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山顶缆车站英童被杀案,亦称“吴来源案”,是一宗于1934年6月22日的谋杀案件,为战前被广泛传闻的冤案之一。
事发经过
1934年6月22日,港岛半山缆车径因豪雨山洪暴发,五名白人小童由半山冲下维多利亚港,男童Michael Pine(8岁)不幸身亡。[1]警员沿山径搜索时,发现青年吴来源赤裸上身,将湿衣服放在石头上晒干。
当时带队的英籍警官抓坐这名青年,年轻人不会英语及粤语,只操潮州话,英警官拘捕他回警署后,得知他叫吴来源,刚从揭阳来港谋生,但仍未找到工作,当时沿缆车径想行上山顶观赏风光﹐但突遇大雨,他听见惊叫声,发现六名儿童从山腰被冲下,于是跳入水中救人,但因山洪水急失败,只好脱下湿衣想晾干。
这时一名英军少校夫人到警署报案,声称她下雨时站在露台看雨景﹐见到吴来源抓住五名小童,逐一抛进山洪中,警方于是控告吴谋杀﹐送上法庭。吴大呼冤枉﹐他的亲戚及在港潮州人激于义愤﹐解囊聘律师替吴辩护。
- Michael Pine (8岁,送院后证实死亡)
- Mary Pine (8岁,为死者的孪生姊妹)
- Norman Stone (7岁)
- Tony Flood (5岁)
- Fay Bromley
据报导,五名小童于Garrison School。Michael Pine被冲至维多利亚港时被正在洗澡的South Wales Borderers的Pte. O'Kelly发现,头部严重受伤。Norman与Tony于被抛下的地下附近被救起。Mary于较远位置由同为South Wales Borderers的Pte. Glles救起。他们三人受到不同程度的轻伤,于医院救治后出院。[3]
目击者Mrs. T. C. Fairburn指告诉记者她行经缆车站途中听到有人大叫,转身后看见一名身穿浅色上衣、头戴水手草帽的中国籍男子将一名男童和一名女童抛下明渠,其后该男子亦跳下明渠。[3]Mrs. T. C. Fairburn指她只看见两名小童被抛下明渠,因此她假设其他小童亦是被该男子抛下明渠。[3]
缆车公司的Mr. A. Andrews亦到场与Mrs. T. C. Fairburn救起该两名被害人。[3]
审讯
初审
在初审中,主控为助理律政司傅瑞宪,而辩方律师为高露云律师行(Wilkinson & Grist)的R. C. H. Lim,由T. P. K. Kemble指派。[4][5]
首席按察司Atholl MacGregor传召特别陪审团,陪审员包括Mr. William Herbert Evans Thomas, Edward Cock, Wong Tak-Kwong, William George Goggin, Sum Pak-Ming, Fellx Maurice Ellis和John Fleming。[4][6]
Dr. D. K. Valentine的证供
Dr. D. K. Valentine提供医学证据指被告被送院时满身酒气,并曾尝试逃离医院。[7]
Mrs. Fairburn的证供
Mrs. Fairburn供称她目击被告于桥上抛下最后两名小童后亦跳下明渠。[7]其后Mrs. Fairburn看见两名小童被救起,但未能确认是否她看见被抛下的两名小童。[8]
欧洲士兵的证供
一名曾协助拯救小童的South Wales Borderers成员Private Simmons供称他与被告在隧道内突然相遇,被告拒绝离开他所在的位置,不断挣扎脸朝下地被抬出隧道。[9]
华人会计师的证供
Swatow Drawnwork Company的会计师Wong Siu-kit供称被告曾于6月21日来到他的店铺。被告曾于该店铺苦力工作,被告亦有一名兄弟于店内工作。[9]
中国籍警察的证供
中国籍警长Wong Kam称被告的兄弟Ng Yick-mei将篮子递交给他,而他到达中区警署后才打开篮子。[9]
副督察的证供
副督察O'Donovan称他曾经在Mrs. Fairburn目击案件时的桥梁上进行测试。他亦提及一件于中央裁判法院发生的事件。在8月8日聆讯期间,被告指著自己的背心并要求该篮子。证人称他知道篮子内有一件洁净的背心。[9]
结果
在初审中普通陪审团未能作出裁决,二审于1934年8月29日进行。[10]陪审团强烈建议mercy。[11]
法庭上读出三封在被告的篮子内找到的中文信件,三封信件的内容如下:[9]
- "He who dares to kill the European will be a great hero. Please be righteous and brave man who will be a great hero."
