Old Hong Kong-4 — Page 57

Old Hong Kong 昔日香港 All AI Reviewed

357

GAOLS

The serious congestion at the local gaols these days, resulting in the deportation of many convicts after they have served only a portion of their sentences, suggests a little research into the system of dealing with convicts in the Colony's early years. The records show that shortly after the foundation of Hongkong, the authorities were embarrassed almost as much as they are to-day owing to the difficulty of dealing adequately with the convicted criminals in their midst. For a time there was no desire to have European convicts in the island, and the Government were at a loss where to send them. It was provided in 1844 that convicts under sentence of transportation—a sentence existing in those days, based on the Indian Penal Code which had been adopted by the Crown Colonies—should be sent to Van Diemen's Land. The following year, however, provision was made to accommodate these criminals in the Colony itself, yet in 1846 we find that certain convicts were sent to Scinde and to Penang and Singapore (the latter mainly Chinese pirates) suggesting that they continued to offer a problem to the prison authorities. Over forty years later, in 1889, we find records of European convicts from Hongkong still being sent to the Cape of Good Hope; a practice commenced in 1848. It may seem that the various selected places had not in those days, enough spirit to "kick" against this dumping process; but the Cape had in 1850, ineffectually protested, as did the Straits in 1851! White convicts from the garrison, after sentence by court martial, were still being sent to Van Diemen's Land up to at least the early Nineties.

Yet there actually were gaols in the Colony, the Hongkong prison, one of the first two buildings erected, being completed in 1841, for the accommodation mainly of Chinese prisoners. One of the early sites selected was Stonecutters Island, and the obvious derivation of the name is here the place where granite was quarried, cut and broken by gaol labour. Erection of a gaol was commenced at Stonecutters in 1861 and was completed in 1864, but the building, we learn was destroyed by a typhoon in 1875. It is on record that the prison had been abandoned some time before its destruction, owing to the prisoners making frequent escapes therefrom, and was thus in a state of disrepair when the typhoon finished it off. Reference to gaol-breaks recalls that even our modern prisons in the Colony have not been without their more or less sensational escapes within recent years.

While gaol accommodation was being found ashore, the authorities resorted to the use of a hulk off Stonecutters Island, which had for some time been moored there, apparently in Laichikok bay. This hulk, named the Royal Saxon, was put into commission in 1863, when about 300 long-term men were transferred to it; but escape from the hulk appears to have been extraordinarily easy, for there were a number of such records, and in 1864 no fewer than a hundred prisoners, in collusion with the guards, got away.

The records show that there was also a tragedy in the previous year, 1863, when a boat with prisoners bound for the hulk capsized, and 38 convicts were drowned. The use of the hulk as a gaol came to an end in 1866, and it was sold and taken to Canton.

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357 GAOLS The serious congestion at the local gaols these days, resulting in the deportation of many convicts after they have served only a portion of their sentences, suggests a little research into the system of dealing with convicts in the Colony's early years. The records show that shortly after the foundation of Hongkong, the authorities were embarrassed almost as much as they are to-day owing to the difficulty of dealing adequately with the convicted criminals in their midst. For a time there was no desire to have European convicts in the island, and the Government were at a loss where to send them. It was provided in 1844 that convicts under sentence of transportation—a sentence existing in those days, based on the Indian Penal Code which had been adopted by the Crown Colonies—should be sent to Van Diemen's Land. The following year, however, provision was made to accommodate these criminals in the Colony itself, yet in 1846 we find that certain convicts were sent to Scinde and to Penang and Singapore (the latter mainly Chinese pirates) suggesting that they continued to offer a problem to the prison authorities. Over forty years later, in 1889, we find records of European convicts from Hongkong still being sent to the Cape of Good Hope; a practice commenced in 1848. It may seem that the various selected places had not in those days, enough spirit to "kick" against this dumping process; but the Cape had in 1850, ineffectually protested, as did the Straits in 1851! White convicts from the garrison, after sentence by court martial, were still being sent to Van Diemen's Land up to at least the early Nineties. Yet there actually were gaols in the Colony, the Hongkong prison, one of the first two buildings erected, being completed in 1841, for the accommodation mainly of Chinese prisoners. One of the early sites selected was Stonecutters Island, and the obvious derivation of the name is here the place where granite was quarried, cut and broken by gaol labour. Erection of a gaol was commenced at Stonecutters in 1861 and was completed in 1864, but the building, we learn was destroyed by a typhoon in 1875. It is on record that the prison had been abandoned some time before its destruction, owing to the prisoners making frequent escapes therefrom, and was thus in a state of disrepair when the typhoon finished it off. Reference to gaol-breaks recalls that even our modern prisons in the Colony have not been without their more or less sensational escapes within recent years. While gaol accommodation was being found ashore, the authorities resorted to the use of a hulk off Stonecutters Island, which had for some time been moored there, apparently in Laichikok bay. This hulk, named the Royal Saxon, was put into commission in 1863, when about 300 long-term men were transferred to it; but escape from the hulk appears to have been extraordinarily easy, for there were a number of such records, and in 1864 no fewer than a hundred prisoners, in collusion with the guards, got away. The records show that there was also a tragedy in the previous year, 1863, when a boat with prisoners bound for the hulk capsized, and 38 convicts were drowned. The use of the hulk as a gaol came to an end in 1866, and it was sold and taken to Canton.

