April 29, 1903.1
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
RETIREMENT OF MR. A. MACKIE. | certainly it was a record in itself. It was with
TABEWELL PRESENTATION.
very great regret they had to bid Mr. Mackie good-bye. However, these things would happen and it was a very good thing that he could now retire in the prime of life on a good pension. He would ask Mr. Mackio to accept the souvenirs for himself and his wife, not forgetting the walking-stick for his son→→ but not to be used on him, he hoped (laughter). They all wished Mr. Mackie long life to enjoy his pensio, and they hoped he would long keep in memory the Hongkong Police. (Applause.)
Mr. MACKIE in response thanked Captain Lyons for the kind remar! s he had teade. If he had a record service in Hongkong, he thought he had also got a record present, for he did not remember, during his 31 years' service, anyone being made the recipient of such fine souvenirs, and he thanked them all very much for them. The Police Force had greatly changed since he came out to Hongkong 31 years The compound then w.s gravel on which they had to drill; now it was cemented and made into nice tennis-courts. The Europesus, and he might say the whole of the Police Force, were on a far better footing as regards pay and comfort than what they were when he arrived. In a Polico career it greatly depended upon what one made it, and speaking to the younger members of the Force he would advise them to pay strict attention to all orders and regulations and not be reported for small petty breaches of barracks regulations, for it was a very annoying thing for a young man to have to attend the defantters' parade for any small thing. He was sure that any one with an average amonut of intelligence had no need to retire from the Police Force here under the rank of Inspector hear, hear). On behalf of Mrs. Mackie-whom he wished had been present, for she could probably hive, thanked them bettor 1han be could-he could only say that she would be highly pleased with her present.
Was sorry in
Mr. A. Mackie, the retiring Chief Inspector of Police, left for home on the 16th inst, by the P. & 0. steamer Java, accompanied by his wife and one son. Mr. Mackie has a remarkable record of service. Joining the Police Force of the Colony in December, 1871, in which year he "was drafted from Leith with a number fother recruits, he has served for a period of 31 years almost without a break, the only time he was absent from duty being on the occasion of a four-months' trip to Australia in 1887. Mr. Mackie attained his first step of promotion in May 1874, when he was appointed to the rank of sergeant. Five years later he was made a third-class inspector, in 1886 he was appointed to the second class rank, and in 1891 to the first class. After acting as Chief Insp ctor in 1896 and Deputy Superintendent in 1897, he received the appointment in the latter year of Chief Inspector of Police, the pos tin he has now relinquished. A year ago Mr. Mac. kie for, the second time filled temporarily the off of Deputy Superintendent of Police, which carried with it the duties also of Deputy Superintendent of the Fire Brigade. He was granted the 4th class good conduct medal in 1859, 3rd class in 1893; and 1st class in 1894, ia which year he was also awarded the plague medal for exceptionally honourable work during the first epidemic in the Colony. He was commended by his Excellency the Governor, Sir William Robinson G.U.M.G., for the energy and ability he displayed during the coolie strike in April, 1895, and received the personal thanks of his Excellency the Governor for services rendered in the plague epidemic of 1896, Mr. Mackie gave the Hon. F. H. May, CAG Colonial Secretary (then Captain Superintendent of Police), invaluable assistance in the sifting of the gambling scandal and the reorganisation of the Police Force which follow ́ed as a consequence.
many ways to leave Hoogkong, but he After anot
a splendid record it wanted a holilay and at his time of life it was fitting that close of Mr. Mackie's scarcely worth whi's returning to the Police official career, which has never once been dis-Force, He wished them all good-bye, and he figured by a "black mark,” should be attended hoped they would all live to earn their pension by such a ceremony as that in the compound of and enjoy it after it was earned. (Applause) the Central Police Station on the 14th inst., Addressing the Indian members of the Force, when the ex-Chi f Inspector of Police was made Mr. Mackie thanked them for heir kindness. the recipient of tangible tokens of the esteem Po remembered that when he arrived they had in which he is held throughout the force some of the old Lucknow warriors there, and to which he has been such an ornament. amongst them was Sergeant Dalab Singh, one The presentation ceremony was performed by of the most powerful Indians he ever saw. Captain F. W. Lyons, Acting Captain: Superin. These men were very much interested when tendent of Police. Among those present besides they heard that the others and he came Mr. Mackie were Mr. P. P. J. Wodehouse, from Scotland-Sir Colin Campbell's country, A.S.P., Mr. J. H. Kemp, Acting Police Dulab Singh worshipped Sir Colin Campbell Magistrate; Mr. C. 4. D. Melbourne, First and always salaamed when bis name was Clerk; Inspectors H. G. Baker, W. Robertson, mentioned. He had taken a great deal of D. MacDonald, W. L. Ford, W. G. Warnock, interest in the Indian Fore?. When he was and J. Gauld, Sergeant Major Lall Singh, and a young Inspector at Stanley and Shaukiwan Mr. J. Spooner.
they had bot so much drill in these days he used to make it a practice, instead of letting them sleep all the time, to take them out swimming and make them engage in all sorts of athletic sports, with the result that qui e a rivalry in these things arose between them and the Chinese, and very few of them had to go to Hospital. He thanked them again for their kindness. (Applause.)
