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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.

Grant acknowledgement

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The base ruins of the Assistant Manager/Chief Engi The base ruins of the Assistant Manager/Chief Engineers house. It was once a substantial colonial home from the 1930s with beautiful gardens. It was still being occupied in June 1965 but by the 1970s it had been abandoned and neglected and fell into decay. The decision to demolish it was taken by a meeting of the CI Club members in 1977.
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A sound from the past Footsteps upon the stair I A sound from the past 
Footsteps upon the stair
I turned around quickly
But no-one was there.
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When exploring this old ruin at South Point on Chr When exploring this old ruin at South Point on Christmas Island with my sister-in-law, she noticed a bracket type fixture. It is located in the back corner where the white arrow indicates in the main picture. Were these meant for chains and shackles?
#christmasisland #history #shackles #oldstructure #christmasislandarchives #ruin #southpointchristmasisland
A photo of probably the first Chinese temple to be A photo of probably the first Chinese temple to be built on Christmas Island c1902-1904. This site is in Settlement at the Temple Court area on Gaze Road. The original temple, shown here in black and white, appears to have been replaced in later years by the current one (scroll across) still standing on the original site. It is today known as the Tai Pak Kong temple - Tua Pek Kong (Chinese: 大伯公; Tâi-lô: Tuā-peh-kong).
#christmasisland #taoisttemple #chinesetemple #christmasislandarchives #culture #taoist
“In the universe, there are things that are know “In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors.” ~ William Blake
I think the old wooden banners around the door may have been rescued when a nearby temple was being renovated many years ago? I'm not sure about this, so if anyone can tell me their origin that would be great.
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Just one of many fascinating stories that were exh Just one of many fascinating stories that were exhibited at my Faded Lost Forgotten exhibition held on Christmas Island during Territory Week in 2021 and 2022.
#christmasisland #christmasislandhistory #cemetery #headstone #gravesite #grave #arab #forgottenplaces #lostcemetery #kubur #christmasislandarchives
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