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357 GAOLS The serious congestion at the local gaols these days, resulting in the deportation of many convicts after they have served only a portion of their sentences, suggests a little research into the system of dealing with convicts · in the Colony's early years. The records show that shortly after the foundation of Hongkong, the authorities were embarrassed almost as much as they are to-day owing to the difficulty of dealing adequately with the convicted criminals in their midst. For a time there was no desire to have European convicts in the island, and the Government were at a loss where to send them. It was provided in 1844 that convicts under sentence of transportation a sentence existing in those days, based on the Indian Penal Code which had been adopted by the Crown Colonies' should be sent to Van Diemen's Land. The following year, however, provision was made to accommodate these criminals in the Colony itself, yet in 1846 we find that certain convicts were sent to Scinde and to Penang and Singapore (the latter mainly Chinese pirates) suggesting that they continued to offer a problem to the prison authorities. Over forty years later, in 1889, we find records of European convicts from Hongkong still being sent to the Cape of Good Hope; a practice commenced in 1848. It may seem that the various selected places had not in those days, enough spirit to "kick" against this dumning process; but the Cape had in 1850, ineffectually protested, as did the Straits in 1851! White convicts from the garrison, after sentence by court martial, were still being sent to Van Diemen's Land up to at least the early Nineties. Yet there actually were gaols in the Colony, the Hongkong prison, one of the first two buildings erected, being completed in 1841, for the accommodation mainly of Chinese prisoners. One of the early sites selected was Stonecutters Island, and the obvious derivation of the name is here the place were granite was quarried, cut and broken by gaol labour. Erection of a gaol was commenced at Stonecutters in 1861 and was completed in 1864, but the building, we learn was destroyed by a typhoon in 1875. It is on record that the prison had been abandoned some time befor its destruction, owing to the prisoners making frequen escapes therefrom, and was thus in a state of disrepair when the typhoon finished it off. Reference to gaol-breaks recalls that even our modern prisons in the Colony have not been without their more or less sensational escapes within recent years. While gaol accommodation was being found ashore, the authorities resorted to the use of a hulk off Stonecutters Island, which had for some time been moored there, apparently in Laichikok bay. This hulk, named the Royal Saxon, was put into commission in 1863, when about 300 long-term men were transferred to it; but escape from the hulk appears to have been extraordinarily easy, for there were a number of such records, and in 1864 no fewer than a hundred prisoners, in collusion with the guards, got away. The records show that there was also a tragedy in the previous year, 1863, when a boat with prisoners bound for the hulk capsized, and 38 convicts were drowned. The use of the hulk as a gaol came to an end in 1866, and it was sold and taken to Canton.

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357

GAOLS

The serious congestion at the local gaols these days, resulting in the deportation of many convicts after they have served only a portion of their sentences, suggests a little research into the system of dealing with convicts · in the Colony's early years. The records show that shortly after the foundation of Hongkong, the authorities were embarrassed almost as much as they are to-day owing to the difficulty of dealing adequately with the convicted criminals in their midst. For a time there was no desire to have European convicts in the island, and the Government were at a loss where to send them. It was provided in 1844 that convicts under sentence of transportation a sentence existing in those days, based on the Indian Penal Code which had been adopted by the Crown Colonies' should be sent to Van Diemen's Land. The following year, however, provision was made to accommodate these criminals in the Colony itself, yet in 1846 we find that certain convicts were sent to Scinde and to Penang and Singapore (the latter mainly Chinese pirates) suggesting that they continued to offer a problem to the prison authorities. Over forty years later, in 1889, we find records of European convicts from Hongkong still being sent to the Cape of Good Hope; a practice commenced in 1848. It may seem that the various selected places had not in those days, enough spirit to "kick" against this dumning process; but the Cape had in 1850, ineffectually protested, as did the Straits in 1851! White convicts from the garrison, after sentence by court martial, were still being sent to Van Diemen's Land up to at least the early Nineties.

Yet there actually were gaols in the Colony, the Hongkong prison, one of the first two buildings erected, being completed in 1841, for the accommodation mainly of Chinese prisoners. One of the early sites selected was Stonecutters Island, and the obvious derivation of the name is here the place were granite was quarried, cut and broken by gaol labour. Erection of a gaol was commenced at Stonecutters in 1861 and was completed in 1864, but the building, we learn was destroyed by a typhoon in 1875. It is on record that the prison had been abandoned some time befor its destruction, owing to the prisoners making frequen escapes therefrom, and was thus in a state of disrepair when the typhoon finished it off. Reference to gaol-breaks recalls that even our modern prisons in the Colony have not been without their more or less sensational escapes within recent years.

The records show that there was also

a tragedy in the previous year, 1863, when a boat with prisoners bound for the hulk capsized, and 38 convicts were drowned. The use of the hulk as a gaol came to an end in 1866, and it was sold and taken to Canton.

Old Hong Kong-4 — Page 57

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