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Draft letter from Colonial Office to Admiralty regarding proposal to send a
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9th June 98
Secy to Admy Sir I am directed by Mr Secy. Chamberlain to ack. the rect of yr letter M/4647 of the 30th ult. respg. the trial of H.A. Christian, who committed a murder in Pitcairn Island last June. I am to request you to inform the LC. of the Admy that Mr Ch. sees no objn to their proposal that a |
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Judicial Commission shd visit Pitcairn & try the case there, in order to avoid the expense wh. wd. be involved in transporting the prisoner & witnesses to & from Fiji; and I am to enclose for their Lordships' infn a copy of a telegram which he has accordingly addressed to the HCr. of the W.P. I am, |
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Notes.
Pagination of the original autograph has been maintained. Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914) was an influential British Harry Albert Christian was born on Pitcairn Island on Mar. 11, 1872, one of 12 children of Alphonso Downs Christian and Sarah McCoy. In the early 1890s a relationship developed between Harry and Julia Warren. A daughter, Eleanor Linda Warren, was born to the couple on Aug. 14, 1895. Some time later Harry's attentions turned to another woman. On Jun. 17, 1897, Harry killed Julia and the child and threw their bodies into the sea. Though the bodies were never found, the crimes were found out, and Harry admitted to them. Harry was tried on Pitcairn and found guilty of murder. He was taken on H.M.S. Royalist to Suva, Fiji. There, on October 8, 1898, in the Suva gaol, he was hanged for the murders. H. Bertram Cox was Assistant Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. He was recognized as a 'legal expert'. |
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Source.
Document no. 111. June 9, 1898. "Draft letter from Colonial Office to Admiralty regarding proposal to send a Judicial Commissioner to Pitcairn". Pages 1676 to 1679.
This transription was made from a documents in a collection of documents at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library.
Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Aug 7 2022.
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