TORY STREET GAMING HOUSES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 208, 30 May 1936, Page 7

TORY STREET GAMING HOUSES

Raided by Police MAGISTRATE INFLICTS FINES Following police raids on two Tory Street gaming houses on Thursday afternoon, two Chinese and two Europeans appeared before- Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Fines amounting to over £5O were inflicted. Appearing for defendants, Mr. C. N. Armstrong said the Chinese were only agents, paid a commission of about Id. a ticket by the gaming banks. These banks did not pay the fines, and the agents had to do so or go to jail. The banks did not pay them while they were in jail. He submitted it was the purpose of heavy penalties to strike at the people who wore making a profit out of the gaming. “The object of the law is to prevent these offences occurring in our country. That is the function of the law, to act as a deterrent, and we must carry it out accordingly,” said the magistrate.

Duncan Sue, Chinese gardener, and gaming-house keeper, aged .45, pleaded guilty to keeping a common gaming house nt 144 Tory Street. He was fined £l5 and costs. Richard Somervell, labourer, aged CO, who pleaded guilty to being found in the gaming house, was fined £3 and costs. ••What do you mean by encouraprinj? this Chinese to break the law?” asked the magistrate.

“I just happened to go into the place.” “You ought'to be ashamed of yourself,” said the magistrate.

Fee Young, Chinese gardener and gaming-house keeper, aged 35, pleaded guilty to assisting in keeping a common gaming house at 150 Tory Street. He was fined £3O and costs. John Roy Alfred Chote. ship's steward, aged 25, was fined £3 and costs for being on the premises. Prosecuting. Sub-Inspector C. E. Roach, said that a constable had visited 144 Tory Street recently, ami purchased a pakapoo ticket. On Thursday afternoon the police visited the place, and found a quantity of pakapoo materials. There was a European there.

Sergeant AV. J. Brown described his visit witli a police constable to 150 Tory Street, on Thursday afternoon, to execute a search warrant. Fee Young was the only Chinese in the building. In a drawer they found a number of pakapoo tickets, some marked. some unmarked. While they wore there. Cbote came in to buy a ticket. The place was a well-known pakapoo house. The laundry sign outside was no indication of what went on there. There wore no irons, and no washing appliances inside: no laundry work was going on there. Constable Downes said that when I questioned Chute said he had come in < to mark a ticket with his last six- | ponce. |