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Death at the White House

Map showing the location of the White House
A 1916 Map showing the location of the White House in Settlement. It was originally built in 1902 on the left hand side of Isabel Beach. A map of that time describes it as having plank flooring and walling and an attap roof. In 1913 it was taken down and rebuilt on the opposite side of the beach. It was a considerable size and contained “23 rooms also kitchen, bathroom and latrine” 1 Eve Akerman, who lived on the island 1946-48 later romantically described the White House:
“It was melancholy wandering through the empty rooms, still faintly echoing of past delights despite the plaster ashes, crumbling crab-shells carpeting the floors and the broken wooden shutters gaping with the wind. Only a curling wall calendar remained, its scarlet peonies and rosy naked girls faded to gone-forever ivory” 2
The Tourism Bureau is now located approximately on this site.
UK Hydrographic Office

In May 1916 Supreme Court proceedings with regards to a homicide at Christmas Island were reported in The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser .

Haji Sali Bin Musa, a Javanese and 5 other Malay men, all from Christmas Island were held in custody on a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder by causing the death of Pouy Fee (a later newspaper spelling is Pang Fee).

The Prosecutor informed his Lordship that the Attorney General had entered an order of nolle pros (not wishing to prosecute) against the five Malays and asked that they be discharged.

The following month there was a further newspaper report and it revealed the following:

The homicide occurred at the White House; the Island brothel.

The accused man, Haji Sali Bin Musa, denied having killed Pang Fee.  He had no representation during the Court proceedings and three witnesses, a Japanese prostitute and two Chinese men, supressed evidence and lied. The jury returned a guilty verdict. The judge concurred but gave a lighter sentence due to the good character of the accused.

Some interesting questions arise. What was the nature of the altercation that resulted in the death? Was it all over a woman and/or money? What were the witnesses lying about? What were they trying to suppress? Is justice seen to be done when the accused is unrepresented in an English court of law with some dubious witnesses? There is too little information in the news article below to form any accurate opinions about this case. The events leading up to that fateful Tuesday night in the White House may never be known.

Christmas Island Tragedy
_____________

A light sentence

After a hearing lasting for two full days, in the special Assize Court yesterday was concluded the case from Christmas Island, in which a Malay named Haji Sali bin Musa was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder by causing the death of Pang Fee, a Chinese, on April 4.

The Deputy Public Prosecutor (Mr G. G. Seth) and Mr R. L. L. Braddell appeared for the Crown. The accused was not defended by counsel.

The deceased was killed by a blow on the head from a stick during a disturbance at the White House, a Japanese brothel on Christmas Island. The accused was alleged to be the man who struck the blow. This he positively denied.

Sir John Bucknill
Sir John Alexander Strachey Bucknill by Elliott & Fry NPG x86542
© National Portrait Gallery, London
(CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
His lordship was not very happy with the witnesses!

The jury found the prisoner guilty, and the Chief Justice (Sir John Bucknill, K.C), expressing his concurrence in this verdict, passed sentence of six months’ rigorous imprisonment. His lordship said that he did not believe that the accused had any intention of killing the accused. But, for his good character, the sentence would have been much heavier.

Mr Seth then asked that three witnesses – Chan Tiam Hock, Tan Soo Hye, and a Japanese woman named Matsuko – be allowed no expenses. He added that he should prefer that they be sent to prison for lying. There was no doubt that not only had they suppressed evidence, but they had also been guilty of deliberate lying.

There was some doubt as to his lordship’s powers in the matter.

The witnesses named were called before his lordship, who told them that their evidence had been most unsatisfactory, and such expenses as he could disallow he certainly should disallow.

Source: The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser 2 June 1916, Page 10 © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

1 John Hunt “Suffering through strength“.

2 Marg Neale “We were the Christmas Islanders“

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Christmas Island Archives was selected for preservation by the State Library of Western Australia. It is now listed in perpetuity on PANDORA, Australia’s website archive established by the National Library of Australia.

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An ammunition cave used by the Japanese during the An ammunition cave used by the Japanese during their occupation of Christmas Island in WW2. The circular opening in the wall is where I believe a ventilation pipe was inserted. Its purpose was to keep a stable temperature and extract noxious fumes. Its use as an ammunition cave may have predated WW2. To find out more about this cave read Helena van der Riet's excellent thesis "The Archaeology of the Japanese World War II Occupation of Christmas Island". It can be found on my website (see link in my bio) under the "Documents" section. 
#christmasisland #cave #ammunition #ww2 #ww2history #worldwar2 #worldwar2history #japaneseoccupation #ww2japanese #christmasislandarchives
I love Victor Purcell's observations of human beha I love Victor Purcell's observations of human behaviour on Christmas Island in 1926. The European community caused him the most angst.
#christmasisland #christmasislandhistory #history #islandlife #colonial #straitssettlements #christmasislandarchives
An old water tank near South Point located along t An old water tank near South Point located along the old railway track. I understand that a couple of years ago it was totally overgrown by the jungle and was invisible until it was cleared.
#christmasisland #ruin #relic #industrialrelic #watertank #colonial #christmasislandarchives
Back in 2020 as we were leaving the Old European C Back in 2020 as we were leaving the Old European Cemetery my sis-in-law @mily_barrett spotted this now 72 year old engraving in the concrete path. A nice little reminder from a long gone workman that he was once doing a job there.
"1.7.1951
Pipe Repar" ... 
The last seen letter is partially obscured. The word repair has likely been misspelt?
#christmasisland #history #christmasislandhistory #relic #cemetery #path #oldpath #christmasislandarchives
A sad end for Norman Howard. His gravesite lies in A sad end for Norman Howard. His gravesite lies in the Old European Cemetery on Christmas Island. His story and the mystery loss of his headstone lead to a surprising misidentification of his gravesite. Read about it now on my website. See bio for link. Look under “latest updates” for “Norman Howard - turning in his grave”.
"In memory of Norman Howard
European Overseer
Aged 32
Died 6.3.24"
#christmasisland #straitssettlements #christmasislandhistory #cemetery #headstone #gravesite #grave #colonialhistory #christmasislandarchives
Straits settlement 1 cent coins that I found parti Straits settlement 1 cent coins that I found partially buried. The verdigris colour of one of them caught my eye. How I came to be in that specific spot to find them is another whole story LOL. I donated them to the Island's Tai Jin House museum.
Left top to bottom:
Tails side “Straits Settlements 1936”.
Head side “George V King and Emperor of India” 
Right top to bottom:
Tails side “Commissioners of Currency Malaya 1939”
Head side “George VI King Emperor”
There was another 1 cent coin found along with these as well and was dated 1943. 
I am not sure if such a small denomination would have been used for gambling? However, it has been told that on the Island when Straits Settlement coins were no longer a viable currency they would be saved and then scattered/given as offerings to the good brothers during the Hungry Ghost month. I found these coins during that very month in an area that metal detectorists had been over previously. Perhaps the coins were revealed to me 🙂
#christmasisland #christmasislandhistory #christmasislandrelic #relic #relichunting #indianoceanislands #ghostmonth #straitssettlementscoins #straitssettlements #oldcoins #christmasislandarchives
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