They were concerned in 98 cases, in which only 121 Defendants were discharged out of 196 Prisoners. In 1869 the number of cases amounted to 241, which is certainly but few comparatively, and I am unable to speak of them with any detail as I was absent on leave, but before the close of 1870 they had 81 cases in Courts, and in 1871 up to this date they have been prosecutors in 79 cases. This shows the actual work done by the watchmen, and is no record of the cases in which they have simply aided the Police in the prosecution of offenders, nor can it give any notion of the amount of crime which, through their instrumentality, has been stopped. And this is important, for the object of each watchman is to purge his own District of bad characters who are on the look out for opportunities to plunder.
While referring to the criminal cases in the prosecution of which the Watchmen have been engaged, I may call attention to the praise which has been freely bestowed on Mr. Russell (Police Magistrate), by the Coroners, Mr. Stewart and Mr. Lister, and by some of the Senior Officers of the Police. On the other hand, it is right to add that Mr. May, ... commending