Population of Hongkong and British Kowloon, exclusive of Shipping and Boat population, -98,585.
Strength of the Police of all grades on 31st December, exclusive of Water Police, Guards over Gaols and other Public Buildings, and men employed on special duty, 385.
Proportion of Police to population,-One policeman to 255 persons.
(b.)
The crime Returns for 1869, Appendices A and B, compare very favorably with those for last, and previous years.
From the subjoined Statement it will be seen that serious offences have decreased 22.6 per cent minor offences 18.4 per cent, and all crime 19.3 per cent; as compared with similar Returns for 1868
Minor Offences.
All Offences.
Year.
1868 1869
Serious Offences.
1,249 967
Decrease.
282
4,456 3,634
Decrease.
822
5,705 4,601
Decrease.
1,104
Only three of the five cases of murder reported during the year were committed in this Colony In one the prisoners were brought here for trial, the crime having occurred on board the British Barque
"Nile" off Borneo.
Of the three cases which occurred in this Colony the most atrocious were those of Mr. Holworthy, Assistant Superintendent Military Stores Department, and of Police Sergeant Mahoney.
1. Mr. Holworthy was attacked when walking at mid-day on one of the hill-roads on 24th January; the object appears to have been robbery solely. Within two weeks information was received that the stolen property-a watch and chain-was in a Chinese District about 40 miles from Hong kong. In May the names of the four men said to have been implicated in the murder were obtained aud in July and August two of them were arrested, and the watch recovered in Chinese territory by the co-operation of Mandarin Chiên Táng (X) The two prisoners were subsequently tried convicted, and sentenced to decapitation in Canton by the Chinese authorities, as there exist o means, under any treaty, of claiming the rendition of Chinese guilty of crime on British soil.
341
1Prevention of Crime. The success of the Police is so much enhanced by the deportation of d offenders that every effort is made to arrest men of this class. In this we have received valuable sistance from the Gaming-house licensees, who have, during the past year, caused the apprehension 140 men who were convicted under Ordinance 9 of 1857; most of whom had been previously branded and deported.
8. Assistance has also been received from the Native District Watchmen, who have brought up everal cases during the year.
9. Night patrolling, both on horseback and on foot, has been efficiently performed and its value here several daring robberies have been averted by the opportune arrival of the Police. has been especially shown on the roads above Victoria, at Pok-foo-lum, and British Kowloon,
10. The introduction of new Ordinances has doubtless reduced some serious offences; accidental circumstances may also have contributed to the temporary diminution of crime, but I consider that its steady decrease during the last four years may be reasonably accepted as proof that the exertions of the officers of this department have not been wholly futile; and that, as regards the prevention of cime, the chief purpose for which a Police is maintained, the force has not been unsuccessful.
11. Detection.-The subjoined statement shews an improvement in the working of the Police as tested by the percentage of prisoners convicted and discharged. No reliable record has hitherto been kept of the number of cases traced, and the amount of property recovered, by the Police; but forms for this purpose are now being prepared.
OFFENCES.
SERIOUS.
MINOR.
Year.
Persons Persons No. of Persons convicted.!
arrested. discharged.
Total.
Year.
1868
1869
1,422 880
517
905
No. per cent.
63.6
285
604
67.9
Persons Persons No, of Persons convicted.
arrested. discharged.
Total. No. per cent.
1868 3,886
895 1869 2,652
647
2,041 2,905
76.6
75.6
2. The murder of Police Sergeant Mahoney arose from a piratical attack on the Village of Shau'-ki-wan, by a party of twenty-eight armed men who landed from a junk. They were observed
12. It is impossible to lay down any standard in detection below which the working of a Police by two Punjaubee Constables on duty, who showed much courage in resisting them, and were bote force can be justly condemned. Success in this respect must depend quite as much on external severely wounded. Sergeant Mahoney, hearing the report of fire-arms, hastened to their assistance ircumstances, such as the talent and dexterity displayed by the criminal classes, the natural features but appears to have been killed before he could use his arms. In this case, four men were convicted of the country, and the character of its natives, as on the ability and exertions of the Police. As a and sentenced to death; but they were subsequently released, the principal witnesses for the proemarkable illustration of this I may refer to the present deplorable state of Ireland, where numerous cution having been convicted of perjury.
