Together with the prevalent desstitution, crimes of robbery and vio-Jence are also being. perpetrated abnormal extent. The native papers three days ago gave the de-falls of four such crimes. 'The fol lowing day, another was reported, yesterday three and to-day one more. Most of these cases are armed robberies, committed sometimes by' single' desperadoes, sometimes by Small gangs of three or four.
They are always armed with pistols, which they tse with hardly ani provocation, and in several of the above referred to eases murder was committed as well as robbery. Tha police are quite active, and not Infrequently they succeed in arrest-i criminal. But, hunger and
{fear of punishment seems to act as the driving forces, and any deterrent. In. this connexion, good to note that the Hankow Police Superintendent, Mr. Chow Ya-fen, is endeavouring to find some method of reforming the criminals instead of merely punishing them according to the lay. His plan is, that Unree times a week the detention jails shall be visited by special officers, who are to inquire into the individual circumstances of the crimes and "exhort the prisoners to repent." Those who give promise fof amendment will be released with present of $5 in order that they aay engage in small trade, After three months, if their conduct has been satisfactory, they may apply for a further grant of $2. This plan iz no doubt suggested by Mr. Chow fas an initial experiment. bound to fail in a certain proportion lof cates. But if it succeeds. in al few, it may pave the way for more humane and reforming system of [dealing with these outcasts of society.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.