CHINESE AND PAK-A-POO

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 12, 8 October 1927, Page 6

CHINESE AND PAK-A-POO

FINES TOTALLING £3O IMPOSED. Young Tong, aged 64; Ah Tong, alias Lee Fong, alias Ah Lee, alias Lee Kee, a labourer, aged 40; and Young Fee, aged 26, appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday charged with keeping common gaming houses. Voting Tong admitted being the keeper of 39 Haining Street, while the other two accused pleaded guilty to having controlled 143 Taranaki Street. Sub-Inspector Harvey said that the police had raided the premises last Friday. • The Chinese concerned ran a “pak-a-poo” school. None of them had been previously convicted. Mr. O. C. Mazengarb, who represented all defendants, asked that a light fine be imposed in each case. “Otherwise,” he said, “they will all have to go to gaol.” Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., fined each accused £lO. in default one month’s imprisonment. / Ah Tong was also charged w’ith having smoked opium in Auckland in 1916. Sub-inspector Harvey said that a warrant had been issued for his arrest eleven years ago, but it had only just been discovered that he was the right man The Magistrate suggested that as the charge was eleven years old it might be withdrawn. This was done. The case against David Morris Owens, aged 62, who was charged with being found in the common gaming house in Haining Street, was dismissed. Accused stated that he was lawfully on the premises, as he had gone to see the Chinaman on a business matter only. “Although there is some doubt about this case,” said His Worship, “I will give accused the benefit of it. He had been to see the China man before on the same day about some business, and he might not have known it was a gaming house”