The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-14
EXECUTIONS AT
KOWLOON CITY.
The Manner in Which Fifteen Chinese
Pirates Were BGhGadGd,
- The Short but Impressive Ceremony" as
Described by a Paper Publisher in
China-A Tired Executioner.

On the afternoon of the 18th of May
fifteen prisoners were beheaded at KOwloon
City. Among the number were six NamOa
pirates, including the three leaders OF the
gang, namely, Fung San Yau. Lai A Tsat
and Chau A Yu. The other three were Wan
A Fat, Cheung Sui Shang and HO Fat To.
The last-named was the captain of one Of
the junks on board which the pirates put
plumber. The remainder of the fifteen were
men sentenced for various crimes. but they
appear to have been all unknown in Hong
Kong. The execution attracted an unusually
large crowd, and the interest of the specta-
tors seemed 10 center in the Namoa men.
This was particularly the case as regards
the large contingent of visitors from Hong
Kong 1t is just five months and a day since
the piracy of the Namoa and the muir
der Of Captain Pocock and Mr.. Peter
sen took place. For long time it
seemed that the leaders OF that diobolical
business were TO escape with the fruits of
their crime. They got thanks to the apathy
of the naval authorities here, very favora-
bic start The police Of the colony, II they
were to depend on their own efforts. were
utterly poweress, but the Chinese authOri-
ties bestirred themselves in the matter IN
way that showed they were very much in
untiring energy and unwavering determine
ton, undertook tine task of tracking and
bringing to justice thoae of the pirates who
were known TO have sought refuge in Chi
nese territory. The result has exceeded in
q very large measure the expectations of
this colony. for not only have fifteen OF the
miscreants now paid for their crime with
their lives but among these the three men
who were undoubtedly
THE LEADERS OF THE GANG
Have suffered. One Of these Lai A Tsat-
a man whose boldneSs aud cunning in carry
ing out such exploits have made him terror
both at sea and on shore for long time
was the person who had charge Of that por-
ton of the gang Of pirates whose duty it was
to seize and keep guard over the European
officers, engineers and passengers of the
NamOa. He was referred to by the wit
nesses in the inquiry here as the pirate
chief. The real chief, however, was Fung
San Yau. He was the man who directed
the whole Of the operations. man far
superior TO Lal A Tsat in intelligence,
though not his equal in daring. Mr.. Wode-
houses almost complimentary reference to
Lai A Tsats lack Of brutality and blood
thrstiness was misplaced; for it is well
known now that this rnffian insisted on the
necessity Of setting fire 70 the ship before
leaving it, and Flung San Yau had great
difficulty in everything him. The other
leader, Chan A Yu, Hakka from Shauki-
wan, did not specially distinguish himself
in the piracy. he was under police super
vision and on the eve of the piracy sought
permission from the Inspector of Police at
Shaukiwan to go and collect some rents in
the county," OF the three remaining
pirates whose bodies are now lying on
Kowloon beach, nothing particular is
known here.
The short but impressive ceremony at the
execution was Of the kind usual Oh such oc-
easi0ns. The prisoners were brought down
from Canton in a gun-boat, aud amid the
usual firing Of guns from war-yessels and
fort, they were put into couple of small
boats TO be taken ashore
TO THE EXECUTION GROUND
Where a crowd Of Chinese and Europeans
ranged themselves around an oblong square
formed by armed "braves." The tide be-
ing out, the boats stuck in the mud when
within about fifty yards of the shore, and
had to be showed off and rOwed to the pier.
A few minutes later the prisoners, with their
arms corded tightly behind them and their
ankles loaded with chains. came slowly