1841-1886
OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
345
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The two prisoners were subsequently tried, convicted, and sentenced to decapitation in Canton by the Chinese authorities, as there exist no means, under any treaty, of claiming the rendition of Chinese guilty of crime on British soil.
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 by two Punjaubee constables on duty, who showed much courage in resisting them, and were both severely wounded. Sergeant Mahoney hearing the report of fire-arms, hastened to their assistance; but appears to have been killed before he could use his arms. In this case, four men were convicted and sentenced to death; but they were subsequently released, the principal witnesses for the prosecution having been convicted of perjury.
3. On the night of the 18th February four armed men landed from a sampan in Deep-Bay, and attacked a lonely hut which is situated close to the beach, and was at that time inhabited by a fisherman named Chu-a-Cheung and his wife. In attempting to protect his property the fisherman received a wound in the neck, from which he died a lingering death in hospital. The robbers having ransacked the hut, and transferred the few articles worth taking to the sampan, shoved off, and were out of sight long before the woman, who made the report at the Stanley Station, returned with the police.
In this case no clue has ever been obtained, nor under the circumstances was it from the first at all probable that evidence would be forthcoming, as all the parties implicated had speedily escaped beyond the jurisdiction of the local courts.
4. Three Greeks were charged with piracy and murder in the neighbourhood of Shanghai, and were arrested, two by the local police in Hong Kong, and one by a Shanghai constable, in Macao. In consequence of there being no Greek Consul in this Colony these men were subsequently released by the Supreme Court.
5. There is a very remarkable decrease in kidnapping compared with last and previous years, viz-sixty-eight cases in 1867, fifty-three cases in 1868, against seven cases reported during 1869. This may be partly attributed to the introduction of Ordinance 3 of 1868, which empowers the Supreme Court to award the punishment of whipping in addition to imprisonment, and also to a subsequent Proclamation in the Government Gazette offering a reward of $20 for evidence leading to conviction of this offence.
6. With the exception of drunkenness, which is almost entirely confined to foreigners, and which I regret to say has increased by 169 cases, i.e. 27.2 per cent.-compared with last year-all minor offences show a large decrease.
7. Prevention of Crime.-The success of the police is so much enhanced by the deportation of old offenders that every effort is made to arrest men of this class. In this we have received valuable assistance from the Gaming-house licensees, who have, during the past year, caused the apprehension of 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 several cases during the year.
9. Night patrolling, both on horseback and on foot, has been efficiently performed and its value has been especially shown on the roads above Victoria, at Pok-foo-lum, and British Kowloon, where several daring robberies have been averted by the opportune arrival of the Police.
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 crime, the chief purpose for which a Police is maintained, the force has not been unsuccessful.
11. Detection.-The subjoined statement shows 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.
MISON.
No. of Persons Convicted. No. of Persons Convicted. Year. Persons Arrested. Persons Discharged. Year. Persons Arrested. Persons Discharged. Total. No. per Cent. Total. No. per Cent. 1868 1,422 617 905 63.6 1868 3,836 895 2,941 76.6 1869 285 604 67.9 1869 2,652 2,005 75.6Page 345
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