Banditry in West Java, 1869-1942

Appendices

192 Appendix I The organization of security This diagram shows both the official and the informal organization of public order and safety in Batavia and the Ommelanden in the colonial period, from the perspective of a few older residents of Jakarta and its environs. It is based on interviews that took place around 1980, reported in Junus Melalatoa and Rivai Abu (eds.), Sistem kesatuan hidup setempat daerah dki Jakarta, and J. Rogier Nieuwenhuys, ‘De Tjiomas-zaak’, p. 28. Appendices Resident Assistant Resident demang for public safety: oppas and spiun City bek (ward master) pencalang Ommelanden camat wakil camat mandoer (overseer, desa head) pencalang merinyu juragan landlord (tuan tanah; tuan kuasa) wakil (manager, caretaker) kometir potiah tjoekeerder (informal) 11 BWJ.indd 192 12/13/10 2:12:07 PM 193 Appendices Ranks in the city police force after 1911:1 – hoofdcommissaris; chief commissioner – adjunct-hoofdcommissaris; deputy chief commissioner – commissaris van politie en wedana van politie; police commissioner and police wedana – commissaris van politie 2de klasse; police commissioner, 2nd class – hoofdpolitie opziener; chief police inspector – adspirant commissaris van politie en assistent wedana van politie; deputy police commissioner and assistant police wedana – politie opziener der 1ste klasse; police inspector, 1st class – politie opziener der 2de klasse; police inspector, 2nd class – adspirant politie opziener; deputy police inspector – mantri politie; police mantri – hoofdagent en hoofdrechercheur; senior officer and senior investigator – posthuis commandant der 1ste klasse; station commander, 1st class – posthuis commandant der 2de klasse; station commander, 2nd class – politieagent der 1ste klasse; police officer, 1st class – politieagent der 2de klasse; police officer, 2nd class – rekruut; recruit Appendix II Robberies between 1890 and 1920 (accompanying Chapter 2, ‘The Economics of Banditry’) This diagram shows the number of robberies per year in the research area, as calculated by the author on the basis of the Koloniale Verslagen (Colonial Reports). 200 150 100 50 0 1880 1883 1886 1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1916 1919 1922 1925 1928 11 BWJ.indd 193 12/13/10 2:12:08 PM 194 Appendices Appendix III The calculation and planning of robberies (accompanying Chapter 5, ‘Jagos, jimats, and dukuns’) [Source: W.G. Vergouw, ‘Animisme in de Javaansche dievenwereld’ (1929), pp. 92–5.] Thieves of this kind [ketjoes — MvT] are generally counted among the most dangerous. They almost always band together to commit their crimes, and their thefts are usually accompanied by life-threatening assaults on their victims or members of their victims’ household. Accordingly, ketjoes must always be prepared to offer resistance. This is therefore the primary purpose of their superstitious calculations. One of the principal calculation methods of the ketjoes is known as the Radjamoekah. The derivation should, I believe, be sought in the following sources: Radja = nobleman, distinguished person (sometimes in unfavourable sense, hence: a Master Thief). Moekah = verbal form of po(e)kah = tear apart violently. In other words, the Radjamoekah protects a thief from being torn apart violently. Its main purpose is to offer resistance. Those who come across a radjamoekah by chance do not know what to make of it. It is a piece of wood inscribed with all sorts of peculiar drawings and hieroglyphs. After some investigation, I was finally able to determine the meaning of all these figures. The drawing below gives an impression of the Radjamoekah: Illus. 24 Radjamoekah 1 11 BWJ.indd 194 12/13/10 2:12:10 PM 195 Appendices This drawing can be interpreted as follows: The uppermost row of numbers indicates the combined value of the ordinary weekday and the pasar day.1 The smallest number must therefore be 7 (Tuesday, Wagé) and the greatest 18 (Saturday, Pahing). All other combinations of weekday and pasar day lie between these two. One can therefore see that it is based on the values of the different days. The numbers in the boxes on the far right indicate the hours of night at which the ketjoes will strike. The hieroglyphs at the bottom denote the criminal himself. The body parts missing from the human figure are at risk of being injured during the venture and should thus be well protected in advance. Finally, the peculiar signs in the middle indicate whether the venture has a chance of succeeding. Their meanings are: + = Sri = very easy prey ? = Gigis = a sure thing ? = Kalamomor = dubious (momor = unite) ? = Kalasembodjo, patjak wezi = impossible ? = Loenggoeh, Danjang pengantenan = almost assured Let us now take a number. Suppose the ketjoes...