'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎146v] (297/470)

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a culpable homicide and three attempted murders were convicted. One case of
culpable homicide was dealt with as a tribal case by the Assistant Political Officer
and convicted. The Police had practically laid their hands on the offender, and
the case should count as detected. For one case that ended in conviction and the
death sentence, the chief credit is due to a head constable and his men, who took
prompt action and ran the accused to earth on a hot scent. The murderer was a
previous convict who did not hesitate to stab when disturbed in a theft. This
occurred in ‘Ashar (Mahallat-al-Sai).
Taking the class as a whole, success has been very fair, with nearly 50 per cent,
of convictions to case investigated. At the same time, there can be no blinking
the fact that there have been one or two deliberate murders in which no sort of
clue was obtained. In one at Abul Khasib, a man was shot through the head as
he lay asleep in his garden; no motive, even, has come to light in this case. In
another, two Persian coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. were shot late in the evening near Barradhiyah village
as they were returning from ‘Ashar to Sarraji. I suggested in this case that disci
plinary action should be taken against the neighbouring villages, as the murder
was committed on a fairly well frequented road, close to two large villages, well
inside the Military Governor’s area. The motive in this case was possibly robbery,
but this is not certain.
(4) Class III. : Serious Offences against the Person and Property, <Tc.—There
has been a very considerable increase of crime in this class. Robberies and dacoities
have gone up from five in 1917 to 15 in 1918; house-breaking from 37 to 91.
Stolen property for the same two sub-heads was Rs. 34,104/- and Rs. 65,161/-
in 1918 as against Rs. 8,051/- and Rs. 12,766/- in 1917. Police action has been
no more unsuccessful, so far as the percentage of cases brought to trial goes, than
in 1918; both sets of figures are, however, anything but good.
I have mentioned briefly above some of the factors now operating which may
be expected to send up crime. There are other special factors in the case of serious
offences against property. The ease with which stolen property can be disposed
of is one. There seems to be little sense of responsibility among the local gold
smiths in this matter, and they will have to be educated by a series of prosecutions
and convictions. And here I would beg for a liberal interpretation of the law as
regards presumption of guilty knowledge on the part of the person in whose
possession stolen property is found. I have recently impressed on all concerned
the prime importance of pressing home every case of receiving, and am glad to say
that these instructions are bearing fruit. Apart from regular receivers, about
whom it must be admitted w^e know very little, the public generally seem quite
leady to buy articles of \alue from any one offering them for sale in the street;
heie again much can be done by the Police by running in all unlicensed hawkers,
and this is receiving attention. It is one of the commonest practices this
selling goods of all desciiptions in the street, and large hauls have been made
of persons infringing the regulations in this way.
1 ha ve mentioned overcrowding and the advent of undesirable outsiders as
factors affecting crime. The confused collection of huts and shelters known as
Mahallat-al-Sai, just outside Ashar town, as well as the more orderly refugees’
quarters, harbour a large population of disreputable characters. The balamji
class appears to be a specially criminal one, and a gang of these who had their head
quarters at Mahallat-al-Sai has been marked down who undoubtedlv were in the
habit of committing house-breakings in Basrah and removing the property,
generally piece goods by the ‘Ashar creek. The Military Governor has since, at
my request, issued orders regulating the movement of goods on the creek by night
and special I ohce watch and ward measures have been taken. Action under the
preventive sections is intended against the members of this gang, but most of them
Muhammarah is still supposed to be the receiving depot for a great deal of stolen
pioperty, as well as the asylum of absconding offenders; other resorts of these
gentry are said to be Hawizah and Failiyah.
The ease with which absconders can get away into foreign and tribal territory
and the marshes and leave no trace of their whereabouts is one of the most baffling
factors with which the Police have to contend. I am now making a special point
descSelr^t CnmmalS Photographed: this will be a useful addition to
descuptive rolls that are now circulated to all likely agencies. Political Officers in
charge of districts are notified as well as Police stations.