A terrible tragedy was enacted early on July 5 at the Foo Ming Hospital, North Szechuen Road, resulting in the murder of a Japanese dancing girl and the suicide of a Fillipino after he had shot her as she lay helpless in her bed.

The girl, who worked as a dancing partner in the Venus Café, off Jukong Road, was in the café on July 4 when her Filipino lover appeared and the two had a quarrel, ending the relationship which had existed for several months. Broken-hearted the girl disappeared and at 9 o’clock was discovered in extremis from the effects of poison.

Detective-Sergeant Taylor arrived from Hongkew Police Station to handle the case and the girl was removed to the General Hospital. First aid was administered and she was then transferred to room 101 Foo Ming Hospital for Japanese, in North Szechuen Road. Here both doctors and police worked hard to save her life. And at about two o’clock, Dr. Murai, who was in charge of the case, announced that she would recover. It was discovered that she had swallowed 54 tablets of calmotine.

At 3am, another Filipino, who was known as “Johnny” among the cabarets of North Szechuen Road, to which he was a constant visitor arrived at the hospital and requested to see the patient. “Johnny” had been the predecessor of his compatriot in the affections of the girl. Hearing that she had attempted to commit suicide, he presented himself at Foo Ming Hospital and begged the nurse in charge to allow him to sit with her and look after her. The nurse having no suspicion of his intentions allowed him the privilege.

Shortly afterwards, the nurse had to proceed on her rounds of the wards and the man was left with the girl. A few moments later the patients in room No. 103 heard several shots fired, but being frightened made no effort to discover the cause.

When the nurse returned at 3:30am, she found the girl dead with one bullet wound in her head and another through the heart. Lying beside her was the body of the man, also shot, one bullet having entered his head and two into his heart. In his hand was a small caliber pistol.

A verdict of suicide was returned by Commissioner A. Krisel, sitting as coroner, in the United States Consular Court on July 8 in the case of Juan Y. Alonzo, found dead in the Foo Ming Hospital beside the body of the Japanese dancing girl.

According to the verdict, the young Filipino died from three self-inflicted bullet wounds. The boy left a note explaining his hope of going “Out West” with his former sweetheart and ending with a blithe “Cheerio, Johnny.”

Excerpt from The North-China Herald, July 13, 1932