MURDER AND SUICIDE

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2626, 20 August 1881, Page 3

MURDER AND SUICIDE

At Tamworth on the night of the Bth inst., a Chinese hawker, named Ko Son, shot two men named John Smith and John M‘Cann. The Chinaman had been for some time past lesident in Tamworth, and was considered a quiet and inoffensive man. He was camped on a piece of ground near Branbrey’s oyster saloon, and had been about town selling vegetables at several hotels. During tbc afternoon some larrikins were teasing him, calling after him “ Paddy,” which seemed to greatly exasperate him. At 8 o’clock three men, John Smith, John M'Cann. and John M'Donald. who only arrived at Tamworth that afternoon by the 4 o’clock mail train, and were strangers, were passing along the street close to the oyster saloon. The Chinaman was standing on the footpath, and suddenly, without warning or provocation, ho . drew a revolver and exclaiming, “I teachee yon to teasec me,” fired first at Smith, then at M‘Cann, and then a third shot at himself. All the shots took deadly effect. Smith died instantaneously. M‘Cann was shot under the arm. The ball entered his lungs. The whcle town was soon in a state of com‘motion. The men were taken into the Commercial Hotel. Drs Frean and White were sent for, and they speedily arrived on the scene. They searched for the halls unsuccessfully. M'Cann is rapidly sinking, and lias lost the use of the lower portion of his limbs. The Chinaman died immediately. The police took possession of the bodies and effects of the murdered men.

Commenting on the affair tbc Ago writes:— “If we are determined that it is to the interest of the eolony that no Chinaman should live in it, let us pass t a law of deporting him out of it, and carry it into effect with as much zeal us we may. But if wc first set the example of lawlessness, and goad him to despair by the cruelties we practise on him, it is no good pretending to he astonished if he nowfand then betters the instruction that we give him, and runs a-muck through our streets, careless whether he destroys the innocent as well as the guilty.”