The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-06-04 00:00:00

THE IRISH QUESTION.

MR. GLADSTONE AND THE COERCION BILIA
Hawarden was crowded with visitors on Tuesday,
some seven or eight thousand strangers having
travelled thither from various centres in Cheshire,
Staffordshire, Yorkshire, and Lancashire. At the
request of the officers of the Crewe Division Liberal
Association, Mr. Gladstone in the afternoon made his
appearance on the terrace in front of Hawarden
Castle. A resolution in the names of the Liberals of
Congleton, Macclesfield, and Crewe, denouncing the
Crimes Bill as cruel, tyrannical, and needless, and
expressing continued confidence in Mr. Gratlstone and
approval of the principles of his Home Rule Bill was
agreed to. Mr. Gladstone, who was received with
cheering on advancing to the front of the terrace,
said: Ladies and gentlemen,—l thank you for your
resolution. It is in conformity—so far as regards the
present disastrous policy of coercion towards Ireland
—it is in conformity with many hundreds of similar
resolutions which have reached me every dayl for a
series of months since this unhappy bill -appeared;
and I believe, and I am firmly convinced, that those
resolutions express the sense of the great majority of
the people of these countries. (Cheers.) It is pre-
tended, gentlemen, that we are legislating against
crime. Be it known to you that there is less crime
in Ireland per million of population than there is in
England or in Scotland —(cheers)—and the bill which
pretends to legislate against crime, but which really
legislates against measures similar to those that are
legally adopted by trades unions in England—(bear,
hear)—that bill which legislates against combination
and not against crime, or rather which legislates
against combinations while professing to legislate
against crime—(hear, hear)—that bill is in itself a
crime. (Loud cheers.)

TRAGEDY ON THE HIGH SEAS.
THE MALAY SINGING HIS DEATH SONG,
On Tuesday James Cocks, 33, master of the British
barque Lady Douglas, and living at 60, Brunswick.
road, Poplar; James Gleaves, 25, the second mate,
of 7, West India Dock-road, Poplar; Edward Wil-
liam Evans, 27, the mate of the ship; and John Wil-
liam Webster, 23, seaman, were again brought before
Mr. Lushington, at the Thames Police court, in cus-
tody of Inspectors Swanson (Scotland Yard) and
Reid (Thames Police), charged with being concerned
together in causing the death of a Malay seaman,
named Hassan, by shooting him at sea, on board the
Lady Douglas, when between Shark's Bay and Eng-
land, on April 23 last.
31r. Mead prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury;
and Mr. St. John Wontner appeared for the accused.
The following fresh evidence was taken: -
Charles Goodliffe Hunt said he was a seaman on
board the Lady Douglas. He recollected the Malay
Hassan being on board after they sailed from Gas.
coigne. During a gale off the Cape they missed
Hassan. The day after that he was discovered. Wit-
ness entered notes in his pocket book on the days on
which these events occurred. When they found
Hassan they gave him bread and butter. The next
day the Malay again went into the forepeak. Wit-
'loss afterwards went down to get some coals, and
before that the captain gave Hassan a pint of water,
after keeping him eight days without any. After
Hassan got another supply of water he passed up
coals. Some da) a afterwards the captain said to
witness, "Will you cansent to this man being killed?"
Witness said, "Don't kill the poor wretch.
Take him to England and have him tried before
an English jury if he has done anything wrong.°
Witness was then told that Hassan was out of irons.
The crew and captain then went and wrote something
down in the log-book, but witness did not sign it.
The next day there was some shooting going on, and
they were trying to scald Hassan out of the forepeak.
Captain Cocks went walking about, trying to have a
blind shot at Hassan. The mate said, "I've got one
dose into him, and I'll get another one if I get the
chance." Witness did not see the captain fire any
shots. Witness had to draw water with the rest to
flood Hassan out, and the captain said, "Go on,
boys. Kill him. I will take the responsibility."
The captain told the man, if he would only surrender,
he would not be shot at. The next day the captain
called the crew aft and said, "This man, boys, is a
dangerous character, and for the protection of our own
lives we must wipe him out." Witness said, " If there is
any blame to be attached blame it on me." The captain
said. "No ; I will be the responsible party." They
all then went and lifted up the hatch, and they saw
Hassan lying helpless, cold, and wet on the deck
below. Witness could see he was done up. He
heard a shot, and Hassan was wounded somewhere
in the loins. The Malay then began to sing his death
song. The captain said, "Now who's going to get
him out of that?" No other rope being handy, they
got the bucket rope, and witness went down and
hooked him on to the shackles round his legs. They
then pulled him on deck. Hassan only weighed about
401 b. Witness afterwards went and passed up the
knife Hassan had with him. When on deck Hassan
appeared almost dead, and witness said, "Hold on;
don't riddle him." Another shot was fired, and the
Malay was wounded in the side of the head, the brain
being injured. Witness did not look to see who shot
Hassan, as he felt too disgusted.
By Mr. St. John Wontner : Witness shipped at
Fremantle, and went out there in the John T. Rowe.
Witness was six months on shore. He objected to the
employment of any one who was not white, and he
expressed dissatisfaction at the shipping of the
Malays. He said he would sooner go to prison than
sail with a Malay. Witness had no communication
with Hassan when he was in hiding. He gave Hassan
a bit of tobacco. That was when he was in irons.
Witness did not give him any matches, but Webster
did. Witness did not give Hassan any wire or keys
by which he got out of his irons. Witness was always
kept away from him, and was isolated from the
others. He knew that the crew said he was acting in
concert with the Malay, and fed him during the time
he had been in hiding. At Havre an entry in the
log was read out to him to that effect.
Witness only gave Hassan tobacco once, and
then he threw it to him. Hedid not know that when
the captain asked his consent to have Hassan
killed, the whole of the crew had requested that he
should be killed, as the ship was in peril from him.
All the crew, except witness, signed the memorandum
in the log-book to that effect. Witness did not pro-
vide Hassan with a crowbar; he did not see him using
the crowbar, and did not hear him threaten the crew.
It was not Spitz who first found the Malay in the
coals. He did not hear the deceased say, "if Spitz
had gone a little nearer me I would have run a knife
through him." He did not hear Hassan, when in
irons, say, "Some one on board will have to die before
I do." He heard Hassan say he would not go to
London. Witness took no part in the attack on him.
In fact he was boycotted. Witness objected to the
man being killed. Hassan was kept down in the hold
for two months on bread and water. When witness
hooked Hassan up by the leg he was not dead, and
he did it in that unceremonious manner because there
was nothing handier. Witness had expressed dis-
sa•isfaction at the captain, but did not remember say-
ing that when they got to London the captain would
hear of him.

