Heir Ap.arent and Viceroy of the provinees of Kuangtung and Kuangai, and Hsit Chen-yi, Govervor of Kuangtung, send a joint' memorial ¢ neeming a case of promiscuous shooting in the city of Lien-ping chou, Kuangtung, wherein " myn who was intending to shoot down ano: fatally wounded instead the Istter's ith the first shot, and with the sec instantaneously killed his own mother. Owing to the seriousness of the crime the culprit was brought to Canton for trial before the Provincial Judge, and later on, the evidence obtained by that oticer was confirmed by a personal investigation before the memorial-ts themselves. The murderer was a member of the militia of she city of Lienpingchou and was noted for his Glial piety towards his widowed mother. The man he wished to kill was neighbour, and the two men, moreover, owned adjacent pieces of Isnd on the hills behind the said city of Lienpingchou. One day, while the latter, a man named Liv Ah-hsi, was cutting trees and picking up brushwood for firewood in the hill Iand aforesaid, he happened to be standing just on the boundary separating the two pro-ties when the mother of the murderer, man named Chou Ah-lu), passing by at the time, suspected that the former was stealing the brushwood from her property. She at once accused Liu Ah-hsi of theft, and he conscious of having done no wrong naturally resented, resulting in hard Language being used on' both sides. The old woman then returned home and told her son, who had just returned from guard duty, ab-ut the disrespect shown by their neighbour, living opposite the way, This so exasperated the son who was uaturally of a violent temper, that he went at once across the street to: seek for Liu Ab-hsi. He found his enemy and without more ado struck a blow at L'u. Liu dodged the intended blow and turned round to rerun the compliment, when Chou ran back to his own house and picking up a club came out again to attack Liv. Just then Chou's mother came up and seeing Ler son with a club in his hand, ready for mischief, and on the point of crossing the street she laid hold of his club, and partly by force, and partly by words of comin-ud, persuaded him to go back into the house: This done, the mother pushed the son into his room and locked him up inside. This room faced the street and the wooden walls being full of crevices and apertures, Chou could easily see what was going on out side. He saw Liu still nding in. the street in front of his own door, but swearing away and gesticulating in the direction of Chou's house. This apparently sv inflamed the hearer that he looked around for some means of getting out of his room "to have it out" with Liu. At this moment he espied his musket which belonged to him by virtue of his connection with the city militia. He instantly took down the weapon which hung on the wall re cly for use, and drawing out the old charg" reloade! the piece with a slug putting a fresh percussion: cap on the an aperture in the wall and deliberately nipple. Chou then shoved his gan through
aimed it at Liu, who ignorant of the shot in s'ore for him still stood swearing in front of his house. Just as Chou pulled the trigger of his gun, Liu''s wife issued from the door, and in so doing just covered her husband's per The result was that, the woman received the ball in her left side, ait fell moaning to the ground. Enraged beyond bounds at this outrage upon his wife Liu dashes into Chou's hous" eager ty wreak vengeance on the perpetrafor, and crying out that he was determined to have the letter bound and taken before the authorities. When saw that his shot had missed enemy, "ud that the Intter was actually in his (Chov's) house, the murde: er reloaded his gun determined.
shoot at him "gain. His gun reloaded, Chou pushed the muzzle through an aperture near the door of his room. But just as he fired his own mother had rushed up in front of Liu to push him out of the way—knowing that her son would fire again, now that his blood w: In doing so the old woman received the bullet in her back killing her instantly, thus saving once more Lin's life.
As soon as Chow recognised the enormity of his crime, although done accidentally, ho at once came nat gun in hand, and made his way to the sub-prefect's yumén to whom. he gave himself up. As the law makes no allowance for accidental homicide, the memorialist in consequence of the murder being that of the homicide's own mother at once ordered Chou Ah-lu to be executed by the lingch'th or "slow and shameful process." "Phe sanction of his Majesty is requested to the above sentence,-Rescript: Let the Board of Punishments speedily report thereon.
24th May.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.