- K 2
banks and business houses, such thefts are classed by the Police as "Unpreventable Crimes": -
Larceny by Servant from
The Eastern Equitable Banking Corporation $884,132.00 Embezzlement, Bank of China.
$24,834.00
Embezzlement, Kwong Cheung Hing Lung Kee Firm, 262 Des Voeux Road Central. $40,972.00
Larceny by Bailee, Yuen Yick Cheong Firm, 132 Bonham Strand "E" $15,500.00
Larceny by Servant, Leung Kiu Kee Firm, 158 Connaught Road Central .$12,500.00
Fraudulent Misappropriation, Ng Chau Bank, 38 Bonham Strand "E” $10,000.00
These amounts total $987,938.00 or 69.2% of the total amount stolen.
PIRACY.
Two piracies were recorded on steamships, one being on the British ship S.S. "Helikon" owned by Messrs. Wo Fat Shing & Co. Hong Kong, while she was on a voyage from Hong Kong to Saigon on the 21st July, 1930. The pirates boarded the ship as passengers and waited until the ship was about 132 miles South of Hong Kong. The attack was made during the early hours of the morning while all Officers with the exception of two on watch, one on the bridge and one in the engine room, were asleep. Resistance was impossible. No Guards were carried. No shots were fired and no one was injured. The ship was taken to Bias Bay. Considerable cargo was stolen and 16 persons including the Compradore were kidnapped. In this case the owners of the ship postponed the sailing time from 6.00 p.m. on 19th July to 8.30 a.m. on 20th July, without informing the Police, thereby rendering the Police search ineffective and it was also found that subsequent to the completion of the Police search, passengers were allowed to come on board with their baggage.
The second case was on the Norwegian S.S. "Hirundo" on the 12th November, 1930. As in the first case, pirates boarded the ship as passengers. The attack was made about noon when the ship was 130 miles South of Hong Kong, being then on a voyage from Swatow to Bangkok. All Officers were taken by surprise and were unable to offer any resistance. Guards are not carried on this ship. The pirates expected to find bullion on board. Being disappointed in this respect they confined themselves to Officers and passengers, but the latter being of the poorer class the pirates' haul was comparatively small. A Chinese saloon waiter was wounded in the shoulder by a shot from a small fire-arms. The first and third Compradores were kidnapped. The ship was taken to MIR'S BAY and it is believed that the pirates went overland to Bias Bay.