EXECUTION OF AH LEE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2384, 5 November 1880, Page 2

EXECUTION OF AH LEE.

[By Telegraph.] [from our own correspondent.] Dunedin, Nov. THE MURDERER’S STATEMENT. The condemned felon, Ah Lee, in a eonversation which he hud with Bishop Neville, states that lie bud nothing whatever to do with the murder, and that he hud been induced to make the “confession” incriminating Lee Guy by a Chinaman named Wong Ah Tack, who told him that all he had to do was to leave himself in his (Ah Tack’s) hands, and if ho signed the paper Ah Tack would get him oil. He did not find out the contents of the confession until some time after he signed it, and when he round that he had been accusing Lee Guy of murder he was very sorry, lie had been working for Robert and James Hoare and McNamara some weeks before the murder, but he had not been-working continuously. About seven weeks before the murder he had been cutting scrub and doing general work for one of the lloares who lives seven miles from Naseby. Whilst he was at Hoare’s he killed sheep one evening by candle light, and the blood found on his moleskin trousers came from them. That was the only way in which he could account for the blood being there. About three weeks before the murder ho lived with a party of Chinamen at Coalpit Gully and went sometimes to Naseby. On the Sunday previous to the murder he went over to Naseby and remained there during the greater part of the day smoking with his countrymen. He returned to Coalpit Gully in the morning and on the Monday he knocked about the hut doing various jobs. He spent the greater part of Monday and the following day in making sides for a pair of bellows out of wood and while doing so he scratched his hand. On Tuesdav, the day before the murder he went to Naseby about 4 o’clock tn the afternoon and had his supper there, and remained at Naseby during the evening. It has been proved since the trial from the evidence of a Chinaman called Ah Bing, that Ah Lee was in Naseby at any rate up to 10 o’clock on Tuesday night. He saw Lee Guy four weeks before the murder, when he called at Lee Guy’s hut to rest. He did not know Mrs Young nor did he ever hear of her from any of his countrymen. He never heard from Lee Guy or anybody else that she was possessed of money. With reference to the purchase of pocket handkerchiefs purchased from Pascoe, Ah Lee said Pascoe’s evidence was incorrect. He bought two white pocket handkerchiefs from Pascoo about the time mentioned by that witness, and one of those handkerchiefs Ah Lee retained in his possession in the Dunedin gaol until yesterday. He stated most emphatically that he never purchased the handkerchief produced at the trial from Pascoc. It was never in liis possession at any time. The second handkerchief that he purchased from Pascoc, he lost when cutting scrub at the Hoaresh HIS CONDUCT IN GAOL. Ever since his conviction Ah Leo’s demeanour lias been perfectly calm and cool. When Paseoe’s evidence was interpreted to the piisoner lie said “ Me no killce Mrs Young ; if I die Pascoc killee me.” He could not follow the evidence given at the trial, because he did not understand English well enough. Dr Mannsoli, Dr Batchelor, Dv lloeken, Dr Alexander, Professor Parker and Professor Scott arc all clearly of opinion that under the circumstances it was impossible for any medical or scientific man to swear that the blood which was found on the trousers of the prisoner after his arrest was not the blood of a sheep. Tiie following is a copy of their certificate :—“ Wo, tiie undersigned, medical practitioners and professors of Otago University, having read the evidence of Dr Wbitton on the trial of Ah Lee for murder, arc clearly of opinion that such evidence is altogether unreliable for the purpose of establishing the presence of human blood on the trousers of the prisoner.

In connection with the murder it is u very singular circumstance (hat Andrew Marshall, father of the hoy Marshall who gave evidence at the trial, owned some land near Airs Young’s house, and, on the morning of the murder his pitchfork was found stuck in the ground outside the door of Airs Young’s house. Mr Marshall was one of the jury at the inquest, lie became insane shortly after the murder and was received into the Lunatic Asylum, Dunedin. The hallucination under which Marshall sutlers is peculiar. He says he committted the Kyehurn murder and thinks the police are after him. THE EXECUTION'. The final act in the Xyeburn murder took place this morning. Prior to 8 o’clock, several hundred persons assembled on the street line outside the gaol walls, whilst others mounted the roofs of the buildings opposite, anxious to get a glimpse of the proceedings. Their curiosity, however, was not gratified, as the gaol authorities made arrangements which completely shut out (he view. At seven o’clock the condemned man was visited in his cell by Bishop Neville, the Uev -I. C. Byng, and Mr Terrence, gaol chaplain, accompanied by Leo Kcong and Loo Choo, interpreters, from Queenstown. Through the latter he expressed thankfulness for the spiritual consolation —“ Pray church,” as ho termed it—afforded him, although he remained a believer in Confucius. Shortly before eight the Bishop left. Mr Byng remained at the gaol chaplain’s request, and led Ah Lee to the scaffold. He Avas _ exceedingly calm Avhen the pinioning was performed. The executioner, a recent arrival from Southland, has acted as assistant to Calcraft and Marwood. The convict being a slim built man an extra drop of eight feet Avas alloAved, and the execution Avas carried out under an impioved mode lately introduced by Marwood at home. The knot was abandoned, a copper eyelet hole being introduced at the end of the rope, and a loop supported by a leather Avasher Avas fixed just below the left car. After a short prayer had been said the gaol chaplain, asked “ Do you Avish to say anything ? Did you kill Mrs Young Ah Lee replied in a firm voice “ A T o ; me no killec Mrs Young!” So far he had been perfectly cool but as his legs were pinioned and the Avhite cap adjusted, he trembled violently. The bolt was then removed and death Avas instantaneous. A subsequent examination by two medical men showed that the neck had been broken. At the inquest held at 11.30, a carle of de-

ceased was taken by Coventry. Considerable regret lias been expressed that the “ Herald ” should have made reference to Marshall, as ho was on the eve of recovery.