Serious Crime.—This includes the minder on October 1 of a Chinese barber who was fatally stabbed in a teashop in the Louza District during a fight and the murder of an unidentified Chinese whose dead body was found on October 11 in a field off Kiaochow Road riddled with bullets and with a rope tied round the neck. Of two men arrested in connexion with the teashop brawl, one was found guilty of murder and ordered to be sent to the Court of the Military Governor and the other was acquitted.
Two men, under remand at the end of September charged wi: the attempted murder of three foreign and one Chinese member of Force on September 11, were dealt with on October 17 when one was remitted to the Military Governor for execution and the other sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
Thhe case wherein a man was charged with being concerned in the murder of a Chinese engineer in the Yangtszepoo District on August 29, was concluded on October 6 when accused was discharged.
As a result of the death on September 10 of a Chinese female who was seriously assaulted on June 25 and for which two men were undergoing imprisonment, the case was reopened and both accused charged with murder. One was sentenced to death and handed over to the Military Governor whilst the sentence of imprisonment passed upon the other for assault remained unchanged. rested in connexion with these cases, one was sentenced to imprisonment and the other was under remand at the end of the month. One man, under remand at the end of September on a charge of highway robbery, was dealt with during the month when he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
Property Stolen.—497 reports made under this heading during the month represent a total estimated loss of $92,260 and. include 30 cases of burglary, five of house-breaking, 3 of godown-breaking and five of shop and office-breaking. Successful investigation was made in 181 cases, resulting in the recovery of property valued at $20,712, in addition to which recoveries to the extent, of $3,666 were made in connexion with reports received prior to October 1, Successful results were also obtained in eight cases reported as occurring out of limits and in Seven cases where property was reported as lost.
Trafficking in Firearms.—Two foreigners of British nationality were charged during the month for trafficking in firearms. One was sentenced to a term of imprisonment and the other dis charged. Three other foreigners, two of whom were French and one Spanish, were acquitted of a charge of dealing in firearms.
Bomt Explosion.—A slight explosion caused by a bomb being placed under a seat in a Chinese cinema took place on October 14. The damage done was small and no one was indi Robbery.—Seventeen reports of armed robbery from dwelling houses and shops and one of armed highway robbery were received during the month. Of thirty-three men arrested in connexion with these and armed_ robberies committed prior to October 1, eleven were sentenced to imprisonment, one was expelled the Settlement and the charge against four was dismissed, while: the remaining seventeen were under vernond at the end of the month. Five men apprehended and charged with being in possession of firearms and with attempted armed robbery, were also sentenced to imprisonment. One man arrested for an armed robbery committed in the French Concession was handed over to the French Police. Six men, mentioned in my report for September as being under remand charged with armed robbery, have been sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment.
Two reports of highway rob bery in which no arms were used were recorded. Of two men ar-
Liwo Wei Lottery.—During the month seven Chinese ware convicted in connexion with the promotion of Liwo Wei lotteries and sentences ranging from one month's imprisonment to a fine of $5.00 were inflicted.
Crime beyond Settlement Limits.—Two cases of murder and twelve of robbery and piracy, were reported during the month as having ocourved in territory under Chinese jurisdiction in the neighbourhood of Shanghai. In four instances the inmates of houses plundered received bullet or knife wounds, whilst in three cases of piracy boats laden with goods were held for ransom.
Finger Print. Aid to Criminal Investigation.—A sentence of eight years and expulsion, passed by the Mixed Court on October 25 on a Chinese convicted on forty charges of burglary and house-breaking from foreign dwelling houses in the Hongkew District, concluded a case probably unique in Shanghai Police records. The convicted man had been a continual source of trouble to the Police since he committed his first burglary in February 1922. From that time, while still continuing his depredations, he was fortunate enough to evade all efforts to locate him until his apprehension on October. 10, 1923. The modus operandi he employed so successfully was to hire out a ricsha for an hour or so, usually borrowing one from a fellow coolic for a small payment, and choosing a suitable residence would force the outer venetian shutters—in many cases finding these unbolted—break a pane of glass in the window and unfasten the catch or bolts. The property stolen would be concealed in the space beneath the ricsha seat and taken at once to a house where he lodged in the Chapei District. The booty would then be sold intact to the receiver who disposed of it to small second-hand shops and hawkers' stalls. Practically none of the stolen property ever reached the pawnshops.
The identification. of—this troublesome individual forms a good illustration of the value of finger prints as an aid to criminal investigation. On his sixth burglary in May 1922, the Police were able to col! sufficient of his finger prints definitely to establish his identity with that of a ricsha' coolie wko had been through their hands on three occasions for minor offences. From that date until his apprehension various odd finger -prints secured from time to time formed convincing evidence of his activities, and materially assisted the Police in proving him responsible for this series of crimes,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.