THE DAILY PROVINCE
SEPTEMBER 10, 1914

CORONER’S JURY HOLDS BELA SINGH
RESPONSIBLE
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Evidence of His Fellow-countrymen All to the Same
Effect.

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The coroner’s jury yesterday afternoon declared Bela Singh responsible
for the death of Bhag Singh and Badan Singh, the two Sikhs who succumbed to
their wounds in the General Hospital on Sunday afternoon, following a
shooting affray in the Sikh temple, Second avenue, Kitsilano, the previous
night.
The evidence, as given by the Sikh and Hindu witnesses called, was all to
the effect that Bela Singh had attended the funeral of Argan Singh with them,
and followed them into the temple, where the final religious ceremonies of the
funeral were being conducted. He took his place in the row of worshippers,
after he had made an obeisance to the altar and contributed to the offering.
He remained seated near Bhag in the southwest corner of the room for about
fifteen minutes. A hymn was being sung, when he suddenly rose from his
place on the floor and drew two guns from his pockets and taking aim at Bhag
Singh shot him two or three times. He then commenced to shoot
indiscriminately into the crowd of forty or forty-five worshippers who fled in
terror towards the exits.
Dulip Singh, who was shot through the leg, Jawallah Singh, a brother of
Argan Singh, whose funeral service was being conducted, Balwant Singh, altar,
and Sohan Lal, who could not tell whether the wound on his leg was
occasioned by a bullet on by his falling down, all gave evidence. It was
practically the same. Each denied that he know of any reason why Bela Singh
should have committed such a deed, although Sohan Lal admitted that he
knew that Hernan Singh, whose throat was cut, had given evidence for Bela
Singh in one of the many cases against him.

THE DAILY PROVINCE
SEPTEMBER 10, 1914

Inspector David Scott of the Kitsilano division and Sergeant W. Latimer
of the same precinct with Constable McArthur gave evidence of the arrest and
examination of Bela Singh and of the measurements of the temple. Constable
McArthur produced a .38 calibre Ivor-Johnson revolver, which he explained
had been found outside of the temple. Every chamber contained an empty
shell, which had just been discharged. Inspector Scott produced eleven empty
.32 calibre automatic shells. He explained that the clip for a pistol of that
calibre would only carry eight shells. This would indicate that either one had
been used and reloaded, or that some one(Sic) else had been engaged in the
shooting.
Medical evidence was to the effect that bullets of two different calibre
had been used in the affray. Out of the body of one man, Bhag Singh, several
bullets had been taken, one was of .38 and the other of .32 calibre.