Page 339 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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In another case when a man went out in the early morning to ease himself near the cemetery wall an
unknown person attacked him from behind and stabbed him. The unknown assailant escaped without
being recognised. Both the injured men recovered.
A case, fortunately unusual, occurred of an Arab youth stealing ear-rings from a number of
small girls, lie used a safety razor blade to slit their cars in order to remove the ear-rings, lie was
apprehended while selling the car-rings to a goldsmith. Another local Arab stole a wrist watch from
a small English girl who was playing in the street, he too was caught when selling the watch.
During the year 340 theft cases were reported to the Police, being an increase of 74 over last
year’s figures. Of this number 238 cases were unsolved and prosecutions were instituted in 102
cases. Among the more important cases was the theft from a store of 42 cooking stoves and 33 mirrors
by a man whose father had been once one. of the leading Bahrain merchants. Many cases of thefts
of money or gold ornaments were reported but some of these reports were of very doubtful authenticity.
Thefts which are supposed to have occurred, inside houses, without outside collusion, arc dillicult
for the Police to detect. There was one affair which might be described as a " Smash and grab raid
One of the large shops in Barrett Street exhibited in its window a quantity of currency notes, amount­
ing to about Rs. 3,000/-, to advertise a lottery which had been organised by a local club. The sight
of so much cash, with nothing between it and them but glass, proved a temptation to two men. One
evening, before the bazaar had closed, when there were still people in the streets, they neatly broke
the glass, removed the money and made off. Next day they began to spend money freely, which
raised the suspicion of the Police, who questioned them. They admitted the theft and almost all
the money was recovered, within 24 hours of the incident.
There was an increase in liquor and drug cases, 22 persons were prosecuted on charges
of possessing or distilling liquor or selling or possessing opium and hashish.
Fires.—A number of serious fires broke out in Manamuh causing great loss to numbers of poor
people. In almost every case the fires were in Barasti huts and the cause was traced to Primus stoves.
These appliances arc almost universally used and in recent years they seem to have become even more
dangerous than they used to be; it is possible that they are not up to the pre-war standard. The
Police dealt with 35 fires during the year the most serious one being in the South Bast part of Manamah
where 81 houses were destroyed together with almost all their contents. In a fire at Suq-al-Khamis
12 houses were destroyed, and 11 houses were completely gutted at Hoora. In other fires groups of
8, 5 and 4 houses were burned. In all cases the houses were Barastis. A fire, in a stone
house at Muharraq, caused by a Primus stove, set lire to two women who subsequently died from
burns. These were the only fatal cases. Although both in Manamah and Muharraq the number of
Barastis has decreased very considerably eve ry year yet the number of fires in Barastis has increased.
Between 1361 and 1365 there were, on an average, 14.5 fires every year, between 1366 and 1370 the
average rose to 25.2 per annum.

THE TRAFFIC BRANCH
(From the report of Inspector J. Hyde, Oificer-in-Chargc, Traffic Section).

The total number of vehicles now registered is over 1,920 most of which arc continuously on
the road.
Accidents.—During the year 1370, 108 road accidents were reported to the Police. In these
accidents 8 persons were killed. The total number of accidents was 55 less than in the previous year,
but the number of fatal accidents was 3 more than in the year 1369.
There were 36 accidents in which pedestrians were concerned, in 12 cases the persons injured
or killed were under the age of 12 years. In almost all the remaining cases, the persons were between
the age of 50 and 70. Three children were killed as a result of road accidents. In the other fatal
accidents, with the exception of one case, the persons were old.