- "Those who have courage are requested to be have men"
- "I cannot tell you all. If you students are brave enough to die our Country will never die. All of us should work hand in hand. First, we must read the Sam Man Chiu Yu (The Three Aspects of Democracy) Secondly, we should act in accordance with the book. Thirdly, people of the modern ago who also read it, and of the 600,00,00 people of our country, those who are determined as I can also become a righteous man and, brave man who will be a great hero.
信件署名为Ng Yick Shan,日期为中华民国22年12月10日(即1934年12月10日)
二审
期间一度休庭,审讯于1934年9月5日再度开始。[12]法官、控方律师和辩方律师与初审时相同。[13]审讯于1934年9月7日结束,历时共3日。经陪审团商议90分钟后一致裁定被告谋杀罪名成立[14],期间陪审团曾要求法官提供指引如何界定谋杀还是误杀。[15]
一名被抛下坑的7岁女童Mary Pine于庭上指认被告。[16]
9月6日上午9时,控辩双方与陪审团到案发现场。上午11时,控辩双方回到法庭继续审讯。
死者母亲的证供
死者母亲指案发后Mary Pine在医院留医10日,她的伤势包括身体、背部和大腿上的痕迹和瘀伤。[13]
死者父亲的证供
死者父亲Master-Gunner Pine指他最初与小孩们在桥上玩耍,并把石头抛下桥下的明渠。其后他回到附近的家中拿取饮品。他听到呼叫声后回到明渠,看见小童Fay Bromley于水中,而Tony Flood于明渠底部的右侧。[13]
Mrs. Fairburn的证供
Mrs. Fairburn称她看见一名中国籍男子将位于他右面的男孩抛下明渠,其后将位于他左面的女孩亦抛下明渠,然后该男子翻过栏杆并跳下。而她指认她看见的男子就是被和。[13]
上诉
1934年10月,被告提出上诉,辩方律师提出三项理据。[17][18]
- There was a miscarriage of justice as to Mary Pine's evidence in the Crown, opening, which seriously prejudiced the defence.法官称Mary Pine颈部的瘀伤是由被告抓伤。
- There was misdirection to the jury in that the Trial Judge did not with sufficient clearness state to the jury what the main defence was, namely, that one or more children other than those seen by Mrs. Fairburn were either thrown into or accidentally fell into the nullah whilst throwing stones: 法官没有清晰向陪审团解释控罪是关于被告涉嫌将一名或多于一名Mrs. Fairburn没有看见的小童抛下明渠。
- and that the Trial Judge misdirected the jury in his summing up with reference to the two bruises on Mary Pine's neck, when he said "They were necessarily inflicted when the accused seized Mary Pine by the neck."
上诉基于以下三点:
- The Trial judge wrongly refused to withdraw the case from the jury at the close of the case for the Crown on the submission that there was no evidence to be left to them
- The Trial Judge should on the Crown's failure to produce Mary Pine have discharged the jury and ordered a new trial.初审法官应该在Mary Pine未能出庭的情况下解散陪审团并重审
- The verdict was against the weight of evidence判决与证据不相符
排除Mrs. Fairburn的证供。[19]
吴来源提出上诉,由P. Jacks和J. J. Hayden负责聆讯,两位法官称并没有误判。[20]10月17日,两位法官驳回上诉。他们认为在Tony Flood及Fay Bromley被抛下的同时另外三名小童意外坠下的假设是过于巧合。[11]
1935年,金宝律师致函潮州同乡会筹集资金,替吴来源上诉[21],然而上诉至伦敦枢密院仍告失败[22][23]。最终于1935年3月29日早上执行缳首死刑[24]。
争议
舆论认为吴来源初来香港,并没有杀人动机,更无可能连扔六个小童落山洪中,少校夫人见到惨剧,亦不可能不大声喝止。
香港人对此冤案大表愤慨,潮州同乡会发起洗冤运动,将案情印成传单向广东、南洋派发诉说不公,在本港发动签名运动,一个月不到已有二十多万人签名,当时全港人口不过一百万,即有四分一人口支持吴来源,但港府没有理会民意。 死刑于1935年3月29日上午5时3分在域多利监狱执行。[23][25]
参考资料
- ^ Nullah Murder Case Ended Ng Loi-Yuen Hanged This Morning. The China Mail. 1935-03-29.
