Crime.
Murder and Attempted Murder During the month six murders were committed in the Settlement. Brief details of these crimes are as follow:—
'On October 3, Miss D, Thompson was shot dead' and Mr, D. Law (Both Bri subjects)" was The Chinese Goods Exchange who was abducted jon Avenue Edward VIL in September: has ince returned to his home in Nantao.
Of seventy-five persons arrested in connection with armed abduction, two were sentenced to imprisonment, thirteen handed over to the French Police and sixty are on remand. In addition, two armed kid-appets were shot dead by the seriously wounded on Keswick Po ice while resisting arrest, Road (0.0.L.). On October 8 a Of twenty-eight persons on re-Chinese of the loafer class was mand at the end of September shot and fatally wounded in the charged with armed abduction, Wayside district. On October 10 eighteen were dealt with, one was the dismembered body of a Chinese sentenced to death, seven to i male was found distributed in prisonment, seventeen dismissed and various places in the Yangtszepoo the charge against three others district. "All efforts to ascertain withdrawn. identity of deceased and motive At the rehearing of a case for crime have so far proved futile. wherein a Chinese female was On October 11 a Cantonese loafer sentenced to death in April, 1928, on was shot dead in the Hongkew charge of armed abduction the district. This murder was the outformer judgment was commuted to come of a faction fight. On October life imprisonment.
26 the body of a male Chinese was found lying in a field in the West-'Twenty-three persons were arreared in connection with cases of district (0.0.L.), death being abduction in which no due to bullet wounds inflated by used, Five wore sentesiced ome person oF persons unknown.
On October 31, while investigating Py fire, detectives discovered the. charred corpse of a male person which was later identified as that of a shroff. It is suspected that after killing and robbing deceased the murderer set fire to the house in order to des: roy all evidence of the crime.
Right attempted murders were also recorded, armed robbers being the miscreants in two cases, the third ease was by armed kidnappers and the motive for the remaining five is at present unknown.
Twenty-three persons arrested ug the month for murder and attempted murder were dealt with. were made jection with various attempt murders, one for the murder of Filipino in Pootung on October 4, one for the murder of a ese in who Hongkew district on October 9, two for the murder of 8 Chinese loafer on September 13 and four for the murder of a Chinese in the Yangtszepoo district on January 2 The remaining twelve persons were charged with being concerned in the murder of a Chinese on September 9 in the West Hongkew district.
Of twenty persons on remand at the end of September 1928, three were sentenced to imprisonment, six dismissed, the charge against another withdrawn and ten are still under remand.
Manslaughter—One ease"was recorded under this heading wherein a coolie was killed during a dispute over a debt.
Two persons on remand at the of last month were sentenced to imprisonment.
Suicides—Five cases of suicide occurred in the Settlement during the month.
Cutting and Wounding—One case was recorded under this heading during the month in connection with which three persons were arrested and are under remand, Armed Abduction—Three reports under this heading were received during the month. In one case a. wealthy Chinese was abducted outside his residence in the Louza district. Six days later complain-fant reported to the Police that he had escaped his guards but it is) suspected that he obtained his re-Tease on acceding to his abductors' demands. The second case occurred in the Sinza district; the victim, a Chinese gold broker, resident of recorded, Shots were fired by the robbers in three cases, In regard to the foregoing and {reports of armed robberies occurring prior to October 1, sixty Persons, six of whom were in Possession of firearms, were arrested. Nine were sentenced to imprison. ment, two died of wounds, one was dismissed, the charges against two others withdrawn and the remainder are on remand.
One person included in the above arrests was sentenced to death in 1926 for armed robberies committed in the Settlement. He escaped while awaiting execution' at Lunghua, Twenty-six persons, three whom were in possession of firearms, were arrested for being members of armed gangs. The charges against nine were withdrawn and the remainder are on remand. In addition to the above, two robbers in possession of loaded pistols were shot dead by the Police lo resisting arrest.
Of one hundred and thirty-five persons on remand at the end of September, 1928, charged with arm. ed robbery and being members of armed robber gangs, fifty-six were disposed of; thirty-three were sontenced to imprisonment, seventeen dismissed and the charge against six others withdrawn, Two persons on remand at the end of last month charged with Possession of firearms were con-viered on one count of armed highway robbery and one attempted armed kidnapping.
At the reshearing of a case in which two persons were sentenced to death in April, 1928, on charges.
armed robbery, kidnapping and murder, the former judgment was Jeancelled and accused sentenced to sixteen years imprisonment each.
Two cases of unarmed highway robbery were recorded in connection with which and eases recorded prior October 1, four persons were Jarrested, of whom two were sentenced to imprisonment, one die-missed and the charge against' the other withdrawn, 'A. Chinese who escaped from custody in June after being con-Vieted for robbery without arms, was re-arrested and sentenced to a further term of imprisonment.
Three pereans on remand at the end of September were sentenced to imprisonment.
Threatening Letter Cases.—Eight Persons were apprehended in. confection with eases of attempting to extort money by means of threatening letters, three were sentenced to imprisonment, two handed over to. the Chinese Authorities, one to the French Police and two are on remand, Nine persons, of whom four were proved gullly on forty counts of demanding louey by means. threatening letters, were dealt w five were sentenced to. imprison ment, one dismissed and the charge against three others withdrawn.
Ezecutions—Sever persons were executed "during the month of October for serious offences com: mitted in the Settlement, Property Stolen.—Diring the month 438 reports. of property stolen were received, representing fan estimated loss of $120,804.09. These are comprised as follows: 29 cases of burglary, 4 of housebreaking, 8 of godown breaking, 11 of shop and office breaking, 23 of fraud, © of embezzlement, 1 of ex-tertian, 5 of shop lifting and 846 of larceny. As compared with the corresponding month of 1927, there is n decrease of 98 cases. Success fol investigations were made in 259 cases resulting in the recovery of property valued at $12,325.48. Tncluded "in these figures are 85 arrests for pocket-picking and snatching, 63 being persons identi ed as old offenders. In addition the foregoing, recoveries to. the extent, of $2,682.50 were made in connection with. cases prior. to. October I. Fifteen eases reported having occurred outside Sottle-
Five were sentenced to imprisonment and one dismissed.
'Crime Reported beyond Settle: ment Limite-—According to the Chinese 'Press' twenty-five cases of armed robbery and piracy, five cases of murder and two of armed abduction were reported ax having occurred in territory under Chinese Jurisdiction, Fourteen persons were executed for crimes committed outside Settlement limits.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.