'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1903-1904' [‎80v] (48/112)

Chap. 111.
PROTECTION.
Stolen property.
Criminal Identifica
tion Department.
Inquests.
Arms and explosives.
Pilgrims and
mendicants.
Government Male
Work'house.
Female Work-house,
Expenditure.
Number and
constitution of courts.
Number of offences.
24 BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT. [1903-1904
'
6, The aggregate value of property alleged to have been stolen increased slightly t 0
Rs. 2,89,376. The percentage of recoveries showed a further improvement from 59-29 to 65*65,
6. The work of this department showed a continued increase. It identified 474 prisoners
against 413 in 1902. Prisoners received for identification numbered 2,857, but of these only
535 are believed to have had former convictions against them.
7. Inquests decreased from 385 to 313. Besides these the Police disposed of 224 cases of
simple accidental death or 50 less than in the previous year. These were 106 suicides against
119 in 1902.
8. The number of licenses to possess arms fell by 10 to 485. Petroleum licenses decreased
by 42, while licenses under the Explosives Act increased by 19.
9. Pilgrims leaving Bombay for the Hedjaz under passports numbered 8,701 and those
returning vid Bombay 6,478. During the year 1,823 subjects of Native States in Gujarat and
Kdthiawar and 802 mendicants from various places in British territory were deported from
Bombay under Police control. The deportation of mendicants has been since stopped.
Y.—Aden Police.
Information as to the strength, cost and working of the Aden Police has been given in
Chapter I of this report.
VI.—Vagrants.
1. At the beginning of the year there were 17 vagrants in the Work-house, 130 were
admitted during the year, making a total of 147. Of these 25 deserted, 41 were convicted,
14 were discharged to the care of friends, 19 found employment and 10 were deported. In all
123 were disposed of and 24 remained at the end of the year.
2. There were no inmates remaining in the Female Work-house from the previous year,
Two were received during the year, both of whom were discharged before its close.
3. The total cost in connection with the working of the Vagrancy Act was Rs. 11,406
against Rs. 7,067 in 1902, the increase being due to deportation charges.
3- Wild Animals and Venomous Snakes.
For details see tables under XX.— Wild Animals and Snakes—appended to the Judicial and Administrative
Statistics ot British India.
1. During the year 1903, 76 persons were reported killed by wild animals and 1,008 by
venomous snakes, the figures for the previous year being 132 and 1,160, respectively. In
Khandesh there were 23 deaths by wild animals and this was more than in any other district.
In the previous year Khdndesh reported 57 such deaths. As usual Ratnagiri with 177 deaths
from snake-bites was in this respect the most unfortunate of the districts. The number of cattle
killed by wild animals and snakes fell from 6,376 to 4,673. Hyderabad, Thar and Parkar and
Kanara were the most affected districts.
2. Rewards to the amount of Rs. 2,535 were paid for the destruction of 399 wild animals
including 34 tigers, 156 leopards and panthers, and 140 wolves. In the previous year Rs. 2,651
were paid for the destruction of 608 wild animals. 9,954 snakes were reported as destroyed and
Rs. 150 were paid in rewards by Municipalities.
3. _ Pour thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine licenses to carry arms for the destruction of
wild animals and the protection of crops were in force, or 149 more than in the previous year.
4 Chemical Analysis.
For details see the Annual Report of the Chemical Analyser to Government and tables under VIII.—Medico-legal
investigations—appended to the Judicial and Administrative Statistics of British India.
The number of analyses made decreased by 53 to 4 620, the decrease being visible under
all heads, save Customs and A'bkari examinations, which increased by 557. There were 181 cases
of suspected human poisoning and 88 cases of suspected animal poisoning, the corresponding figures
for the previous year being 220 and 169, resjiectively. Of the former class poison was actually
detected in 77 or 42-5 per cent, of the cases : of the latter, poison was detected in 50 cases,
m 43 of which arsenic was the poison used. Two hundred and eleven samj les of water were
analysed, of which 74 were classed as bad. Other work done included 543 examinations of
Government stores and 2,166 examinations of articles for the Customs and ATk^ri Department.
5- Criminal Justice-
*
For details sec the Annual Report on Criminal Justice and tables under IV—Criminal Justice—appended to the
Judicial and Administrative Statistics of British India.
1. There w~as no material change in the number and constitution of the criminal courts.
2 ’ n#* 16 t0tal num})ev of offe nces reported was 162,843 or 40 less than in the previous
year. Ottences against property decreased by 3,095. The chief other classes of offence whicli