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The presents took the form of a gold watch and a silver-mounted walking stick for Mr. Mackie, a handsome silver tea-service for Mrs. Mackie, and a gold scarf-pin and silver-mounted walking stick for Master Willie Mackie-from the European members of the Police Force and Magistrates; also a fine silver kettle from the Indian members of the Force, On the watch appeared the in- scription:" Presented by the European members of the Hongkong Police and to Magistrates to Chief Inspector A. Mackie ou his retirement from the Force 15th April, 1903." A similar inscription appeared on the ten-service, while that on the kettle presented by the Indian
members read as follows:-"Presented to Mr. A. Mackie, Chief Inspector of the Hongkong Police, by the members of the Indian contingent as a token of 'their esteem, on the occasion of his retirement from the Force on the 15th April, 1903."
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Captain LYONS afterwards proposed the health of Mr. Mackie and wished him long life, a to:-st which was cordially drunk.
The proceedings ended with three hearty cheers and a "tiger" for Mr. Mackie, led by Captain Lyons,
1975
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO AN EUROPEAN.
FALLS OVER A CLIFF.
was:
A serions accident occurred to one of a part of Europeans who were walking on the Jubilee Koad on the 12th inst. At a point on the road they stopped, and Sanitary Inspector O'Donnelly, the one who met with the m shap, crossed over near the edge to select a place whereon he and his fiend
fiends might rest. He was standing on some newly laid turf and had just uttered the words, "Here is a nice place to sit," when the turf gave way and threw Inspector O'Donnelly off his feet. For the first six f et or so of the descent the slope was not a steep one, Lut after th t almost a sheer fall into the sea. Inspector O'Donnelly had no chance to regain his feet, and he rolled head over heels for a distauce arrested his. progress and saved him from of some fifty feet, when a tree fortunately
what must have been almost certain death, for he was now insensible and conld have done no hing to save himself had he fillen into the water, which is deep al: along the foot of the hill. Two other European members of the Sanitary oard, Inspector O'Ke-fe and Senior Inspector Conolly, were of the party, and they descended the bill and succeeded after great difficulty in getting the unconscious man to the top. Whilst they were doing their beat to bring him round another European rode up on horseback, and when the situation had been explained to him he galloped off to the nearest police station, whence a telephonic message was transmitted to the Central Station, From there an ambu'ance was sent to the scene. of the acci-lent, but before it roached the spot a carriage containing several Chines gentlemen came across the group oa Jubilee Road. Very obligingly the occupants descended and allowed the injured man to be placed in the vehicle, which some distance farther on met the oncom- ing ambulance. Inspector O'Donnelly, who had been taken in hand by the European ward- master of the Government Civic Hospital, was transferred to the ambulance and conveyed to the hospital, where he is progressing favour- ably, it is stated, despite the serions injuries he sustained to his head and body.
Thirty houses were destroyed and five badly injured by a fire which broke out at Shanghai on the 6th inst. The fire broke out in the Shanse Road, close to Peking Corner. The insurances on the affected property amount Captain LYONS, addressing the company, said to more than Tls. 13,000. Nos. 151-155, Shanse they had assembled there to offer Mr: Mackie a` Road and 151-160, Peking Road are Chinese- memento of his services with the Police. The owned, but 161-165, Peking Road are the prop presents had been subscribed for by the Euro-erty of Messrs E. D. Sassoon & Co. pean members of the Force together with some European friends of Mr. Mackie, and one of them had been subscribed for by the Indian Police. He need not, he thought, give them the history of Mr. Mackie's career for it was well known to most of them. Such a long record of service in the Police was, he supposed, unknown, and
Messrs.
Lester & Co. own Nos. 1,220-4), Peting Road and 156-161, Shans Road, Nos. 140-146, Shansé Road are the property of Messrs. Dowdall, Hanson and McNeill, and that firm also owns 1,241, Peking Road. It is some time since there has been a fire of such magnitude in the Settlements, the N.-C. Daily News says,
PLAGUE CASE FROM HONGKONG.
The following is from the Bangkok Times:- Bangkok must be considered Incky in having kept plague out all these years. A case of of genuine bubonic plague was discovered on a Bangkok-bound steamer on 24th nit., and pro- bably that is the nearest the danger has come to the port so far. Fortunately the Medical Officer of Health happened to be on board himself, returning from his trip to Hongkong. and it is satisfactory to know that theres no danger of the disease being introduced into the town from that case. The Phra Chom Klao left Hongkong for Bangkok on the 17th nit, having on board some 40 or 50 Chines› deck pas- s ngers.. When the vessel was nearing the bar on the afternoon of Tuesday of that week, Dr. H. Campbell Highet was informed that_n Chinese coolie was ill. He visited the m
and found a well developed case of bubonic plague. - The man was evidently dying then and he did die a few hours later, when the vessel was lying outside the bar. All his few belongings were taken and wrapped round, the body, which was duly weighted and buried in the sea, Dr. Highet then directed that the Phra Chom Klao should cross the bar with the tide and go up
to Paknam. On arriving there the European passengers were allowed to land, and Dr. Highet, seut the quarantine officer with the steamer back to Kob Pai, where she will stay till it is seen if there is any danger of further cases of plague developing. The coolies have been landed on the island
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The other day there was a suspicious death on board the Loosok, a d in view of the whole circumstances we understand that quarantine will be re-established at Koh Pai forthwith. With regard to the fatal case on the Phra Chom Klao there sees little doubt that the man had the germs of the disease when he came on bard at Hongkong.
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