SUPPOSED MURDER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1747, 30 August 1905, Page 21

SUPPOSED MURDER.

DUNEDIN, August 24.

It now turns out that the Chinaman, Horn Sing Tong, found dead in his hut near Tapanui, was shot in the head. This was only discovered to-day, the previous examination being a hasty one, and made without the blood being washed from the face. The circumstances point to the wound not having been self-inflicted. The man lived by himself on the outskirts of the township, and was generally respected. He was known to be possessed of money, and £4B was found intact at the head of his bed, while a watch and chain were in one of his pockets. There are two or three small houses close by, and two persons state they heard a shot on Monday evening between nine and ten. It seems improbable that the man made away with himself. A revolver was found in another room, but it was not loaded, and was covered with dust. The whole case is at present a mystery.

The inquest was continued to-day. Evidence was given that deceased was about sixty years of age, and had resided in Tapanui for twenty years, having previously been a goldminer. Ah Chong, from Beaumont, called at deceased’s home at Tuesday, and found the body. He at once gave information to the police. Dr Robertson, in. his evidence, said he found on the floor in the bedroom, a pool of blood, chiefly arterial. A lamp had seemingly exploded, and the bed was burned on the side nearest the window, where deceased had been lying. The globe of the lamp was not broken, but the vessel containing the oil was in small pieces. Pieces of a whisky bottle were lying about. On the left side of the body the clothes were all charred, and portions of the flesh burned a little. There was a wound on the right cheek, in the region of a large artery, and close to it a piece of a whisky bottle glass. Over the left of the forehead was a largo bruise. When the wound in the cheek was received Sing Tong must have beep, alive. The bruise on the forehead had been inflicted during life. It penetrated right into the bone to the inner side, and there had been concussion of the brain. He found a small wound on the left corner of the month. He also found little blue marks, as if of gunpowder, and he removed two or three grains. The wound penetrated the large vessels of the neck, including the jugular vein. It was downwards and backwards for three inches, and had penetrated the bone of the spinal column. It was a wound such as would have been caused by a bullet. It was this wound that caused the man’s death. He had not found a bullet or made a complete post-mortem examination. The inquest was adjourned.