(A rifle in Lau Mansion 1930's. Sweet Memories. Photo from Google.)
This is Oral History from my mother Lau Hung Chuo (Age 94) and can be verified by her first cousin, Lau Pang Hung (Age 92), a son of Foochow Pioneer Lau Kah Tii.
My mother's uncle Lau Heng Chiew, brother to Lau Kah Tii and Lau Kah Jui (my maternal grandfather) came to Sarawak when he was already married with 8 children, to be the "security chief" of my grand uncle Lau Kah Tii, then already a Foochow Headman of Sibu.
As a chief guard, he carried a rifle and looked after the peace and security for the headman for many years.
Children like my mother, her siblings and cousins were terrified of him as he was a strict man. "No running on the plank walks, no runing upstairs when the BOSS was having his nap..."
A Foochow man with a gun looking after the big mansion and probably the whole village of the Headman was also a deterrent to many robbers who might want to do mischief.
Grand Uncle Lau Heng Chiew went back to Fujian, to retire happily in his old age. It also showed that Grand Uncle Lau Kah Tii was magnanimous and was very provident towards his extended family. He provided enough for Grand Uncle to retire in China.
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