Raffles appointed the first town magistrates,[1] two of whom were now required to sit with the resident on the weekly bechara court, which dealt with civil and criminal cases, with two others serving in rotation on the magistrates court, which met bi-weekly, and dealt with minor disputes.
In early March, the bechara court met for its weekly session. The first case before the court was that of Syed Yassin, who traded between Pahang and Singapore. Syed Yassin had received goods from Syed Omar, but had not paid for them, and Syed Omar was suing him for the price of the goods. Colonel Farquhar, after consulting with Messrs Johnston and Guthrie, informed Syed Yassin that it was the court’s opinion that he owed Syed Omar fourteen hundred dollars.
At first Syed Yassin denied that he owed the money, but when witnesses were brought forward to prove the debt, he acknowledged it but pleaded poverty. ‘But Tuan Farquhar, I have no money to pay this huge sum,’ Syed Yassin protested. ‘I have barely enough money to feed my family.’
‘He has the money, but he will not pay,’ Syed Omar interjected. ‘He is not an honest man. He is a disgrace to the followers of the Prophet.’
‘Syed Yassin, you must pay Syed Omar the amount assessed,’ said Colonel Farquhar, ‘or provide some security. Otherwise you will go to jail.’
Syed Yassin looked at him sullenly, but did not respond, so Farquhar ordered that he be taken to the jail. ‘Next case,’ he continued, as he motioned the officers to remove Syed Yassin from the court.
Syed Yassin was taken to the jail, a ramshackle wooden structure next to the resident’s compound. It was just after two in the afternoon, and the cell in which he was placed was unbearably hot. It was also alive with flies and cockroaches, which ran over his feet as he sat on the plank bench and cursed Colonel Farquhar and Syed Omar. They had insulted him, Syed Yassin, who was a descendant of the Prophet. For hours he simmered and plotted his revenge, fingering the blade of the kris that he carried concealed within his robe.
Late in the afternoon he asked the jailer to summon Mr Barnard, the chief of police. The jailer was not inclined to grant his request, but Syed Yassin gave him such a cold and evil look that he thought the better of it, and decided there could be no harm. When Mr Bernard arrived, Syed Yassin asked if he could meet with Syed Omar, so that he could humbly beg his forgiveness, and plead for some more time to repay the money he owed to him in installments. He had learned his lesson, God be praised, and did not wish to spend any more time in this filthy cell.
Mr Barnard was glad to hear that Syed Yassin was being more reasonable about his debt to Syed Omar, and thought it best to let the two men try to work things out amicably between them. He was sure that Colonel Farquhar and the other magistrates would approve. After all, Syed Omar was unlikely to get his money while Syed Yassin languished in jail. So he released Syed Yassin into the custody of Constable Mehmood bin Nadir, who had just come on duty. Barnard instructed him to take Syed Yassin to the house of Syed Omar to let him make his apology and plead his case for more time to repay his debt. After the two men had spoken, he was to return with Syed Yassin to the police station and report what had been agreed. Then he would make a decision about whether Syed Yassin should stay in jail or be released.
It was growing dark as Mehmood bin Nadir and Syed Yassin left the jailhouse, with Syed Yassin walking ahead. The sun was setting, casting its golden rays like streamers across the dark waters of the river. Mehmood watched the lightermen guiding their tongkangs up and down the river, like black animals crawling through the shadows of the night. He wished he was with his brothers on the river, but he had vowed that he would never work for that scoundrel Captain Flint. He did not mind the police work, which enabled him to support his family and pay off the loan on his boat, but he longed for the day when he could return to his true vocation as a lighterman.
When they reached the house of Syed Omar, Mehmood waited by the outer gate, and told Syed Yassin to go ahead and conduct his business, after which he was to return with him to the police station to report to Mr Bernard. When Syed Yassin approached the house, Syed Omar was standing on the verandah, looking out across his courtyard and garden. There was no moon, and the only light came from lanterns within the house, so Syed Omar did not see Syed Yassin until he was very close. Syed Omar was surprised when he saw the man who had cheated him walking up the path towards him, but his surprise turned to alarm when he saw the murderous look in Syed Yassin’s eyes, and the kris in his hand. He ran back into the house, and fled by a back door that lead out into an alley. He was grateful that his uncle was visiting a friend at Kampong Glam, and hoped that he would not return any time soon. He circled round the edge of the river until he reached the residency, breathless and highly agitated.
Meanwhile, Syed Yassin ran through the house, brandishing his kris, calling on Syed Omar to come out and face him. He threatened the servants, and demanded to know the whereabouts of their master, but they only cowed in fear or ran away from him, their eyes fixed in horror on his dancing kris. Syed Yassin searched all the rooms of the house, but there was no sign of Syed Omar. In anger and frustration, he ran out of the house to search the garden.