Reveals at Inquest; Commander's Action peme how the late Mr.
R. M. Tinkler, labour superintendent at the China Printing & Finishing Ca.'
Lun Chang mill at Pootung Point, had been struck three or four times by Commander Nojii, Commander of the Japanese Naval Landing Party in Pootung, and had then been dragged for about twenty-five yards, although bleeding profusely from wounds sustained during a skirmish with the Japanese marines on the mill premises, Mr. John Sharples, spinning supervisor at the mill, continued his evidence before Mr. C. H. Haines, H. M. Coroner yesterday, when the inquest on Mr. Tinkler was resumed. Scenes at the military hospital in Pootung, where Mr.
Tinkler was detained for many hours by the Japanese were related by Mr. Sharples, who accompanied the injured man there and remained with him for several hours.
Mr. Tinkler, it will be recalled, died on June 7 as the result of wounds sustained during a fight with Japanese marines at the mill premises on June 6, when a group of Chinese strikers and strikebreakers were being escorted across the mill compound after having been involved in a fight on the company's pontoon, On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Sharples stated in his evidence, he and other foreigners attempted to make a Japanese N.C.O, understand that some of the group of Chinese escorted by the marines were loyal workers, At that time Mr. Tinkler had appeared bleeding from the mouth.
Asked by the Coroner why he had armed himself, Mr. Sharples explained that when they had seen the coolies, armed with sticks, running towards the mill, with the Japanese marines walking behind, they had come to the conclusion that the Japanese were not affording the mill protection. His opinion was that the Japanese were allowing the coolies to attack the mill As he thought that the foreigners might be attacked, they armed themselves as a precautionary measure,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.