Re-examined by Mr. Mead: Harman had handcuffs
on his wrists and irons on his feet. He could have
slipped his hands from the cuffs. The shackles on
Hassan's legs were locked, but witness could not say
if they were taken off before he was dropped into the
sea. .He did not think Hassan had strength enough
to use the iron crowbar produced.
Peter King, recalled, said after fleman was dead,
and before he was thrown into the sea, witness Pa w
the chief officer (Evans) take the irons off each leg.
Cassein, a Malay, whose evidence had to be inter-
preted, said he recollected going on board the Lady
Douglas at Gascoigne. Hassan was also on boar.d.
After the latter was lost and found, witness was
locked up in the cabin by the captain. Witness was
locked up on three separate occasions.

Henry Spitz depose he was a seaman on board the
Lady Douglas. Shortly before Hassan was found,
witness went down into the fore peak, but did not see
him. He heard him say that if witness had hurt him
he would have had a knife into him.

Mr. Wontner wished to know if the magistrate
had made up his mind as to the case.
Mr. Lushington replied there had been nothing to
show that the safety of the crew had been in imme-
diate danger.
Carl Christiansen, a seaman, said Hassan used to
have the same watch as himself. He used to express a
wish that he might die. He saw the Malay found by
the mate when he was hanging outside by the fore
rigging. The day before Hassan died witness heard
him call out for Caseein. That. night he began cutting
the deck with a knife. The next morning th 9 officers
and crew said it was best to do away with him,
because the ship was in great danger. Witness saw
guns and a revolver fired at Hassan. Prior to that
cold water had been thrown on him, and after that
some hot water was thrown down. He was killed by
the shot that was fired at him after he was brought
up on deck.
Frederick Stanley Smethurst, an apprentice on
board the Lady Douglas, gave similar evidence.
They all agreed to shoot Hassan to get him out of
his misery.
The prisoners having been cautioned in the usual
manner, said they would reserve their defence.
Mr Lushington committed the defendants for
trial at the next sitting of the Central Criminal
Court, on the charge of wilful murder, and declined
to accept bail.