24T1I SEPTEMB1B. 
PINANG GAZETTE AND STRAITS CHRONICLE. 
5 
wli at with th© general healthiness of the to-be) and Khoo Ut Im, his mistress, 
place and our hitherto complete immn- j were arrested in the hall; and the other 
iiity from hydrophobia, Mr. Bartlett defendants in different parts of the 
The police, however, differed 
in their recollection of facts. 
finds his peculiar trade anything but 
paying, and is anxious to obtain 
more steady employment. As a 
matter of expediency he should have 
support of some kind or other from 
the community, in order that we may 
always have one of his profession in 
our midst; but whether the Municipal 
Commissioners will care to have under 
them a man who will be ready at a 
moment’s notice to take their measure, 
is a question ive are not prepared to 
answer. 
A European named Lawton appear¬ 
ed before Captain Bradbery, Harbour 
Master, on Saturday morning, charged 
by Captain Madge of the telegraph 
steamer Recorder with misconduct on 
board the steamer on her way to this 
port from-Singapore. It appears that 
Lawton was shipped as third mate in 
Singapore on the 19th instant, and on 
the same day the vessel left for Penang. 
About eight o’clock that night, after the 
first watch was set, he raised a false 
alarm of fire, and afterwards disturbed 
the ship’s company by singing. In the 
opinion of Captain Madge the man was 
not in his right senses, and liquor had 
made him much worse, for a bottle of 
whisky was found in his cabin. After 
hearing the captain and the chief officer, 
Lawton was ordered to be dismissed at 
once. 
SECltET SOCIETIES IS JA FA. 
The Straits- Times savs:—Chinese secret 
*/ 
societies have taken root in Java. The 
Java Rode of the 14th instant admits as 
much. Several of these organisations 
have been started at Sourabaya. They 
are mutually hostile, and strive to do 
house, 
greatl y 
and the contradictory statements made 
by each as he was examined with respect 
to wliat he observed was the occasion of 
much laughter and amusement. Two 
of them said they saw a number of men 
running out of the room at sight of the 
police, whereas inspector ."Drum, who 
rushed upstairs first, saw nothing 
of the kind. Some account books 
which were found in an iron safe 
in another room and seized, were 
also produced, from which a few 
entries were taken to shew that they 
related to gambling, but they failed 
to support this theory. The case for the 
prosecution having closed, Mr. Van- 
Someren addressed the bench. He said 
the case against I he defendants was very 
weak and the police knew it. After 
dwelling at some length on the various 
contradictions in the evidence given on 
behalf of the prosecution, he obsAtwed 
that there would have been no case fit all 
but for the gaming appliances found in 
the room, the presence of which he ex¬ 
plained. The cheekee cards, he said, nfight ®\Vorks 
be found anywhere, just as cards might 
be found in every house without haying’ 
*■' . o 
any connection with gambling. Lithe Lye 
Ivum case similar cards were found, but 
the game that was played was dominoes. 
The two -polls were without the dice,'and 
without it the game cannot be played. 
It is usual to play it on mats with certain 
marks on them, and not one of those 
produced bore marks of that particular 
kind. Nor was it shown that pok must 
be played with cheekee cards The money 
belonged 
O 
to Khoo Sim Huan. The 
evidence as to the noise heard of 
people rushing could not, in the present 
case, raise the presumption that defend- 
each other as much harm as possible, ants were gambling' at the time, as 
The local Chinese headmen gloze over 
the matter, but rumour has it that these 
societies are branches of those at Singa¬ 
pore and Rhio. 
SUICIDE O F THE BAG AS A JAM 
MU I! DURESS. 
A most determined suicide was com¬ 
mitted at about noon on Saturday in the 
female ward of the Criminal Prison. In 
the absence of the matron upstairs for a 
Tittle while, the Malay woman who was 
to be tried at the present assizes for the 
murder of a boy at Bagan A jam, in 
Province Wellesley, obtained access to 
t the kitchen, where she took a knife, 
cut her throat nearly fvox., x„. i.o car, 
■Artel died before any alarm could be 
raised. An inquest was hold by Mr. 
Xeubronuer on the same dav, when a 
verdict of suicide was returned. The 
matron has since been suspended from 
duty. 
;ue 
entry was not made by a justice of the 
peace ; such presumption would be raised 
under the old, not under the new, ordi¬ 
nance. The defence was briefly this. 
