434
89 m
SUPPRESSION OF HIGHWAY ROBBERIES.
.
(Daily Press, 26th May.) BECAUSE three highway robberies, and those on foreign' Indies, have been com- mitted in succesion in this city without any arrest following, there is no need for hys terical outcries against the Police. The thing might have happened in any civilised city in Europe, vide the continued immunity enjoyed by that wholesale mur- derer of women in London known as " Jack the Ripper." But the outrageous attacks, so daringly planned and so successfully carried out, afford room for reflection and naturally suggest the inquiry whether sufficient protection is afforded to pedes trians in Hongkong. In many cases the husbands are debarred, by press of business, from escorting their wives for their after noon walk; and it certainly seems hard that, because she cannot on all occasions secure male escort, a lady should be de-
of
passages.
But the economy
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
There is, we fear, among our stalwart guar- dians of the peace no budding SHERLOCK HOLMES, no Anglo-Saxon Lecocq." An effort should be made to secure some few really smart detectives and sergeants from Home. The Indian Contingent is also susceptible of improvement. There has been a tendency latterly to fill up the ranks with men who have drifted here, and thus save payment has, in most cases, been dearly purchased, the drifting, constable being mostly an idle and indifferent fellow, who daily drags his un- willing body and his apathetic spirit through the duties, carefully ignoring any chances of being useful in order to escape trouble or responsibility. Much better men can be engaged in India, and it is wiser and actu ally cheaper to pay a little more and secure a good article. Finally, it is desirable to reduce the numbers of the useless Chinese constables. gradually, as members drop out, replacing them by Europeans, Indians, or others as the exigencies of the situation for the time being may require.
even- under found one
The Kennedy and Bowen Roads should be patrolled by constables, in plain clothes if necessary, during the ing, with instructions to keep close observation all. Chinamen
In But the walking there. conversation
hears strong opinions expressed as to the punishment that should be inflicted upon persous convicted of highway robbery with violence ou unprotected females, but in this case, as in so many others, the adage
prived of her daily exercise. This is, indeed, essential to health, and the Bowen Road was mainly constructed with a view to affording the residents of Victoria an opportunity for healthful recreation, since water could have been brought in at a much lower cost by the use of pipes instead of making the existing conduit. difference in cost was money wisely in vested, inasmuch as it furnished a level walk of nearly four miles in length, which in its course opens up views of almost un- rivalled beauty, and is accessible by all who desire walking exercise at very little trouble or cost. If, however, this road is to be haunted by scoundrels lying in wait for the unwary with knives or other lethal weapons, its popularity with the fair sex and some of the
now ad-
first catch your hare" applies. The Courts have power to order flogging as part of the sentence in cases of crimes of violence and they do not hesitate to use the power, so that if the perpetrators of the recent convicted were caught and more timorous mâles outrages will rapidly decline. Nor will there be much feeling of security among lady pe- destrians on the various roads at the Peak, while they will go in fear on the roads of the Kowloon peninsula. The robbery under Beaconsfield Arcade comes under a some- what different category; it was more in the nature of pocketpicking or the snatching of jewelry so conimon in Canton and other Chinese cities, where women's earringsand sil- ver hairpius are the common attraction of the
The perpetrators of crimes of vio-
[May 27, 1899
THE NEW BOUNDARY LINE.
(Daily Press, 22nd May). The occupation of the town of Shamohun by Great Britain will render necessary a readjustment of the line originally fixed as the division between British and Chinese that the new line will be the one re- territory. It is most earnestly to be hoped commended by the Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART in his report on the New Ter ritory. There is a disposition on the part granted that such will be the case, but of the public, we believe, to take it for while the matter still remains in a state of uncertainty it may not be supereroga tory to draw attention to the danger of an unsatisfactory boundary being again decided upon. The local branch of the Navy League is understood to have recommended an extension of the territory to the East River, but, as it appears that project is not likely to meet with acceptance, it might be advisable for the committee to submit by telegraph an alternative and modified proposal, based, not on the mere wish to see marked red as much of the map as possible, but on considerations of what is strictly necessary to constitute a satisfactory frontier. The subject should also engage the earnest attention of the China Associa- tion.
