The trial of Joan de Matta Ozorio, a clerk in the employ of the Hongkong and of wilfully murdering Francisco Xavier de Whampoa Dock Company, on the o nee Jesus on the 9th May, was opened at the Supreme Court on the 21st inst. before the Chief Justice and a special jury. The Attorney-General prosecuted and Mr. Francis, QC, appeared for the defence. The counsel for the prosecution having briefly stated his case first called J, ier, who was a living at No. 2 West Terrace at the time of the occurrence and witness) te shoati of de Jesus, and Miss Giafira Portaria, the prisoner's fiancee. In the course of her evidence she stated that the prisoner was very jealous and was constantly asserting that some other person, if not de Jesus, was taking liberties with ler and demanding his name. She denied that either de Jesus or any other man had done so, but Ozorio would not be pucified and vowed that before a week was out she would hear of murder and suicide, Even on the night of the murder she had assured him his suspicions were unfounded. On the 22nd inst. Miss Portaria's examination was continued, and rhe admitted that the prisoner had taken liberties with her frequently for more than year, but his suspicions about other men were quite unfounded. Several ye hysterigsl letters from the prisoner to this witness' were produced and read, and the medical evidence as to the wounds of deceased was taken, also that of a sister of deceased. On the 23rd inst. Mr. Francis opened the case for the defence, and set up a plea of mental irresponsibility' on -the part of the prisoner. He then called a number of witnesses to prove that at various times they had remarked the uncertain temper and peculiar ways of the prisoner. Drs, Thomson, Atkinson, and Lowson, then gave medical evidence on this point and all expressed the opinion that the prisoner wae of sound mind. The proceedings were then adjourned to 9.30 a.m. on the 24th inst, when Mr. Francis addressed the jury in a'speech Instivg three hours and a-bait in which be urged with much eloquence that the prisoner was not in the possession of his right senses when he shot Mr. de Jesus,. The Attomicy-General replied, submitting that the case was a simple one of murder, and that there
verdict of not guilty on the ground of wus absolutely 20 igridence, to warrant a insanity. His learned friend had' not been able to find a single medical.man in the colony to come forvrard to support.his plea. In spite of the eloquence of his learned friend they could, he thought, come to. no other conclusion but that this was a case of murder by a jealous young man who was corrupt in his own mind and had corrupted the mind of his fiancee. The Chief Justice then summed up, and the jury after a brief retirement for six minutes gave a unanimous verdict of guilty. The prisoner, when asked if he had anything to say, protested that he was not guilty. If he did Kill the man he must have lost his head at the time. The Chief Justice then passed sentence of death on the prisoner who was removed.
This is, I believe, the first time, since the foundation of the Colony, that a Portuguese n sentenced to death for murder here. The Lusitanian community, be it to their credit spoken, are a most law-abiding people, and have always farnished a very small quota to the criminal statistics of the Colony. Itis characteristic, perhaps, that many Portuguese residents should have pinned their faith to the learned Q Os ability to get Ozorio off. It is not long since that eloquent advocate managed: to induce a foolish jury to let off a Chinese who was caught, so-to-speak, red-handed in murdering his wife and packing the remains in a wooden case.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.