The story of a grim' struggle between Mr, R. H. Challinor and the alleged murderer of his wife in their bedroom at No. 499, The Peak, on May 5, was related by the bereaved husband in committal proceedings commenced at the Central Magistracy, Hongkong on June 17, states the "South China Morning Post." Lam Chun, 30-year-old cook-boy, was charged with, the murder of Mrs, Sybil Ruby Challinor, 42, the prosecution alleging that he entered her bedroom at 4 o'clock in the morning armed with two knives and stabbed her to death in the presence of her husband. Mr, Challinor gave evidence that he grappled with the man for 20 minutes whilst his wife lay dead on the floor. He himself received numerous gashes before he wrested the weapons away, Mr, Richard Harold Challinor is District Manager of the Imperial Chemical Industries (China) Ltd, in Hongkong. His wife was due to visit their daughter at Harrogate, England, three weeks before she was killed.
The accused is a native of Lung Wan Li Village, Yang Ping District; he had been cook-boy in the Challinor household for 15 months. He was stated yesterday to have been refused a character testimonial when under notice to leave, and also imgained that people had been saying he was a leper.
The case was opened on June 17 before Mr. H. R. Butters, Senior Magistrate, Mr. J. Whyatt, Crown Counsel, was assisted by Inspector C, R. Rozeskwy for the prosecution.
Presenting the case for the Crown, Mr, Whyatt said: Prisoner is charged with the murder of Mrs. Sybil Ruby Challinor, It is alleged by the Crown that in the early hours of May 5, this prisoner murdered Mrs. Chal-liner by stabbing her with kitchen knives, Although it is alleged this offence was committed on May 5, accused was. not formally charged until June 10, the reason being that for several weeks he has been in hospital undergoing treatment for i juries which, it ig alleged, he received shortly after the time when the crime was committed.
At the time when these events happened, prisoner was employed by Mr. Challinor, husband of the deceased, as a cook-boy, He had been so employed for a matter of 15 months, having been first engaged in about February last year. In addition to the prisoner, the domestic staff consisted of a coolie, a gardener, a wash amah, and: a chauffeur, who did not live on the premises.
It is fair, I think, to say that the prisoner had been a_ satisfactory servant during his employment. He was a good cook, perhaps not so good as a houseboy. He gave no trouble apart from occasional complaints by Mrs. Challinor in respect of small matters connected with his work, and the relation between them was that which usually existed between a servant and an employer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.