WPHC 4V 445/1897. Great Britain. High Commission for Western Pacific Islands
Western Pacific archives.1877-1978. MSS & Archives 2003/17 Special Collections
The University of Auckland Libraries and Lending Services.
CRIMINAL JURISDICTION
September 16th, 1897.REGINA o p Pereira v Ye Houng Soon.
Both Parties appeared in person.
The Accused admitted the assault but pleaded provocation.Ye Houng Soon tendered himself as a witness and was sworn, and deposed that both he and Pereira are Roman Catholics and that about two weeks ago they were in the Cathedral. He had his hat his umbrella and a cigar which was not alight in one hand and his child in the other.
Pereira came up and asked why he had an umbrella and a cigar in the House of Jesus Christ, and after service came and abused him telling everybody that witness took a cigar into Church; He repeated this annoyance on the 13th calling out publicly “This son of a bitch took a cigar into Church“.
Witness could not find a policeman but complained subsequently to the Chief of Police.
Yesterday Pereira came to Witness’s store, put one foot on the verandah and asked why complaint had been made to the Chief of Police, using abusive language and calling witness a “Damned son of a bitch”. Witness tried to get Pereira to go away quietly but Pereira became threatening and talked about shooting witness. Witness did not want to hurt Pereira so he took a whip instead of stick and when Pereira jumped on to the verandah whipped him once. Pereira jumped off the verandah but came back again and was whipped again. He abused witness shamefully and was making a great noise. Mrs Partsch interfered and witness put the whip away. Pereira then hit witness who ran for the whip but Pereira ran away chall- enging witness to fight.
Joe Maria Pereira, licensed boatman, sworn, denied that he had used any foul language but admitted that he went to Ye Houng Soon’s house and asked him about smoking in the Cathedral, and that he had no business to do so.
The Court convicted the accused and considered that there had been great provocation.
The accused was fined 5 shillings and costs
