knew accused, who came from the next village to him in China. On the day in question he (witness) went out of the gate of the home, and was followed by accused. A few yards from the gate accused knocked him down and used the knife on him. Up to this time they had been good friends, and why he had been attacked he did not know. Andrew Logie, a plumber, who was working at the Benevolent Institution on the day on which the assault was alleged to have been committed, said he heard shouts about midday, and on investigating he saw accused attacking Loo Hung. Douglas MacPherson (manager of the Benevolent Institution) and Albert Edward Esquilant gave corroborative evidence, and Constable Pratt, who arrested accused, stated that the latter had admitted the assault when ne was arrested, in the words: “Me killum, me kilium.” Asked if he had anything to say,accused broke into a vehement denial of the charge, and, according to his opinion, the witnesses were anything but reliable. “All tellumbad lie,” he asserted forcibly. This was taken as a plea of not guilty, and Kum Chong was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, the Magistrate suggesting that representations be made to the Minister of Justice to have him detained in a mental hospital in the meantime.