641440-1895-Report-of-the-Captain-Superintendent-of-Police-for-1894 — Page 5

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 16TH MARCH, 1895.

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The incident stirred up the dormant enmity between the two clans, and it only required another collision between some cargo coolies at West Point to fan the ill-feeling into flame.

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For four days all work on steamers in the harbour ceased as the coolies of either party' were afraid go to work lest they should be exposed to the attack of the other. In the meantime the members of the various clubs frequented by either party--professional fighting men and bullies-constituted them- selves the champions of either side and carried on for 4 days a guerilla warfare not upon each other, but upon any isolated members of the clans they might happen to meet.

In this way a coolie who with another was carrying a load in Hillier Street was shot by a man who walked quietly up to him, with a revolver, discharged it against his abdomen and walked as quietly away, not one in the crowded street having the courage to interfere with him or even to raise the alarm although a strong Police patrol had only just passed by. Nay, more not a single one of the many witnesses who must have seen the murder committed--for it was done at 12 o'clock in the day when the street and shops were full of people--would give any information at all to assist in tracing the man.

The companion of the murdered man made no report to the Police, and an entire day was spent in finding him.

Nine other coolies were cut down with swords and knives while pursuing their ordinary avocations, and two men were wounded by revolver shots fired from the tops of house in Queen's Road West into the houses opposite.

This was put a stop to by posting armed Police on the house tops. Thirteen men were arrested for carrying revolvers in the street and 4 for being armed with knives while numerous arrests were made for fighting and disturbing the peace.

It was found possible to break up the clubs which had furnished the professional fighting men who carried on the disturbances, and in four days order was restored and the coolies returned to their work.

You are aware that the Officer Administering the Government (Sir GEORGE OBRIEN) reported to the Secretary of State his opinion that the Police had acted with credit in this emergency, and I take this opportunity of stating that each branch of the Force well deserved His Excellency's commendation.

The circumstances were such as to call into prominence the usefulness of the Chinese Contingent, and I am glad to be able to state that it acquitted itself in the most thoroughly satisfactory manner, the men displaying energy, intelligence, and courage.

I have also to acknowledge the valuable assistance rendered by the Registrar General and the District Watchmen.

9. I have referred above to the drain of men from the Police Force caused by the Plague.

There was no alternative but to lend as many men as were wanted to carry on the work of the Permanent Committee of the Sanitary Board (of which I myself was a member), for there was no possibility of getting men who could do the work satisfactorily elsewhere.

The house to house visitation could never have been conducted in the satisfactory manner it was without European Police who could speak Chinese, and without Chinese Police who could speak English, to act as interpreters for the soldiers and others engaged on the work who did not know the Chinese language.

Nor could the work at the Tung Wa and Plague Hospitals have been carried on without assistance from all three branches of the Force, or could the disinfecting and cleansing operations have been effected by the men of the Royal Engineers and Shropshire Light Infantry as smoothly and free from opposition as they were but for the presence of Police with the men at the commencement of the operations and until the soldiers and the Chinese population had become thoroughly accustomed to each other.

For the four mouths from the middle of May to middle of September there were 6 European Police, 2 Indians and 17 Chinese regularly employed on Plague work, and there were 14 Europeans, 11 Indians and 13 Chinese engaged on the same work for periods varying from 1 month to 3 months. These men all volunteered for the duty.

During the whole of that time not a single complaint was made against any one of these men although they were daily occupied in carrying out measures which were very distasteful to the Chinese population.

An immense amount of extra work was thrown by the Plague on the Police who were not employed under the Sanitary Board. This work although often of an extremely disagreeable nature was cheerfully undertaken by one and all.

In short, the work done by the entire Police Force during the Plague and the manner in which it was done, are deserving of the highest praise, and merit the thanks of the Community.

The demand for Chinese-speaking European Police was very great, and I regret to say that the supply was not equal to the demand.

Chinese is such an unattractive language that it is extremely difficult to induce men to take up the study of it.

I have hesitated to recommend that it be made compulsory lest such a condition superadded to the low sterling value of the pay should make recruiting at home more difficult, but I intend to make such a recommendation as soon as opportunity offers for doing so without risk of prejudice to other interests.