| | images| documents | site guide | search | journal | comments | |
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter to the Inspector of Police, Invercargill. Dated 7th October, 1890. I beg to say I was subpoenaed as Chinese Interpreter to attend the District Court Queenstown to interpret for Ah Thick and party, Ah Thick belongs to a district in China from which there are only about 350 in New Zealand. Their way of speaking is differend (sic) from the other Chinese. One Leung Chung began to interpret at Queenstown, the first witness said he did not understand him. Mr Gilkison told me to stand up and ask the witness in Chinese (as he did not understand English) to do his best to answer and warn him how stupid he was to stand shaking his head. I went to speak to him but made no sign that I know of I never told him not to answer (sic). On the contrary, I sat that if he did not answer some how, Ah Thick would lose his case, the other interpreter have tried to do me harm, but I could prove by the evidence of the Chinese who heard and saw the whole affair that what I say is true and I interfered with no witness. The judge must have misunderstood me, and he gave me no opportunity at the time of explaining, Mr Gilkison afterwards explained (sic) to him, and he told me the judge was satisfied. Wong Gye, District Constable, Respectfully Submitted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter to the Inspector of Police, Invercargill, 7th October, 1890 Sir, I have been asked by Constable Wong Gye to write to you with reference to a difficulty which arose in the case of Ah Thick and Kong Ka heard in the District Court Queenstown. In that case I appeared for Ah Thick (the Complainant in the Warden's Court). We subpoenaed Wong Gye as Interpreter. In the District Court a request was made that one Leung Chung of Dunedin should interpret for all parties. When however Leung Chung spoke to the first witness called, the man shook his head, muttered something and apparently could not understand what was said. It is well known that in China that there as many different dialects as there are in our own and it must often happen (as here) that one man does not understand his countryman. In fact we only succeeded in getting the witness in this case by keeping two interpreters constantly at work - Leung Chung and one belonging to Complainant's dialect (Ah Joe). When the first witness held his tongue and looked stolid, it was answering Leung Chung - Wong Gye was not speaking at all. I told Wong Gye to speak in Chinese to the witness and tell him to use his best endeavors to understand Leung Chung and answer so far as possible. Wong Gye went to carry out my instructions but what he said or did to make the judge mistrust him I do not know as he had his back turned to me at the time. I think he commenced to scold the witness for so stupidly standing dumb and the judge thought he was shaking his head to stop the witness. The interpreters always quarrel and the ones brought up by the other party blamed Wong Gye. There was not however anything said in evidence and I myself do not believe that there was any intention on the part of Wong Gye to do wrong. I subsequently made an explanation at the latter's request to the judge. His Honor said that he saw Wong Gye shaking his head; but when I explained the instructions I had given Wong Gye to scold the witness and tell him he must endeavor to answer, His Honor said nothing more and seemed disposed to let the matter drop. It is almost impossible to say what exactly did take place when the interpreters disagreed but two things I think are certain. 1 The Chinese witness who was then in the box was unable to understand all that Leung Chung said 2. The same witness was a truthful one for he was in no way contradicted by any statement either by himself or any other witness and his story was corroborated by about seven other witnesses; and in fact found correct by the Judge's decision. I had no fault to find with the interpreting either in the Warden's Court where Wong Gye was sole interpreter or in the District Court where we had Leung Chung and Ah Joe. The evidence indeed came out exactly alike in both Courts. Yours obediently, Robert Gilkison. PS. Wong Gye could hardly have been so foolish to say anything to a witness in open court seeing that there were two interpreters (enemies) and the Court was full of Chinese of different classes and dialects. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter from the Inspector's Office, Police Department, Invercargill, 11th October, 1890 to Sargeant McLeod, Queenstown Re the alleged misconduct of District Constable Wong Gye at District Court Queenstown I am requested to make further inquiries into this matter. It appears that there were a good many Chinese in the Court. You will inquire of the more credible who were not interested in the law suit as to what passed between Wong Gye and the witness and whether the interpreter from Dunedin correctly informed the Judge. Inspector of Police, Invercargill -------------------------------------------------------------------- Report of Constable Rasmussan, re. attached correspondence. re. conduct of Dist. Con. Wong Gye 21st October 1890 I beg to report that I have made inquiries from the Chinese here re. Dist Const Wong Gye's conduct at Dist Court Queenstown. I interviewed Tom Ah Joe who is an uninterested person in the case and he informed me that Wong Gye did or said nothing whatever detrimental to the case in anyway nor did he (Wong Gye) request the witness not to answer any questions. Ah Joe informs me that the Chinese interpreter from Dunedin could not speak the dialect of the witness and Wong Gye hearing this informed Mr Gilkison that the witness was not answering correctly and did not understand the interpreter. Ah Joe substantiated this by saying that he had to help in the interpretation after Wong Gye had been ordered out of court as the Dunedin interpreter was unable to conduct the interpretation. I am unable to get any information re this matter from any other Chinese but I believe what Ah Joe say to be correct. W. Rasmussen. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter to the Commissioner of Police, Wellington, 22nd December, 1890 Sir, I beg to apply to you with reference to my position as District Constable and Government Interpreter of Chinese. I have been for 13 years in the service of the New Zealand Government in this position and I believe given every satisfaction. In September last I was subpoenaed to attend a case in the District Court at Queenstown. I was in no way interested in the case or related to any of the parties I attended and am not aware of having done anything wrong but there were two Chinese interpreters on the other side who told the Judge I said something which I certainly did not say. One of the interpreters was recently convicted of sly grog selling and I do not think his word should be taken against mine. Now I have never had any proper inquiry into the matter. If any attention was to be paid to the unsworn statements of these interpreters (it was only the sly grog seller who said I had spoken to the witness) I think I am entitled to have a proper inquiry and to be confronted with my accuser. I should also be given an opportunity of calling witnesses to disprove any statements they may have made. I have however received no proper notice of inquiry or anything else, the only thing I know is that Constable Nolan showed me on the 5th December a telegram stating I was to be discharged as from 1st Dec. (sic) But I was given no formal notice to my selfe and am left in uncertainty. I claim 1st a proper and full inquiry 2nd that if you decide to dispense with my services I receive full 3 months wages in lieu of notice. I came up to Clyde when sent by the government, I have a family here it is my duty to provide for, and I cannot at a moment's notice walk out and find another situation. I trust you will carefully consider my rights, remembering the difficulties an interpreter and constable has always to contend with, and that the word of the sly grog seller will not be taken against an old and tried servant like myselfe and that no change will be made in the terms of my appointment. Your obediently, Wong Gye Wong Gye was the longest serving Chinese constable in New Zealand and his position was never re-established. Source: National Archives of New Zealand - courtesy of Jocelyn Wilson
|