Shek WONG [c.1861-1887]

“An adjourned inquest was held yesterday at the Gaol on the body of a prisoner named Wong Shek, 26 years of age, who died at that institution at 6 a.m. on the 25^th ultimo. The jurors were Messrs. C.S. Barff, A.G. da Silva, and A.M. Ferreira. Dr. Ayres gave medical evidence to the effect that the deceased was admitted on the 13^th October last year on a six months’ hard labour sentence. Some time before his death the prisoner was brought to witness’s notice by the Superintendent of the Gaol to receive eighteen strokes, but witness found that he was unfit for that punishment and certified him to that effect. He considered the man’s system not strong enough to undergo the shock. Since then the deceased was again brought under his notice on the 26^th January with a request to be put under No. 3 labour. Up to that time the deceased had been on hard labour. He allowed the deceased to be put under No. 3 labour. After that witness had had the deceased under especial observation with a view to putting him back to hard labour, but had not considered him fit to be put back to it. On the 21^st ultimo, at 11 a.m., witness was paying his morning visit when deceased was brought to him in a fainting condition. He ordered him to the hospital, and later on it was discovered that the man was suffering from dysentery and died on the 25^th instant at 6 a.m. The deceased never made any complaint to witness. In answer to a question put by Dr. Hartigan, witness said that the dysentery continued to the time of the man’s death. The Gaol apothecary said that the deceased was admitted to the hospital suffering from dysentery and the usual medicine was ordered. The man died on the 25^th ultimo at 6 a.m.; he went off quite quietly. Dr. Hartigan said he made an external examination of the deceased and found no external marks of violence. From viewing the body he was unable to state the cause of death, but he saw no reason to doubt that the deceased died of dysentery. From the appearance he thought the man was unfit for crank labour. The evidence of the warden and turnkeys was also taken, and it appeared that the deceased had been put to low diet and crank work. The jury returned a verdict of “death from natural causes” but added a rider that the jury considered that deceased had been overpunished and that it might partly have brought on his sickness. Also that they considered that in cases when the turnkey reported a man unfit for work some notice of it ought to be taken by the Superintendent and not be ignored as appeared to have been in this case, if the evidence of the turnkey was to be believed.”

Source: Hong Kong Daily Press, page 2, 3rd March 1887 

Regarding the Victorian punishment of "crank labour", an interesting fact of where the term "screws" for prison warders came from - from the screws of the crank itself.