- ^ Tragic Nullah Outrage. The Hong Kong Telegraph. 1934-06-23: 1.
- ^ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 CHILDREN THROWN INTO NULLAH. Hong Kong Daily Press. 1934-06-23: 8.
- ^ 4.0 4.1 NULLAH MURDER TRIAL Special Junors Summoned. Hong Kong Daily Press. 1934-09-06: 7.
- ^ NULLAH OUTRAGE RECALLED. The China Mail. 1934-08-02: 4.
- ^ 1934 Jurors List | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong. gwulo.com. [2022-07-29].
- ^ 7.0 7.1 NULLAH OUTRAGE SEQUEL CHINESE CHARGED WITH MURDER OF MICHAEL PINE. Hong Kong Daily Press. 1934-08-02: 7,11.
- ^ THE NULLAH OUTRAGE CHIEF JUSTICE SUMS UP. The Hong Kong Telegraph. 1934-08-22: 1,7.
- ^ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 THREE LETTERS READ IN MURDER TRIAL NEW ANGLE FOR MOTIVE IN NULLAH OUTRAGE ACCUSED EXHORTED TO BE BRAVE. The China Mail. 1934-08-21: 9.
- ^ FRESH TRIAL IN NULLAH CASE. Hong Kong Daily Press. 1934-08-25.
- ^ 11.0 11.1 NULLAH APPEAL FAILS RECOMMENDATION FOR MERCY NOT TO BE AFFECTED Court Deals With Points Raised. Hong Kong Daily Press. 1934-10-18.
- ^ NULLAH OUTRANGE Trial To Commence On September 5. Hong Kong Daily Press. 1934-08-28: 8.
- ^ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 IDENTIFIES MAN RE-TRIAL OF NULLAH CRIME IS RESUMED. The China Mail. 1034-09-06: 9.
- ^ GUILTY OF MURDER NULLAH OUTRAGE CASE ENDS WITH UNANIMOUS VERDICT. Hong Kong Daily Press. 1934-09-08: 7,11.
- ^ NULLAH TRIAL CONCLUDES ACCUSED SENTENCED TO DEATH. The Hong Kong Telegraph. 1934-09-08: 11.
- ^ 吳來源被控蓄意謀殺五英童案二審. 工商日报. 1934-08-04: 10.
- ^ THREE POINTS SUBMITTED HEARING OPENED THIS MORNING. The Hong Kong Telegraph. 1934-10-08: 1,7.
- ^ NULLAH MURDER TRIAL RECALLED Alleged Misdirection Of Jury. Hong Kong Daily Press. 1934-10-09: 7.
- ^ NULLAH TRIAL APPEAL Crown Counsel's Submission. Hong Kong Daily Press. 1934-10-12: 7.
- ^ NULLAH MURDER TRIAL VERDICT TO STAND?. The China Mail. 1934-11-08: 1.
- ^ 吳來源籌欵上訴. 工商晚报. 1935-02-08: 4.
- ^ NULLAH MURDER APPEAL TO PRIVY COUNCIL. The Hong Kong Telegraph. 1934-11-09: 1.
- ^ 23.0 23.1 新报 (2003, September 29). 救洋童失败被判死刑,新报,E03。
- ^ 吳來源已無望矣 定星期五早行刑上訴英京已歸失敗. 工商晚报. 1935-03-26: 4.
- ^ NULLAH MURDER CASE ENDED Ng Loi-Yuen Hanged This Morning. The China Mail. 1935-03-29: 1.