grarian outrages, of the most daring character, "have hitherto baffled the ablest detective officers,
3. On the night of 18th February four armed men landed from a sampan in Deep-Bay, and much so that it was lately stated by Lord Cairns in the House of Lords that in Ireland, during the attacked a lonely hut which is situated close to the beach, and was at that time inhabited by a fisheryear 1869, out of 59 cases of murder and other heinous offences, including eighteen assassinations, in man named Chu-a-Cheung and his wife. In attempting to protect his property the fishermaly one had the criminal been discovered and committed for trial. Here the dishonesty of the na- received a wound in the neck, from which he died a lingering death in hospital. The robbers having fives, on whom we have to depend for the detection of crime, renders it impossible to maintain an ransacked the hut, and transferred the few articles worth taking to the sampan, shoved off, and were organized detective Police. Indeed, if such a force did exist, I am of opinion that it would be of very out of sight long before the woman, who made the report at the Stanley Station, returned with the tle use, unless outposts could be maintained, under European supervision, at different points in the San-On District, and in Canton and Macao; which, under existing circumstances would of course be impossible.
Police.
In this case, no clue has ever been obtained, nor under the circumstances, was it from the firsta all probable that evidence would be forthcoming, as all the parties implicated had so speedily escap beyond the jurisdiction of the local Courts.
4. Three Greeks were charged with piracy and murder in the nighbourhood of Shanghai, and were arrested, two by the local Police in Hongkong, and one by a Shanghai Constable, in Macao. consequence of there being no Greek Consul in this Colony these men were subsequently released the Supreme Court.
by
13. There is ample evidence to shew that the perpetrators of most of the serious offences which ave occurred in this Colony were inhabitants of Chinese territory. Many daring crimes have been evidently planned beyond our jurisdiction. And, in most cases, precautionary arrangements were made by the depredators to secure a safe retreat before information could reach the Police.
14. From Appendix C it will be seen that larceny by servants has decreased in a very remark- able manner since the opening of licensed Gaming Houses, the average number of cases reported per quarter during the years 1865, 1866, and 1867 being 82, compared with 25 during 1868, and 15 during
1869.
5. There is a very remarkable decrease in kidnapping compared with last and previous year viz:--68 cases in 1867, 53 cases in 1868, against 7 cases reported during 1869. This may partly attributed to the introduction of Ordinance 3 of 1868, which empowers the Supreme Court
15. I take this opportunity of submitting a statement, Appendix D, of the working of the different award the punishment of whipping in addition to imprisonment, and also to a subsequent Proclamatio in the Government Gazette offering a reward of $20 for evidence leading to conviction of this offeus mass of the force, as tested by the number of persons arrested, convicted, and discharged; which was called for some months ago by His Excellency the Governor, but in consequence of Mr. Deane's allness, remained unfinished when he left the Colony ou sick leave. This return shews the number of 6. With the exception of drunkenness, which is almost entirely confined to Foreigners, a
In the Water Police, the European Constable which, I regret to say, has increased by 169 cases, i.e. 27.2 per cent-compared with last year-persons apprehended and the result of these arrests.
charge of a boat invariably gets credit for all arrests, although in most instances he receives the minor offences shew a large decrease.
information from Chinese Lo-kongs. For this reason the statement cannot be relied on in the cases of Europeans, and Chinese; but, it is useful to show the comparative efficiency of the Sikhs and other
(a) This is probably much less than the real number of inhabitants, but the figures have been taken from the last census relat (5.) This proportion of Police to the population is smaller than that which prevails in some Indian towns, where the duties are no means so difficult.