The defendants were not gambling.as 
alleged. With the exception of Kt too 
Sim Huan, Khoo Boo Koi and the 
woman, the rest are servants of the club 
The former is a member of the club, and 
at the time the police went,was about to 
five-branch lamps opposite the Chinese 
temple in Pitt Street. The trustees 
proposed to erect one on the public 
road and one on the courtyard oppo¬ 
site the temple. After some discussion 
it was resolved that permission be given 
to erect the lamps, the one on the road 
to be lighted by the Municipality on 
condition that it. be given up to them. 
A. letter from the superintendent of the 
fire brigade Suggesting a bonus to police 
officers and men for working the fire 
engines was read. Mr. McLarty said that 
as the superintendent proposed a scheme, 
it required some consideration before 
they could decide the matter. It was 
therefore resolved that the papers be cir¬ 
culated and brought up at another 
meeting. 
The President read a letter from the 
Resident Councillor, forwarding another 
letter from the Colonial Surgeon,in which 
the attention of the Board was drawn 
to the want of a mortuary in a central 
position in town, and suggesting the 
erection of one near the new Government 
buildings at Pitt Street. The Secretary 
was directed to refer the matter to the 
health officer for his opinion. 
An application from the Clerk of 
for extra pony allowance or 
for any distance travelled 
beyond the radius of seven miles was 
considered. The application was refused, 
but an increase of $ 3 to his present, 
pony allowance, making it $ 18 a month. 
mileage 
was granted. 
A letter from the Colonial Secretary 
was read calling attention to the filthy 
state of the lane leading to the civil dis¬ 
pensary at Chowrusta, and stating that it 
was the subject of: a remark by H. E, 
the Governor on his last visit to Penang. 
Complaint had also been made by the 
apothecary in charge of the bad smell 
emanating from the compounds in the 
neighbourhood. The President said the 
road does not belong to the Municipality 
but to the Government, but after a 
discussion it was resolved to have 
it looked after by the scavenging de¬ 
partment in future. 
A paper about a house erected in 
Transfer Road contrary to plan was next 
considered. The engineer reported that 
the notice on the owner to have it pulled 
down had already expired without the 
request being complied, with, and asked 
means for reducing their 
pay liis mistress in the room in which the I for instructions. It was resolved that 
money was found. Khoo Boo Koi is t.h: the-President should visit the place and 
brother of Khoo Boo Ann, and lives in ! see the house himself. 
n- 
Province Wellesley. Though not a ilk 
ber, he was in the habit of sleeping ' e 
night at the club wlio^ve-r- lrc came . o 
Penang. Evidence was then called to 
prove the above, after which the defend¬ 
ants were discharged. 
I'll E M UN 1 Cl FA L IT 1 
tf 
The 
he 
report 
town water 
suggesting 
improvements 
supply, am] that 
part of those engaged in it, but by the 
neglect of certain duties for which other 
people are properly responsible. These 
duties are the destruction, removal, or 
rendering innocuous of rubbish, trade 
refuse, Ac., produced in their business 
or on their premises. As regards the 
draft ordinance published in the Gov¬ 
ernment Gazette, I am of opinion that, 
in its present form, it would not 
have much effect in checking the 
ravages of the beetles, and that a 
more intimate knowledge of their habits 
is required before a suitable measure 
can be framed. The drastic remedy of 
cutting down all coconut trees attacked 
by beetles would cause serious loss to 
the owners without any appreciable 
benefit If not trespassing too far on 
your space, I propose making some 
observations on the habits of these in¬ 
sects, which, I hope, will prove useful 
in sugge 
numbers. 
The Rhinoceros beetle (described as 
Oryctes Rhinoceros in the schedule to 
the proposed ordinance) is, I think, too 
well-known to need description here. 
It is by far the most numerous and des¬ 
tructive of these pests. Only the perfect 
beetle of this species attacks living 
coconut trees, the larvae or grubs living 
only in decaying vegetable matter, 
mention below some of the materials 
that seem to be the most attractive beds 
for breeding those beetles :— 
1. Paddy straw. 
2. Paddy husk. 
Coir refuse, rubbish from dust¬ 
bins, bark, tan, saw dust, &o. 
Cattle manure and stable litter. 
Dead trunks of coconut trees. 
Certain other kinds of refuse are said 
to breed these insects, but of these I 
cannot speak from personal knowledge. 
It is remarkable that the stems of the 
tapioca plant and the aiupns (refuse 
from the roots) when rotten never breed 
these beetles. Whole coconut husks 
when heaped until quite decayed also 
prove unattractive. It is possible that 
by analysis Government might deter¬ 
mine what it is that makes these sub¬ 
stances unpalatable to the insects, and 
thus discover means of preventing their 
breeding in other refuse. 
