RAINING STREET RAID

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 121, 16 February 1926, Page 8

RAINING STREET RAID

CHINAMEN FINED

PENNILESS ORIENTAL GOES TO GAOL

As the result of a surprise visit paid by the police to premises known as 18 Haining Street, on Friday afternoon last, fourteen Chinamen were dealt with by Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, when fines amounting in all to £9O were inflicted for breaches of the Gaming Act. The charge of keeping a common gaming house originally made against Ah Wah was amended to one of being found there, Tong Lee pleading guilty to the more serious offence of being the keeper. Ah Yee was charged with having assisted him. Sub-Inspector Harvey said that at about 2.15 on Friday a raid had been carried out by the Mt. Cook police under the direction of Sergeant Martin. Fourteen men were playing at the time, and big money was changing hands. It was a well-known fan tan school, but so far as the police knew the place was not frequented by Europeans. He asserted Ah Yee had £431 in his possession, while Tong Lee, who admitted that he was the keeper of the premises, had over £lOO on him. Mr. O. C. Mazengarb, who appeared for the Chinese, all of whom pleaded guilty, asked for leniency on behalf of his clients. “It was the Chinese New Year’s Eve,” he said, “and they were having a little celebration on their own. No harm had really been done, for Europeans never visit the house. No. 18 is the leading Chinese Tong, a place where all the Orientals gather on various occasions. Two cooks were employed, and meetings were held, supper and other meals being served to all members. No pak-a-poo was ever played. They only followed fan tan, which is their national game. Besides the Chinese are hard-working people, and as a rule cause no trouble. They are known to the police, and came before the Court when called upon to do so. They love to play ‘fan tan’ like a lot of ns play poker.” Mr. Walker : It is very hard indeed for anyone to read into the mind of a Chinaman. If, for instance, light fines were inflicted, they would run away with the idea that it was not wrong to break the law. They would also have the idea in their minds that the law was an ass. They know the law, and so long as it is here they must obev it. I must obey it too. For keeping a common gaming house there is a penalty of- £lOO. They will be fined £25 each.”

For being found on the premises of a common gaining house the following were each fined £3: —Ah Wah, Ah Louie, Sam Kee, Yee Hay, Ah Lye, Ah Lou, Yee Kum, Chow Lim, Low Queen, Ah Sun. Two others, Joe Ying and Ah Lim Fong, who were present when the police visited the place, were each fined £5, a previous conviction under the Gaming Act having been recorded against them. After the case was over and Mr. Walker was going •on with another matter, a Chinaman shuffled along across the Court and broke out in pitiful sobs “Me no money,” he cried, “no friends, no nothing. Me no able payee fine.”

•Mr. Mazengarb then came into Court again. “I would ask Your Worship to fix a default in this case,” he said, "as Ah Lcuie has no money. He has just come out of the hospital and is penniless.”

Mr. Walker said the Chinaman would probably be able to secure the amount of the fine.

Ah Louie, however, shook his head. “They give me no fine,’’ he said. “No one wantee poor old Chinaman. Me yelee sick—velee poor. No friendee here.”

As no one offered to come forward and assist Ah Louie he was sent to gaol for. twelve hours. He nodded to the Alagistrate as he walked out. “No one wantee poor old Chinaman,” he muttered. “Never mind. Ale go gaol.”