Francis Henry William Thomas Winifred Brownrigg Peter Welsh Thomson Margaret Jean Caldow /Hodsdon Frederick Edward Senior James Roger Francis Wyman Clark Richard Robertson Patricia Mae Mulligan Joachim Dido

Biographical Dictionary - Coorow, Carnamah, Three Springs


Surname

Ah SUE

Born C.1858 in China [15] [39: 23-Jan-1893]
It had been estimated in 1888 that there were only a little over 200 Chinese people in Western Australia [39: 21-Jun-1888]
Some Chinese had paid a £10 tax to live in Western Australia while others had come out under an imported labour program [39]
He worked for the MACPHERSON family on Carnamah Station in Carnamah in 1889 [120: 1 & 22-Jun-1889] [319: pages 82, 83]
During his time in Carnamah he resided in a hut, and around 18 March 1889 had jewellery, clothing, tea and sugar stolen [165: 10-Apr-1889]
     It was suspected that an Aboriginal named Nellie had stolen the goods which comprised a gold albert chain, plain silver chain, [165]
     square links, dark tweed trousers, dark coloured Crimean shirt, butcher's knife, razor, scissors, cigarette machine, tea and sugar [165]
In May 1889, while in Carnamah, he donated £1 to the West Australian Chinese Famine Relief Fund [120: 1 & 22-Jun-1889]
Later worked as a Shepherd for Cecil V. FOSS on Arrino Station in Arrino[319: pages 82, 83]
While working near Geraldton one day he fired a shot at John CONNELLY after CONNELLY kicked his dog [319: pages 82, 83]
He was found guilty of shooting with intent to maim and was sentenced to eight years imprisonment [319: pages 82, 83]
Died 21 January 1893 at Fremantle Prison [39: 23-Jan-1893]


From The Daily News newspaper, Monday 23 January 1893:
"Early on Saturday morning a Chinese prisoner named Ah Sue committed suicide at the Fremantle Prison. Warden Kenny last saw him alive when he (Kenny) went into his cell on Friday evening. When cell was opened on Saturday morning Ah sue was lying on his bed quite dead and the body was cold. He had strangled himself by attaching a pair of braces to the hammock hook which was about 3ft from the ground and tying the braces to a leather strap put around his neck. He then apparently threw the weight of his body on to the strap and strangled himself and died without any struggle. The cause of his doing away with himself was no doubt the fact that ever since the execution of four Chinese murderers several months ago, he had been troubled with hallucinations. Ah Sue had been received into the Fremantle Prison in January, 1890, and was undergoing a term of eight years penal servitude for unlawfully wounding in the Champion Bay district. An inquest was opened at 2.30 o'clock Saturday afternoon, when a verdict of suicide was returned."


Reference:  Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Ah Sue' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 29 March 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/ah-sue [reference list]




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