Mr. LOCKHART in his report said "The boundary between two countries, "which leads to least friction, is either a "broad and deep river or the ridges of hills "forming the watersheds of different valleys.
16
In the San On district there is no broad river such as would form a suitable bonudary. But there are ridges of hills "which could be utilised for that purpose. "This proposal line, which includes the im
portant town of Shamchun and the land
"
看看
to the north and east of Mirs Bay and to "the west of Deep Bay, forms a good, "natural boundary, running along the crest "of the hills, is easy of defence, and would help to check smuggling. It renders uu- necessary the separation of villages "hitherto united, re-noves all danger of dis- putes about water rights, and obviates any interference with the present system "of local self-government, on the support of "which the success of British administra- in the new territory must to a great extent
they would be certain to feel the birch. But, unfortunately, flogging as ministered in Victoria Gaol is a farcical punishment, vide the report of the Principal Civil Medical Officer for 1897, in which we are told that “flogging as now inflicted, viz., "with the birch, produces no contusion of "the subcutaneous tissues, the usual result being a superficial redness which soon passes off and does not interfere with the prisoner's labour.” Superficial redness indeed! suatcher, who effects his purpose with brutal lence deserve something more than that. depend." Very urgent reasons were ad- disregard for the injury done to the person of his victim. Such a robbery as that of The stocks are also spoken of, but that is no vanced why Shamchun and the whole Sunday last, however, is rarely perpetrated punishment at all for a hardened criminal of the valley in which it is situated as Shian in Hongkong, and it serves to indicate the and only affords entertainment for, and should be taken over, but
ministers to the degradation of, the street chun has now been occupied, and the presence in the Colony of some of the worst criminals from the mainland, who have arab. What is of primary importance, how necessities of the case been met to that specially refer latterly perhaps been drawn to the place by ever, is to have the streets and roads suffici-extent, it is unnecessary to reports of the comparative weakness or in-ently well policed to render the commission to them here. efficiency of the Police, owing to the drain of highway robberies practically impos- made upon it for the protection of the New sible. If the policemen on Kennedy and Territory. From whatever cause, one thing Bowen Roads were mounted on bicycles at least is we believe certain for some they would be able to patrol their bents months there has been a notable increase in much more effectively, and the knowledge that a constable might at any moment sweep the number of undetected crimes.
swiftly and noiselessly down upon them to deter would in itself be enlculated thieves from lying in wait for ladies along those favourite promenades.
What is the remedy? It should not be necessary to have recourse to the system of offering rewards for information leading to
The point of uncertainty is as to the land to the north and east of Mirs Bay and to the west of Deep Bay. Wh the expedition set out the other day for Shamchun it was surmised that the town of Sunon, or Namtow, in Taicham Bay was to be occupied, which would have given us the peninsula forming the we tern shore of Deep Bay, but the surmise unfortunately proved incorect, and the western shore still remains Chinese. Nor has any move- It is reported that a syndicate of Chinese mant been male with respect to the land to gentlemen in Burma have purchased the steamer the north and east of Mirs Bay. It is most Syriam from the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company. desirable that whole of the laud border- The vessel is to be sent to China for work oning on Deep Bay and Mirs Bay, and more the Yangtze river. The Syriam will shortly especially the latter, should be British leave Rangoon for China.-Straits Times.
that there should be no divided authority. If one side of each of these bays remains Chinese, we will have troublés similar to those experienced in respect of Kowloon while that place was Chinese. The Native authorities will have facilities for ring, up trouble
the conviction of offenders. Moreover, that would be of minor benefit; what we want is to deter criminals from committing these crimes. We want, in short, to render this a dangerous spot for criminals to venture into: we want to make it almost inevitable that, in the event of their committing a crime, they shall meet the punishment that best fits that crime. In order to secure this The Emperor of Japan has presented Mr. result the Police Force will have to be Hall, the British Consul at Kobe, with a pair improved and, in some cases, augmenteil. of cloisonné vases, and M. do Lucy Fossarien. the French Consul at Kobe, with a pair of The European contingent is too small for bronze vases, in recognition of the services they the work expected, and we doubt whether rendered at the reception of his Majesty by the there is much detective talent in this section. I foreign residents at Kobe last year.
when
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suit their