In I, M, Police Court last Friday afternoon, before Judge G. W. King, Nogi Sath, a British subject, employed as fireman and trimmer on the str. Baron Kinnaird was charg ed with the murder of Ah Ahmed, fireman andetrimmer on the same vessel.
Mr. Priestwood, Jr, appeared for the Crown and Mr. Tyeko Wing for the defence.
In this preliminary hearing Mr. Priestwood called first Mr. Wood field, superintendent of the River Police. Mr, Woodficld said that yesterday afternoon he received a telephone message from the River Police Patrol Sergeant of the Upper Section and in consequence of this he immediately went to the Str. Baron Kinnaird, at the Nee Ts Shing Wharf, Pootung, where it was reported to him that one of the ship's firemen had been stabbed by another fireman, und that the accused had been detained on the ship. He saw the body of the deceased ying on a hatchway and was told that the agent's doctor had already been sent for. At the written request of the Captain he took the accused into custody, but before actually doing this, by means of Mahomet Hassan, also a fireman, who knew English, and acted as interpreter, he told' the accused he was being' taken into custody for stabbing and causing the death of Ah Ahmed. The accused. replied, You can lock me up. Iam in you hand. Cannot do anything. Thi man strike me before and also tried to kill me." He was taken to the Hongkew Police Station for detention and the body of the deceased was sent to the Public Mortuary.
Mr. J. L. Chapman, Chief Engineer' of the steamer, then gave evidence and said that the men had signed on January 16, 1928 in London. Yesterday afternoon he was standing by hatch supervising the loading: when accused came and told him of, trouble with the deceased over the accused's having done too much work. 2r. Chapman went forward] into the forecastle where the firemen were preparing for tea and told the two jointly that there, was to be no trouble. They promised, and he went back to the hatch, Shortly after this Ah Ahmed came out to him, and cried out "Stabbed, stabbed, stabbed!" The Chief Eng-inoer went for cotton wool to put on the wound and when he returned, with it the man was lying face down on the deck. He died as Mr. Chapman stood beside him. The deceased when Mr, Chapman first saw him was wearing a shirt but when he came out stabbed he was bare to the waist.
The hearing was adjourned,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.