The beetle lays its eggs in some 
accumulation of moist and decaying 
vegetable matter where the larva, a 
whitish grub, is duly hatched, and lives 
until it attains its full size, about 21 
as a man’s 
OQouvje- -a. elirr* 
o 
3. 
4. 
5. 
inches long 
O 
in id 4Id firtgor 
and as thick 
Xt t il OLA 1 } 
postponed for the next ineetin 
t3 ’ 
At tin 
LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT. 
Penang C tucket Club. 
The following are the results of the 
third ties plaved off since Wednesday 
last:— 
THURSDAY, 19th SEPTEMBER, 
Single Hax me a p. 
T\ 0. Hallifax beat ff. Teats 
R. C, Pethcrbridgc ,, E. L. Brockman 
E. E. Jago W. Egerton 
E. H. Barraufc ‘ „ tf. E. Cole 
A. tf. Wright ,, A. L. M. Scot 
PEI DAY, 20th SEPTEMBER, • 
Double Handicap. 
R. C, Pethevbriclge 
tf. F. Adamson J 
beat 
fid. Scott 
gA. Duller 
“THE CHINESE CLUB 
BLING CASE. 
GAM - 
The ease against the seven 
Soh Hoo, Cheng Guan, Khoo 
K oi, Ah Taw, Lee Sean, 
men, 
Boo 
Choi 
Khoo 
Ut Im, who were arrested in “The 
Ong 
a 
nd Liin Kap, and the woman. 
eluded on the 
prisoners were severally 
following 
charged 
Chinese Club” in MacalisterRoad, at one 
o’clock in the morning of the 12th 
instant for alleged gaming, came on for 
hearing before Mr. Kyslie, acting second 
magistrate, on Thursday, and was con- 
O J *' J 
day. The 
with 
gambling in a common gaming-house, 
and pleaded not guilty. They were 
defended by Messrs. Van Someren 
and WTcyford, chief inspector Drum 11 
prosecuting. The evidence for the 
prosecution went to show that at 
the time the police rushed upstairs, 
there was some noise heard as of persons 
running about. In one of the rooms 
were found a lamp, sixteen stools, mats, 
two pohs, some cheekee cards, and money 
in silver and coppers amouutiug to $80, 
e meeting of the Municipal Com¬ 
missioners on Friday, the Hon. C. W. >S. 
Kynnersley, ( President ), Captain Came¬ 
ron, E.E., Mr. D. Comrie, Mr. R. A. P. 
Hogan, Mr. F. M. McLarty, and Mr. 
C. W. Barnett were present. 
The minutes of the last three meetings 
having been read, Mr. Barnett said he 
did not agree with the resolution come 
to by the Board at the meeting on the 
23rd ultimo, at which lie was not pre¬ 
sent, for the construction of four ghauts 
between Bridge Street and the sea, and 
asked the President to record his vote 
against the minute. He said his objection 
was to the way in which it was pro¬ 
posed to construct the ghauts, the burden 
of the cost of which would fall on the 
whole town, whereas, if the work were 
made to form part of the reclamation 
scheme, the cost would be borne by only 
that portion of the inhabitants who 
would derive benefit by the construction 
of the ghauts. He likewise objected to 
the undertaking of such a large scheme 
without having proper estimates before 
them. Mr. Barnett was informed that 
the question of- constructing the ghauts 
had not been decided, and that the 
resolution was only for the acquirement 
of land for that purpose, in which case 
Mr. Barnett said he ay as entirely with 
the Commissioners. The minutes were 
then confirmed. 
Mr. Barnett then asked, according to 
notice previously given, if the Northern 
Road drainage was being carried out in 
terms of contract as regards price. The 
Municipal Engineer was sent for, and it 
was ascertained from him that a modifica¬ 
tion in the plan made by the Works Com¬ 
mittee had entailed the outlay of a 
larger sum than that authorized for the 
work. This was considered satisfactory. 
i/ 
The applications for the appointment 
of assistant 
FA SS ENG Eli LIST . 
Arrivals . 
20th St-pi.—Per s.s. Thai Peng from Port 
Weld, Mrs. M. Dora], Miss Josephine 
Robless and Miss Lucy de Oliveiro. 
Per s.s. Kong see from Olehleh, Mr. R. 
Krujer. 
Per s. s. Lady Weld from Taipiug*, Mr. 
Ashton and Air. Mackav. 
tj 
21st Sept.—Per s.s. Teutonia from Ivlang, 
H. Mahomed Ally and H. Abdullah. 
Per s. s. Lady Weld from Taipiug 1 , Mr. 
