'A Visit to Ward Road: Increase of Crime and Increase of, Captures: Will Not Nanking Wake Up?
The starting figures quoted in a recent leading article of the increase of prisoners in the Municipal Gaol naturally suggested a visit to the sgnol itself; for which the authorities very courteously gave ready permission. The facts thus gleaned by a representative of the "N.-C. Daily News" fully bear out the belief in over-crowding formed from statistics, The visitor found Capt. D. Wahl, Assistant Commissioner of Police, in command of the gaol, and Mr. R. Sims, the head-gaoler, ready to give any information and they personally conducted a tour of the entire range of buildings. It had been known for some time that the gaol was what might be styled more than perhaps comfortably filled, but, the story came to a head when a visitor returned from an inspection with the information that it was "full to bursting." This naturally caused one to think that the results of the known indifference of the prevent governing Chinese auth britis in this district to the proper unishnont of the more serious crimes was having an even greater effect than had been imagined, Many Reasons for Increase That this is so searcely can be denied, bat police officials support the theory in varied ways. Some say bluntly that this is the one and only reason. Others go arnly 60 far as to agree that prevailing conditions are un encouragement to the criminal element and. consequently more people Iny themselves open to arrest. Yet again, others say only that of late the police have been more active and so have made Jaxger captures, which, if considered alone, is scarcely complimentary to the police of other years, and is not a statement one readily can accept, knowing how efficient. our police always have been, Rather, after talking to many police officers land other people of standing who are intimately connected with the suppression of crime, would one say that the gaol is over-crowded because of a combination of all these circumstances, but in different order, Existing conditions are an encour agement to crime, the police accordingly have been spurred to greater efforts, and, because more people are open to arrest, they have arrested more, and more criminals have to be kept in gud because the Chinese authorities will not sanction and inflict the major punishments earned by the more serious crimes =the "cat" and death, Capt. Wahl's office walls are covered with a series of chavts, from which it was ascertained that there were on the day of the visit 60 condemned men in the cells. month! Conviets, sentenced for armed. robberies alone have ver eased threefold within a year.
'This alarming increase in crime has necessitated confining many of the prisoners three in a cell, a practice unknown since 1916, and things have come to such a' pass that, even if every cell is to be cupied, there is room for but 1,000 more. The authorities have not been blind to the necessities of the case, and already plans are well advanced for an extension of the aal, but that will be poor comfort for Shanghai, which -would rather see a reduction of crime than an extension of the enol, Comparative Comfort One can pass on now to a description of conditions in the gaol, and, frankly, anyone who has been in China for some few years could be excused for suggesting that the comparative comfort of the place has a great deal to dor with the filing of its cells. Probably such suggestion is expected from all visitors, for barely had it been made than the experienced head-gaoler, with a knowing smile, remarked that in all countries there could be found section of the population who did not at all object to short nol sentences at certain times of the year; in fact, they deliberately committed mider crimes in order to sentenced. He admitted, however, that perhaps the poorer classes of Chinese might be rather more influenced this way than some other people. In the gaol they are clothed and housed more comfortably than when at liberty and their meals at least are regular and ecetain, and probably better than they have on the average outside, The prison charts show a very large percentage of returning con-viers, mostly on short terms, and one "has the choice of arguing er they are Just habitual minor criminals, or whether they regard gaol life us at least no worse than What accompanies their freedom. The punishment charts seem Indiente that there is not a very large percentage of what one might call "hardened" cases, for all told only 0.17 have to be "subjected to disciplinary measures, in general of very mild nature. "Then one has the recent testimony of an American officer with gaol experience in Haiti, He went one day to inspect the gaol and his eyes. opened wide in amazement. When an American rrives credit to anyone outside his own country it means a very great deal, for America delights in the best ever" in everything. Yet was compelled to admit that nothi hho had experienced compared with what he saw at Ward Road.
This is not a record, for twice that number have been there, bat many of the 60 have been waiting there 8 very long time, and 60 is a very. serious addition to those who must detained. There were just short of 100 in for life and 520 for se tences of ten years and upwards, out of a full total of 3,486,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.