THE CHINA TRAGEDY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 12, 30 August 1911, Page 7

THE CHINA TRAGEDY.

INDIAN BEFORE THE COURT. A thrilling story was told at Bow ■ trcct Court, London, on July 13th. y rancisco Carlos ■ Godinto, otherwise 'mown as Reuben Almeida, an Indi- , mi, aged forty, employed as a bath .toward in the P. and 0. liner China, .as charged with the wilful murder >f Alice Emily Brewster, a stewardess, ■etween Colombo and Aden on Juno i Ith. Outlining the case for the prosemtion, counsel said that Miss Brew'.ter, who had been for many years in the employ of the P. and 0. Company, ,vas at the time of her death first saloon stewardess . She usually occu.;cd the stewardesses’ cabin, together , ith a fellow-stewardess named Crut■hley| but on the night of the outrage she was sleeping in a small cabin opposite. The prisoner slept in the oeak. On the early morning of June llth Miss Brewster was found murdered. The prisoner was the first person to discover tbs fact, and he ppoared to have at once called Miss ,'rutchley, who sent for the surgeon, ,ho declared that death had taken place half-an-hour or more previous his seeing the body. Godinto was .absequently interviewed by the pur'.3r, and he made a statement, in which he said he went to call Miss Irewster at half-past five. Upon openrg the door of the cabin he noticed .biit the port-hole was open, and bed on the floor. There was lood on the bed, and when he lifted up the mattress ho saw Miss Brewster lying there. He had slept alone from ten o’clock the previous night until five o’clock in the morning. He got up between 11 and 12, and' went for a drink of water, and mot the night watchman. He did not get up again until five, and he was scrubbing out the saloon until 5.30. Counsel proceeded to state > that a menu card was found, and upon it had been written a suggestion with regard to a man named Williamson and Miss Brewster. The prisoner had stated that he could not l write, but after arrest wrote his name on paper, and it was. suggested that the writing was the same as that on the menu card. Other facts disclosed were that the deceased woman’s night-dress could not be found, and that the port-holo of the cabin was open, which was very unusual, because the monsoon was .aging. Owing to the heat, it was customary to keep the cabin doors partly open, but if the prisoner’s story ,vas to he believed, he found the door of Miss Brewster’s cabin closed. Miss Orutchlcy was certain, however, it was on the hook when she first saw it, and . therefore, if the prisoner found the 1 body in the way ho described, he must have afterwards fastened the i door in the way in which Miss Crutch- | ley found it. The same morning God- j into changed his clothes, stating that | the sea had come through the port- j hole and splashed him, and afterwards a pair of trousers were found in a bath-room to which he had access. These trousers had been examined by the Home Office analyst, who had. found upon them mamalian blood. | Another circumstance was that Pottci, the night watchman, was certain, that it was half-past three on. the morning of June llth that he saw the prisoner going for a drink of water. PRISONER’S STATEMENT. Upon being charged in London, he s.iid, “I .understand”; and whilst waiting to be brought into Court, he made a statement to Detective Mitchell “If I say it is my fault, will they pardon me? Is King George here? Perhaps if T say ‘my fault’ and ask '■anion he will relievo mo. But if ho got pardon me, will they put me in gaol or hang me up? It both our faults. V\’c fighting.’ 1 ’ Annie Crutchley, the first witness, said the deceased woman usually oc- ; in;ieel the same cabin as she did, but ;n the night in question she slept alone. Prisoner called witness at 5.30 on the morning of Juno llth, and mb tI whore M iss Brewster was; Witness replied that she was sleeping in the cabin opposite. Shortly afterwards Godinto came to her and said : “Miss Crutchley, come quickly, Miss Brewster is in cabin. Something has happened.” Ho seemed agitated. Witness went to the cabin opposite and found Miss Brewster lying among some pillows, dead. Prisoner was standing outside, and when witness iAd him to close the porthole he slid, “I’m afraid.” "When asked for is port key bo said ho could not find it. In tbo ordinary way prisoner always bad a port key. The case is proceeding.