J 4
5. There were 58 cases of deaths in unusual circumstances reported to the Police Magistrate as coroner during the year, and 11 Death Inquiries were held, 8 with Jury and 3 without, as against 3 in 1936.
One of these Inquiries revealed the typical courage of the local people in pursuing a course which they consider to be just. 5 well-armed robbers overpowered the occupants of two small fishing boats. As they were rowing off with their booty, their victims, although outnumbered by 5 to 3, counter-attacked with a stick of dynamite. In the subsequent mêlée the robbers' boat was upset, and 3 of them were killed with fish-spears and wooden rowlocks, while one of the fishermen was fatally shot. One of these fishermen had previously lost a hand in an accident with dynamite.
In 2 cases chicken thieves from over the border in the middle of the night were pursued by villagers and assaulted so severely that they died within a few hours. In each case the jury's verdict was: justifiable homicide.
A village bully who had done little honest work in years was set upon as he was returning from a midnight raid on oyster-beds, and fatally wounded. The jury's verdict was "killed by a person or persons unknown, in circumstances amounting to murder or manslaughter."
An Indian Policeman on midnight patrol with two of his fellows in summer suddenly shot one of them and fired several more shots wildly before shooting himself.
A boatman at Tai Po was electrocuted when his mast came into contact with the power line across the water. The jury's verdict was: misadventure. The China Light and Power Company lost no time in raising the line to a perfectly safe height.
Two women hung themselves in their homes: one old, who did it in a fit of temper, and the other young, owing to depression at her failure to bring up two sons whom she had borne, and to her physical inability to do the hard work expected of her. In both cases the verdict was: suicide.
Another old woman died of natural causes, but an inquiry had to be held, as villagers accused her adopted son, a half-bred negro, and his wife of poisoning her.
Inquiries were held into 2 fatal accidents on the highway, and in each case the jury's verdict was: misadventure.
6. There was a further decrease in the number of Small Debts cases, but 21 distress warrants were issued, as against 19 in 1936.