murder of Mr. Lehners

[nzbc]

On the morning of the 3rd January lust it became known that had been nnirderid during the night. The greatest consternation and excitement prevailed when it was discovered that the purpose of the murder was robbery. The authorities found no definite clues on inspecting tlie premises, and nobody knew real I y who to suspect. As is general in cases of this kind, rumours of ever}' description were life, and several people were suspected. Every clue was followed with great eneigy, but the results were poor, .and pessimists began to think that the murder would be added to the long list of undiscovered and unpunished crimes. " Some considerable time passed away, when a chance remark, made before the Chinese Commitsioner, led to further inquiries, and these inquiries led to the arrest and examination of two coolies. The examination led to the arrest of a third. Then the eal compiling of evidence began, with the result that seven coolies were indited. There was a tremendous lot of evidence, but the President of the Court, Bezirksrichter Sperling, had most ably elicited sufficient tangible information for the Crown Prosecutor to be able to submit a conclusive case to the Conrt. The accused were tried last week, the trial lasting three days. The Court consisted of Bezirksrichter Sperling, Crown Prosecutor Mars, Assessors Borcherdt, Dr. Friederichs, Garben and Osbahr, Interpreters Berking and Tsai, and Secretary von Egidy. The seven prisoners, Chan Hing No. 2388 ; Ah Kau, No 840 ; Ai Tsai Lin, No. 2796 ; Leung She, No. 2247: Wu Kwan, No. 1747 ; Wong Sin Hung, No. 2152 ; and Ah Pui, No. 2071 were indited for the wilful murder of Mr. Lehners, with premeditation and intent, and for being accessories before and after tho fact.

A vory Large nunibor of witnesse* weie examined, the following being n resume* of the evidenne : (!luin Hing, Ah Kim, Ai Tsai Lin, iiuii the Coolie No. 2128, tome months ago, planned the murder. They knew that tho deceased always had a largo amount of money on the premise*. and that ho lived alono. On Confucius Day the four wont to the etote and changed money there for the purpose of finding OOt where tho cash wan kept About the beginning of December they went to tho store with intent to commit murder. Ah Kan, Mr. Wetsell'a overseer, was a good customer, and was well known to Mr, Lflhnere, For this reason ho wan allowed to euter the sitting room and purchase sonic beer. Last October the deceased was attacked by Chinese, after which ho made a trap window through which he sold poods after tho shop was closed, and it was only on very rare occasions that he allowed Chinese or Samoa us to enter his sitting room. On that evening in December he allowed Ah Kan and Ins mates to enter, but their planned attack was frustrated owing to a Samoan woman arriving on the scene to buy bread. Ai Tsai Lin was, on that occasion, elected to do the deed, and Leung Fling made a remark that he was a coward, to give him the knife and he would do it. On the 2nd January, L 913, the same three again went to the store with the intention of mnrdering Mr. Lehners. This time they did not mention it to Coolie No. 2128. The well known Ah Kau ordered beer and cakes ; they ate the cakes and drank part of the beer, then Ah Kau expressed a desire to buy something out of the store, which he knew was in a glass case opposite the counter. Ah Kau and At Tsai Lin went with Lehners to the glass case, which Lehners opened, while Chan Hing was left on watch. Ah Kau stood in front <>f Lehners, talking about the deal, to detract notice from Ai Tsai Lin. When everything was prepared Lehners reached for the goods, and at that moment Ai Tsni Lin struck the fatal blow, and Lehners fell on some cases. The wound was parallel to the breast bone, and measured 16 cm long, three ribs and the chief arteries being cut through. Death must hove been almost instantaneous. The insido of the glass case and the floor was covered with blood. The murderers went back to the sitting room and broke open the box, where they knew the money to be, with an axe. In addition to the cash, they took 0 watches, and went to Ptiluascu River, where they cleanse themselves from blood, there leaving u shirt which was found soon afterwards, but did not supply a cine. They proceeded to the Tuaiinimato Plantation and divided the spoil in the drier, giving the watchman, Wong Sin Hung, the option of 200 Marks to keep quiet or they would do away with him. The man who struck the blow, Ah Tsai Lin, received 4,000 Marks, Chan I ling 1,500 Marks, and Ah Kau a little over 1,500 Marks. Ai Tsai Lin also received the watches, and gave two to Chan Hing. Chan Hing owed the coolie 2428 M. 20, and payed him half the debt a couple of days after the murder. Coolie 2428. who was an accessory to the futile attempt in December, asked for more money. Chan Hing gave him a watch and told him not to mention where he got it from, and that he must not ask any further questions. Afterwards Chan Hing told 2428 that he got the watch from Ai Tsai Lin. This, together with the fact that Chan Lung, who was always short of money suddenly had it in plenty, raised the suspicions of 2428, and, upon enquiry, he found out the truth. When 2428 had collected sufficient evidence he went to the Chinese Commissioner and reported that he had received the watch from Chan Hing who told Jiiu. that he got it from Ai Tsai Lin. These two were then arrested. In a very clever interrogation, during which the two prisoners often con* tradicted themselves, sufficient evi" den was elicited to warrant the arrest of Ah Kau. After the three were in gaol more and more evidence came to hand, as while the three were at large the other coolies were afraid to state anything. It was found that the former overseer of the Tuanaitnato Plantation,

Wo Kwun, who wnaauapeetnd tit lining th* louder of ii (MiiuoHp Secret BrM'let3 ■ mid who fmrtuinly had a gro.it in flitoneo over lin countrymen, received from Ai Tsai Lin the mini of 2.000 Marks for tlio purpose of bribing those who could jjivu evidence. It ivm proved that Wu Kwan drill'il the enolie* Ah She ami Ah Pui. The hit lor winkcl In stop nil information. and bribwi other Chinese not to give evidence. The principal witness for the prosedition. Coolie 2428! wu* attacked in April by thucooliesof thoTanumapua Plnntation. TwoennliiM committed a rnur'ieroiiH attack, inflicting a mwi dangerous wound on the herd with n knife, and throw him down u steep stony procipioH where they loft him for dead. The two would ho murderers were sentenced to 0 3'ears penal servi' tude nnd Coolie 24'28 is still very sick.

On Friday the Crown Prosecutor made his speech, and tho defending lawyer asked for dismissal of the oaeo on the grounds of insufficient evidence. On Saturday at 12.30 judgment was given and sentence pronounced. Chan Hing, Ah Kan and Ai Tsai Lin were sentenced to death for committing wilful murder with promeditation, and to 10 years hard labour for robbery. The Coolie Wu Kwan, No. 1747, five years penal servitude, Coolie Ah Pui, 2071, four years penal servitude ; Coolie Wong Sing Hung, 21 02, one year penal servitude. The Coolie Leung She, '2247, who was adjudged to have taken money out of ignorance and fright, was acquitted. The sentenced prisoners 'o pay the costs of the prosecution. The goods of the prisoners were confiscated. It mnst be mentioned that at mm time |tho elucidation of this crime appeared to he hopeless, and had it not been for the splendid work of Beeirksriehter Sperling. Chinese Commissioner Sohaaffhauseu and the Chinese Interpreter and police, the murderers and their accessories would probably be still at large.

SAMOANISCHE ZEITUNG, VOLUME 13, ISSUE 28, 12 JULY 1913
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/SAMZ19130712.2.23?items_per_page=10&query=Chan&snippet=true&title=STSSA%2cSTSSG%2cSWH%2cSAMREP%2cSAMZ