Fraser and All*. Cheng iiooi. 
22nd Sept,.- -Her s.s. Madia Vajirunhis from 
Singapore, Aiessrs. J. N. Knight and 
Joo Beng. 
Per s. s. Peshawur from London, ALs. 
Smith ; from Brindisi, Air. J. A. 
Rigerinck ; from Colombo, Air. Harcly 
Innis. 
waste of water in private houses, were ! saiis of a light-brown colour, the fore¬ 
part of which resembles the perfect 
beetle, except that the head, horn, wines, 
and legs are enclosed in a kind of cas¬ 
ing. It still inhabits the refuse heap 
until the time for it to take its flight as 
a perfect beetle. The beetle leaves the 
place it was bred in always at night, and 
flying in the direction of the prevailing 
night wind reaches a coconut tree, alights 
on it, and proceeds to bore into a leaf near 
the butt; often boring through young 
unfolded leaves, which gives them the 
cut, ragged appearance so often seen 
after they unfold. The ‘ beetle some¬ 
times passes the day in the hole it has 
bored, and, being unable to fly by day¬ 
light, is found by the coconut "trees clim¬ 
bers, who extract it by means of a barbed 
needle. This plan answers well enough 
in keeping down the number of beetles 
on a plantation, if there are no large 
accumulations of rubbish or trade refuse 
Ac., in the neighbourhood ; but when 
this is the case, or the plantation is 
situated near a village, it is impossible 
to cope with the insects in this manner, 
and the trees rapidly sicken and die 
from repeated attacks. The only means 
J have found practicable, when these 
beetles become too numerous to be kept 
down by extracting them from the trees, 
is to search for and destroy the grubs 
in their breeding places, or to render 
these unsuitable for hatching and feed¬ 
ing them. 
19th Sept. — 1 
Departures. 
at s s. Lady Weld for Tai- 
ping, Messrs. Scott, Keyt, Plumbc and 
Curtis. 
22nd Sept. — Per s.s. Peshawur for Singa¬ 
pore, Major General Sir Charles 
Warren, o.c.m.g., k.c.b., Major Ham¬ 
mond, Messrs. J. A. Solomon, E. 
Dunlop, F. H. Hornby, R. H. Wood¬ 
ford, Air. and Airs. Kufahl, Mr. O. 
Richelmaun, and Hajee Halimali; and 
for Hongkong. 
O o * 
Mr. Heng All Hak. 
i OMM JEW FOWl)EX( E 
: Q: ■ 
COCONUT BEETLES. 
overseer in the scavengers' 
to 
all of which, it was argued, raised the department were laid before the Board 
presumption of 
Ordinance. Soli 
at the door of 
gambling 
sum of money 
Guan (Khoo 
under the 
Hoo was arrested 
the room with a 
in his hands; Chen 
Sim Huan it 
O' 
ought 
There were twenty-three in all, and it 
was resolved that they should be circu¬ 
lated, after which the candidates are to 
be ballotted. 
The next subject was the erection of two 
(To the Editor of.the “ JPinang Gazette.”) 
S i r,—T he proposed “Ordinance for the 
protection of Coconut trees from the 
ravages of certain Beetles” may seem 
to persons unacquainted with the causes 
of the great increase in the number of 
these insects (piite unnecessary; but 
when they know how impossible it is for 
the owners of coconut plantations to 
prevent their property being destroyed 
by one of these beetles, they will, I 
think, acknowledge that the Government 
is acting wisely and justly in coming to 
their assistance. Though it may not be 
advisable for Government to protect or 
foster any particular branch of industry, 
it is only fair that it should step in to 
protect one threatened with destruction, 
through no fault or want of care on the 
straw is a favorite breeding 
place when stocked in the usual manner, 
the grubs being found only in the layers 
nearest the ground, which are always 
damp and more or less decayed. I 
successfully prevented the grubs being 
bred in this by having the straw stocked 
on a platform of split bamboos, (nibongs 
or saplings would answer equally well) 
sufficiently high to keep the ground 
underneath free from litter, and to allow 
for ventilation. Not a single beetle 
grub ever bred in straw stacked in 
manner, and it is a cheap and effectual 
plan of dealing with it. Indian cattle 
are chiefly fed on paddy straw, and their 
introduction here has caused the natives 
to purchase or collect it for that purpose. 
It is usually stocked near the cattle 
or 
and provides numerous large beds 
for breeding* the beetles. Paddy straw 
is used largely at potteries and is 
usually stacked in the same manner. On 
