190
It will be seen that the increase is mainly in "Unlawful Possession," the cause being the looting of wrecked property which occurred after the typhoon of the 18th September,
2. Table I shows the number and character of the Serious and Minor Offences reported to the Police during the past year, and the number of persons convicted and discharged in connection with these offences.
MURDERS.
3. On the 1 h of January a Chinese priest named SING KIN age 50 was murdered in the Tong Shan Tempa, Kowloon City, where he lived.. It is supposed that robbery was the motive for the crime. No arrest.
On the 3rd of February Mr. CHUA BENG CHAU Chief Excise Officer stationed at Tai Po was murdered in his matshed by his two chair coolies and six others. Robbery was evidently the motive for the crime. On the 31st of January the two chair coolies offered their services to Mr. CHUA and were engaged in that capacity, the men slept in the same shed as deceased. About 12.45 a.m. on the morning of the murder the coolies got up and admitted into the shed the other six, who in company with the chair coolies strangled Mr. CHUA and robbed him of property to the value of about $80. Three men including one of the chair coolies were arrested, convicted at the Criminal Sessions and hanged.
On the 15th of February the body of an unknown Chinese male adult age about 40 was found deposited in Rumsey Street near Wing Lok Street. The Medical Officer of Post- mortem examinations, who examined the body, was of opinion that death was the result of strangulation. No arrest.
On the 4th of March LOK TAK a fisherman residing in Tai Tong village Ping Chau Island Sub-district of Tung To, reported to the Police at Tai Po that when he returned home from fishing on the 3rd instant his wife named Mo LAN age 19 was missing from her home. The neighbours told him that his wife was murdered on the night of the 2nd instant. The body was found on a piece of waste land and had on it several wounds. One man was arrested, and discharged by the Police Magistrate.
On the 5th of May WONG CHEUNG age 27 a hawker of cloth who resided at 40 Peel Street was murdered on the 1st floor of house No. 90 Nullah Lane. It is supposed that deceased was enticed there by some carpenters, who were working there, under the pretence of purchasing his wares. He was murdered and robbed of money and cloth which he was known to have in his possession when he left bis home. No arrest.
On the 10th of November a man named WONG KIN, age 24, in company with another, made an application to the accountant of a butcher's shop at No. 5 Elgin Road Tsim Sha Tsui to be allowed to sleep in the shop for the night. The request was granted. About 1.30 in the morning the men got up and attacked the accountant and a foki named YEUNG TAK with a chopper. The accountant was murdered and the foki badly injured. The noise attracted the attention of the Indian Constable on the beat who forced an entry into the shop and WONG KIN was arrested. The second man escaped. Robbery was without doubt the motive for the crime. The accountant at the time had a considerable sum of money in the shop. WONG KIN was convicted at the Criminal Sessions and hanged.
WONG SHAU, farmer, residing at No 1 Kuu Yam Shan in the Sha Tin district, reported to the Police on the 6th of December that at about 3 p.m. on the 2nd December his nephew WONG SAM SHAU age 30, his son WONG TING FAT age 9 years and a friend named LCK SHANG, age 36, went for a walk up the hillside from the village in search of game. When they left the village LUK SHANG had in his possession a revolver and about $30 and WONG SAM SHAU had a chopper. After waiting four days they searched the hillside and found the bodies of the missing ones with their throats cut. Robbery may have been the motive for the crime as when the deceased's bodies were found their property was gone.
No arrest.
On the morning of the 14th December Mr. JOHN ROBERTSON CRAIK Chief Clerk Kowloon Dock residing at No. 22 Dock Terrace (within the Dock premises), was murdered by a Chinaman who is supposed to have gained access to his house through the pantry window which was open.
It appears that on the night of the 13th Mr. and Mrs. CRAIK retired to their bedroom at about 10.30 p.m. Mr. CRAIK was engaged in his room for some time writing,
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