Draft Judicial Commission to Hamilton Hunter (c.July 1, 1898)

Pitcairn's Island Notes Source Whalesite

Draft Judicial Commission to Hamilton Hunter
(c.July 1, 1898)

By His Excellency Sir George Thomas Michael O'Brien, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Her Majesty's High Commissioner for the Western Pacific.

To: Hamilton Hunter, Esq.,

Chief Police Magistrate of the Colony of Fiji.

By virtue of the power and authority in me vested by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty I hereby constitute and appoint you to be a Judicial Commissioner

And for so doing this shall be [your] sufficient authority & warrant to proceed to Pitcairn Island, and there to try a charge of Wilful Murder that has been preferred against one Harry Albert Christian, Pitcairn Island; and also to proceed to the Island of Raratonga, there to hear and determine the cases specified in the Schedule hereunto annexed.

In accordance with the provisions of the Pacific Order in Council, 1893.

Given at Suva, Fiji, this day of one thousand eight hundred and ninety ,

By Command,

Secretary to the High Commission

Cause Book
(Criminal)

Suits in the year 1898

High Commissioner's Court
Pitcairn Island South Pacific

No of Action	1
Date of original Summons	29 Aug 1898
Name, Description and place of abode of Plaintiff	Regina
Name, Description and place of abode of Defendant	Harry Albert Christian Labourer, Pitcairn Island South Pacific
Particulars of Claim	Did kill and murder one Clara Warren on or about the 19th of June 1897 at Pitcairn Island
(1) Date of Hearing (2) Date of Judgment	(1) 30 Aug 98 (2) 30 Aug 98
(1) Date of Appeal (2) Judgment on Appeal
Particulars of Execution ordered	Death
Return of Execution
Review
Appeal

Hamilton Hunter
Judicial Commissioner

Notes.

The layout of the table for this document has been transposed.

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.
Source: Pitcairn Islands Study Center "Who Are the Pitcairners?"

Hamilton Hunter (1846- )Chief Police Magistrate of the Colony of Fiji.

Sir George Thomas Michael O'Brien KCMG (1844 – 1906) was a British colonial official who served as Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1892 to 1895, and as Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific from 1897 to June 1901.

Source.

Document no. 113. c.July 1, 1898. "Draft Judicial Commission to Hamilton Hunter". Pages 1682 to 1685.

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 9 2022.