Pong Lun

Pong Lun was convicted of the murder of Go Hing 29 and sentenced to death.

He shot him at a Chinese boarding house at 22a Frederick Street, Liverpool on 20 March 1904 during a game of dominoes.

Pong Lun was Chinese.

Go Hing had been the proprietor of a Chinese laundry at Rock Ferry.

Go Hing had been the banker for the game and had refused to allow Go Hing to bet, resulting in him losing out on a bet that he would have won. Pong Lun then got a gun and fired two shots at Go Hing causing wounds from which he died two days later in the Northern Hospital.

On 20 March 1904 there had been four Chinamen playing dominoes at the lodging house in a room described as No 1, which was next to the kitchen, with another Chinaman standing by them marking the score. There had also been one or two others in the room at the time, one of them smoking opium.

Pong Lun came in at about 8.30pm and wanted to bet on the game. It was noted that according to their rules that he would bet with Go Hing, who was banker, and who had the right to refuse, which he did.

However, Pong Lun laid down counters on the table and backed another man's hand. The man won and Pong Lun thereupon demanded payment from Go Hing. However, Go Hing told him that he had refused to bet and declined to pay.

Pong Lun then went upstairs and returned two or three minutes later with a revolver and again demanded payment from Go Hing, who again refused.

Pong Lun then fired twice at Go Hing, hitting him in the stomach.

Go Hing was carried to the hospital where he died two days later from peritonitis.

Pong Lun escaped the lodging house after the shooting but returned at about 2.30am in the morning and gave himself up to the police, saying that he would give no trouble to anyone.

There was evidence that he had been drinking and some evidence that he had been drunk at the time, but it was stated that he was certainly not very drunk.

It was also heard that Go Hing had owed Pong Lun some money and had refused to pay, but that they had otherwise been on friendly terms.

There was no interference with his sentence and Pong Lun was executed at Liverpool by William Billington on 31 May 1904.

Frederick Street has since been demolished and the area redeveloped but was approximately south west of where Price Street is today. The nearest remaining road from the time being Seddon Street.