EXECUTION OF AH MAU.

[NZBC]

EXECUTION OF AH MAU. LIGHT ON UUGELE MURDER. THREE CALLOUS DESPERADOES CRIME WAVE IX SAMOA. (From Our Own Correspondent.) APIA, July 17. With the hanging of the Chinese coolie, Ah Man, on Tuesday, July 10. was ended the career of a desperate criminal who deliberately murdered one man—th'± Tuainamato murder—and on his own confession took part in the murder of two girls. So feared was this Chinese that he was finally betrayed and delivered up to the police, when he escaped by the help of his fellow coolies. He received sentence of death for killing a coolie, whom he was attempting to rob. His accomplice, Wong See, was also condemned for his share in this crime, only escaping the hangman's noose by strangling himself in his cell a few days before the date fixed for the execution.

The discovery of Ah Mau's part in the Tuainamato murder was particularly important in that it threw light on the Uugele murder of last October, when two girls were found killed and their bodies mutilated under most brutal circumstances. No clues were found, and until Constable C'allaghan, of the New Zealand Police Force, commenced'making inquiries regarding the Tuainamato murder, no light was thrown on the mystery. However, those inquiries led to the arrest of two coolies named Chu l-'ook and Chan Sang. The latter promptly escaped from Yaimea gaol and is still at large in the bush with a reward of £"20 on his head. With Ah Man. who shortly afterwards was condemned for the Tuainamato murder, these coolies appeared to be strongly implicated, but in the absence of Chan Sang the case was incomplete.

The execution of Ah Man was accordingly delayed in the hope that Chan Sang might be captured, but as this did not eventuate, the fatal date was linally tixed for Tuesday, .Tilly H>. Ah Mau, who had expressed his willingness to confess, appeared before the Court on Monday at Chu Fook's trial and gave his evidence on the Uugele murder with the full knowledge that nothing could harm him further. His statement, which was most complete, indicates appalling callousness and brutality on the part of the three Chinese. The Uugele Murder. It appeared that a proposal was made by Chan Sang to rob the Uugele house while Mr. Uugele was away, which Chu Fook and Ah Mau a greed to do. Accordingly, one night,- armed with knives, they called at the house, and while Ah Mau kept w;.i<h on the verandah, Chan Sang knocked at the back entrance and asked for a drink of water. Ah Mau then heard a struggle and a scream and immediately a girl ran out with Chan Sang running after her. Chan Sang slashed at her with his knife and the girl dropped. He and Chan Sang then went inside and he saw the body of another girl lying on the floor, covered with a sheet. The girl was still breathing. Chu l'ook was inside at. the time. After searching the house, uninterrupted, the three of them left together, but stopped at a stream near by. While Chu Fook and Chan Sang washed their knives and clothes, on which were bloodstains. After this they visited Chan Sang's house and then separated.

Cross-examined by Mr. Slipper, on behalf of Chu Fook, Ah Mau adhered to his 6tory. He denied saying to a fellow prisoner in Yaimea Goal. "I did not kill the Uugele girls, but the police treated my head as a football and in order to avoid their rough handling, I was compelled to say 'Yes' to every question put to me." He was condemned to die, he said, and it did not matter whether he told the truth or not. though since sentence was passed, he had become a baptised Christian. The Execution. The case against Chu Fook was adjourned to Tuesday, 17th inst., by which time, Ah Mau had paid the penalty for his crime, gamely and smiling. He walked up the gallow steps without assistance and showing no signs of nervousness on the trapdoor he looked up and smiled. Hi;, last words, in Chinese, were: "I'll soon go up to Heaven." . Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 183, 4 August 1928, Page 20

[NZBC]

CONFESSION RETRACTED

MUGELE MURDER TRIAL.

ACCUSED ACQUITTED.

CONDEMNED MAN'S MOTIVES.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

APIA, August 9.

The Police Department of Samoa have been experiencing great difficulty in obtaining decisive evidence regarding the brutal murder of last October, when the two Mugele girls were murdered. For nine months they were unable to secure any clue and it looked as if the matter would drop, until a Chinese coolie Ah Mau was involved in another murder for which he was condemned to die. Police investigating in this affair exposed Ah Mau's complicity in the Mugele murder and revealed that he and two other coolies were involved. They were all promptly arrested, but one of them just as promptly escaped, and has not as yet been recaptured. This delaye<T the trial for some time. Meanwhile, Ah Mau was condemned for another murder and could not be charged with the Mugele murder, although his evidence could be taken. The police delayed the trial of

|Chu Fook, the remaining coolie, in the [hope that the missing man, Chan Jang, would be retaken, but finally decided to [proceed with the case.

At first matters looked decidedly black for the coolie. The police based their charge on two statements. One of these was by Ah Mau, given the day before his execution, in which he made a clean breast of the Mugele murder and accused Chu Fook of being involved. Under cross-examination, his story remained unshaken, and it was unfortunate that his execution was not delayed in order that he could be reexamined in the light of further evidence. The other statement was one given by Chu Fook, himself, while in prison, in which he confessed to having taken part in the murder. The trial, however, has shown that neither of these statements is reliable.

Counsel for the accused first showed that Ah Mau'fi statement was not consistent with a conversation he had with another coolie, while in Vaimea prison. This coolie asked Ah Mau if Chu Fook was concerned in the Mugele murder and when Ah Mau said "No," pointed out to him that it was wrong to get an innocent person into trouble. Ah Mau callously replied that accused would only be imprisoned and not hanged and that in any case he intended to tell the truth later. It was then shown that Ah Mau and Chu Fook had quarrelled and fought some months previously, and that he had probably made the accusation from motives of revenge. Chu Fook then denied the truth of the statement he had made himself while in prison and declared that he had made a false confession under compulsion. He was a week in Apia gaol without sufficient food and as a result became weak and giddy. In addition, he was ill-treated, being struck about the body and face. Later on, in Vaimea prison, where he was chained to the floor, he was frequently struck and was knocked senseless. On one occasion he was whipped. It was due to these conditions that he made statements to the police. He was silly at the time from the rough treatment he had experienced. A fellow prisoner gave corroborative evidence. Chu Fook, while in gaol, had been in a state of exhaustion and was half starved. On occasions he had given Chu Fook part of his own food.

The trial was concluded at this point by the Assessors declaring that there existed in their minds a considerable doubt as to the accused's guilt and that unless there was further substantial evidence they could not convict Chu Fook of murder. His Honor concurred.

His Honor then intimated that in view of the statements from accused and Ah Mau, the police had had no option but 'to prosecute. H# considered that perhaps Chu Fook's idea of "saving received ill-treatment while in prison arose from being deprived, of an habitual drug,Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 196, 20 August 1928, Page 10

[CoverUp]

It is clear that these men were innocent. The murder strikes again after the men were hung. Louisa Mugele clearly stated that her murderer was a Samoan before she died not Chinese. Why would the police give such ill treatment? The motives were not clear on Mugele case because no damages to the house or property . I wonder if anyone thought to question what became of Louisas Uncle, Mother, brother, father and family was there an investigation? Yes someone framed and wanted these men to take the blame.The police, lawyers were all in it. Cover up .