POLICE
(Contd.)
== 809
It is a far cry from the Forties with their bamboo-beating night watchmen, to the Nineteen-Thirties; yet I recall a picturesque survival from the more recent past. Up to about three years ago an aged Chinese, bald, decrepit looking and certainly no match for a robber, used to sound a drum at regular hourly intervals throughout the period of darkness, along the lanes intersecting the area on the east of Wyndham Street, (formerly known as Pedder's Hill see 11-17-33). Apparently he was a survival, a rather pathetic figure, retained partly out of charity, by one or more households whose forebears probably could look back to the time when such watchmen were a necessity.
In yesterday's article on crime in the Colony, and the gradual rise of the effective system of policing which we enjoy to-day, reference was made to instances of serious crime which occurred during the early years of Hong Kong's history. A reader who has previously contributed notes to this column, "Towndweller," recalls a later episode which again drew attention to the lack of efficient Police forces, and this as recently as fifty-five years ago. He writes:
"In 1879 (I think) there was an organised attack by a band of pirates who, in the early hours of the morning, between 1 and 2 a.m. came over from Sam Shui Po (then Chinese territory) and attacked a bank in Wing Lok Street. They used arms, and in the melee between the pirates and Police, a Mr. Goulbourne, who was then Chief Clerk at the Magistracy, and who had hastened down from the United Club (a Police club I believe) in Gough Street, lost an eye through receiving a spear thrust in it.
"Launches and other craft used to lie alongside the Praya at night in those days, and the pirates seized a launch in which they escaped to Sam Shui Po, where the launch was found on the beach the next day."
This is certainly a remarkable instance of daring by the lawless elements of old, and I am grateful to the correspondent for his note. On looking up the records, I find that the date of the attack was September 25, in the year 1878, a period when there was a further, and probably final, outbreak of serious crime of all kinds. The raid was carried out by a large band of men estimated to be between 40 and 80, which shows that in the excitement of the occurrence it was not possible to obtain any accurate figure. It was an affair of a nature reading more like fiction of the buccaneering period than a happening in orderly Hong Kong. The men are variously described as pirates or armed burglars, their weapons being the well-known long-handled Chinese spear of that period. The premises in Wing Lok Street which they selected for attack consisted of a native shop carrying on, apparently, a subsidiary banking business (other references to the times show that few policemen ever went on night duty); it was easy for the band of marauders to take possession of the whole street, which they "held" against all comers while the work of breaking into the premises was carried out. An armed force of Police, hastily summoned, was actually kept at bay until the robbers escaped, with their booty, in a steam launch.
Needless to say, the greatest public indignation was aroused the following day, when news of the outrage, and its successful outcome for the raiders, became generally known. Just as this strong feeling was simmering, an attack occurred on a European house in Seymour Terrace (on October 3, 1878) by armed burglars, and public indignation knew no bounds. A mass meeting was held on the cricket ground on October 7, attended by the leading British residents, and several resolutions condemning the official attitude, the alleged slackness in suppressing crime, and so forth, were unanimously adopted, including a call for much sterner measures. The resolutions called for a commission of enquiry, of members appointed from outside the Colony; and were forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. However, it is on record that the memorial forwarding this series
POLICE
(Contd.)
== 809
It is a far cry from the Forties with their bamboo-beating night watchmen, to the Nineteen-Thirties; yet I recall a picturesque survival from the more recent past. Up to about three years ago an aged Chinese, bald, decrepit looking and certainly no match for a robber, used to sound a drum at regular hourly intervals throughout the period of darkness, along the lanes intersecting the area on the east of Wyndham Street, (formerly known as Pedder'S Hill see 11-17-33). Apparently he was survival a rather pathetic figure, retained partly out of charity, by one or more households whose forebears probably could look back to the time when such watchmen were a necessity.
In yesterday's article on crime in the Colony, and the gradual rise of the effectives system of policing which we enjoy to-day, reference was male to instances of serious crime which occurred during the early years of Hong Kong's history. A reader who has previously contributed notes to this column, "Towndweller," recalls a later episode which again drew attention to the lack of efficient Police forces, and this as recently as fifty-five years ago. He writes:
"In 1879 (I think) there was an organised cathack by a band of pirates who, in the early hours of the morning, between 1 and 2 a.m. came over from Sam Shui Po (then Chinese territory) and attacked a bank in Wing Lok Street. They used arms, and in the melee between the pirates and Police, a Mr. Goulbourne, who was then Chief Clerk at the Magistracy, and who had hastened down from the United Club (a Police club I believe) inGough Street, lost an eye through receiving a spear thrust in it.
"Launches and other craft used to lie alongside the Praya at night in those days, and the pirates seized a launch in which they escaped to Sam Shui Po, where the launch was found on the beach the next day."
This is certainly a remarkable instance of daring by the lawless elements of old, and I am grateful to the correspondent for his note. On looking up the records, I find that the date of the attack was September 25, in the year 1878, a period when there was a further, and probably final, outbreak of serious crime of all kinds. The raid was carried out by a large band of men estimated to be between 40 and 80, which shows that in the excitement of the occurrence it was not possible to obtain any accurate figure. It was an affair of a nature reading more like fiction of the buccaneering period than a happening in orderly Hong Kong. The men are variously described as pirates or armed burglars, their weapons being the well-known long-handled Chinese spear of that period. The premises in Winglok Street which they selected for attack consisted of a native shop carrying on, apparently, a subsidiary banking area (other references to the times show that few policemen ever went on night duty) it was easy for the band of marauders to take possession of the whole street, which they "held" against all comers while the work of breaking into the premises was carried out. An armed force of Police, hastily summoned, was actually kept at bay until the robbers escaped, with their booty, in a steamlaunch.
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Needless to say, the greatest public indignation was aroused the following day, when news of the outrage, and its successful outcome for the raiders, became generally known. Just as this strong feeling was simmering, an attack occurred on a European house in Seymour Terrace (on October 3, 1878) by armed burglars, and public indignation knew no bounds. A mass meeting was held on the cricket ground on October 7, attended by the leading British residents, and several resolutions condemning the official attitude, the alleged slackness in supressing crime, and so forth, were unanimously adopted, including a call for much sterner-measures. The resolutions called for a commission of enquiry, of members appointed from outside the Colony; and were forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonics./ However, it is on record that the memorial forwarding this series
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