A CHINESE PUZZLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15747, 23 October 1914, Page 3

A CHINESE PUZZLE.

PROBLEM FOR MAGISTRATE. QUESTION OF IDENTITY. RECOVERY OF POLL TAX SOUGHT. EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE. A Chinese puzzle again occupied attention in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, when a further attempt, was made by Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., to establish the identity of two Chinese named Henry Ah Shea, aged 25 (Mr. Cahill), and Thackeray Ah Shea. aged 24 (Mr. S. Hesketh), who asked for a remission of the poll-tax on the grounds that they were born in New Zealand, were tho sons of a naturalised Chinese, and were therefore British subjects and exempt from the tax. The case was brought under the notice of the Court by Mr. J. P. Ridings, Collectos of Customs and Mr. Kettle has spent a great deal of time in attempting U> unravel a very complicated story. It appears that one of the Chinese arrived in Auckland about seven weeks ago and the other some few weeks earlier. All Cheo deposited £400 as security for their poll-tax and this was the money they claimed to have returned. They both carried birth certificates and photographs, and claimed to be the sons of i certain Ah Shea. The latter left Auckland 20 years ago with two young sons, the mother having died just previously. Some months ago Henry and Thackeray Ah Shea decided to come to New Zealand. Neither of them could pass the reading and other tests necessary to gain their entrance, but as naturalised British subjects they -would be eligible to land. After their arrival in the Dominion they both applied for the recovery of the polltax on the grounds that they were suns of Ah Shea. A deadlock occurred, however, when Thackeray claimed Henry as his brother and the latter denied the relationship, for the Customs authorities considered that this repudiation added to the unsatisfactory proofs of identification put forward by both applicants made it evident that one of the two was not speaking the truth. Henry said that his brother died in China as a child and he alleged that when he arrived here bribes and threats were used to try to coerce him into acknowledging the relationship. Conflicting evidence was given by a large number of Chinese witnesses yesterday. While some swore that they knew Ah Shea's sons in their native country, and that one of them had died, others were equally positive that they had watched the boys grow up, and that the two facing each other in Court were brothers. Thackeray Ah Shea's version was that he and his "brother had quarrelled, and tho repudiation was the latter's method of. obtaining vengeance. He stated that he had been brought up with • Henry, had lived vith him, and had s'ept in the same room. Henry denied these statements, and said that he knew the other man in China, but they lived in separate houses. Although Henry Ah Shea's claim was considered by magistrate and solicitors to be the stronger, the absence of corroborating evidence was thought unsatisfactory. When questioned by Mr. Kettle, he said "that he was at school three years ago. but the school was now non-existent. He could not identify the exact position of his father's grave, and he would not, or could not, give a clear description of his own various places of residence. He had been married, he said, but his wife was dean/ Mr. Kettle said that the evidence was so extraordinary and unprecedented that it was impossible to be convinced of tho Genuineness of either man's representations. He would consider the advisability of referring the matter to the British Consul at Canton. In tho Koaufeie. ho ' adjourned the case to'sro if further l/jfit could be thrown upon the mystery.