Stories from Deli

Java Courant December 4, 1877, contains, among other things, extracts from the reports of several heads of regional administration, from which it appears that during the month of October, some disturbances of the peace took place in Deli. On Mr. Hordijk’s enterprise in Serdang, a coolie is said to have died as a result of mistreatment by the chief tandil, which caused considerable commotion among the coolies of various agricultural enterprises; the assistance of the administration had to be called upon to restore order. The coolies in the service of Mr. Hordijk incited the workmen of Mr. Mc. Intyre’s Charlotte Ville enterprise, but peace was restored by punishing the agitators. A murder of a coolie committed by a tandil caused unrest on the Arendsburg enterprise in Deli; the controller from Medan, who had left for there, had the tandil arrested, whereupon the workers resumed work. In Batu Bara, on October 29, the home of the opium leaseholder was raided by about 15 unknown Chinese: the leaseholder was mortally wounded, and his money and goods, including a considerable quantity of opium, were stolen. Complaints were heard from Deli regarding the manner in which some receivers of import and export duties on Sumatra’s East Coast were conducting their work.