THE WELLINGTON TRAGEDY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 38

THE WELLINGTON TRAGEDY.

THE INQUEST. -WELLINGTON, September 26. An inquiry conoerning the death of Jce Kum Yung, the victim of Sunday night's tragedy in Haining street, was conducted by the district coroner this afternoon. Lionel Terry, the self-accused murderer, was present in the custody of two troopers. While the jury were absent from the room ! -viewing the body, Terry unconcernedly disoussed^the weather and North Island scenery ■with /the police. Throughout the subsequent proceedings he .was as imperturbable as ever. When asked if he wished to_ put any questions to the witnesses examined, ! his smiling reply, "No, thank you," mdi!- ! cated that he was the least-concerned person ! present. Once only did he show annoy - ' anee, and that was when a Chinese witness related how one evening last week Terry entered a house in Haining street, and, | saying he was an inspector, took the names of some .persons who were playing cards. He objected, that the word "inspector" had been put into the witness's mouth by counsel, for the Crown. The Coroner: "There are all sorts of inspectors in this country."' Terry: "Oh, yes; I might Lave been -a sanitary inspector, I daresay, but seeing I;hat I had made all sorts of inquiries about their gambling, tho imputation is that I might have been posing as an inspector of police." The Coroner: "You will have an opportunity in a higher court of contradicting* witness's statement." Terry: "I am not contiadicting it." The evidence given added little to what has already been published. Two eye-witnesses of the tragedy told of having seep a tall man use a revolver, and then walk off. This man was wearing an overcoat similar to the one produced, found at Terry's lodgings. _ The jury having retired to consider their finding, returned in a quarter of an hour. As they reappeared. Terry remarked, "Here they come." The Foreman said the vcr"dict was that Joe Kum Yung's death wa =5 caused by a bullet wound inflicted by Lionel Terry. "Wilfully?" asked the coroner. " I can't say," replied the foreman. Throughout this final scene Terry remained unruffled, and after the- coroner and jury had left the room he turned, with a careless laugh, to his custodians and said it wasn't very interesting, was it? Terry will be brought before the magistrate on Monday next on the capital charge. It is reported that Terry says he piofcsd out Kum Yung as his victim because he loosed old and decrepit and as if life wa* a burden to him. •TERRY'S DEVOTION TO AN IDEA. (Faosi Our Own ConRr.spoNDEKT.) WELLINGTON. September 28. The following letter was addressed to Di

Pomaro from. Mongonui in June last by Lionel Terry, who is now under arrest in connection with the Haining street murder case: — "There has never in the history of the world been a case of two distinct races living together in the same country without ■the deterioration and ultimate decay of on© or the othor. The weaker raoe is always doomed. The Maoris of this country have row reached such a condition of moral, mental, and physical degeneration .that unless prompt and vigorous steps be taken in the proper direction their decay is inevitable. The salvation of the Maori race can only be effected by absolute separation from the white race. This may be effected by the exchange of all lands now in possession of the Maoris for islands, euch as Stewart or Chatham Islands. It is imperative that such separation be complete and absolute. The Maoris must be subject to their own laws and their own religion; they must be entirely self-con-tained and self-supporting in every conceivable particular, and upon this, and only this, depends the life of the Maori raoe.