AN INTERRUPTED LOTTERY. RAID ON A CHINESE HOUSE. THREE MEN ARRESTED. LIVELY EXPERIENCES OF THE POLICE.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 114, 10 November 1900, Page 5

AN INTERRUPTED LOTTERY. RAID ON A CHINESE HOUSE. THREE MEN ARRESTED. LIVELY EXPERIENCES OF THE POLICE.

When the raid on a Chinese gaminghouse in Haining-street took place on Sunday, 28th ult., another descent was made by Acting Detective Cox upon a second place in the same street, in which it was believed that a Chinese lottery was in progress. On tliat occasion the inflates seem to have been forewarned — at any rate nothing unlawful was discqvered. But Detective Qqx ha« kept an eye upon the place ever since, and last night another surprise visit was paid, 'with very different results. At ajjout 9 o'clock Detective Coxi strolled leisurely towards Haining-street,, fqllowed at intervals by Constable Tanner, in plain clothes, and Constable Cassin, in " uniform. Arrived at the suspected house, Cox, who was provided with rub.b.er-splcd shoes, moved up to j the fron^ door and, burst it open. Simul- : tanepusly Constable Tanner broke in> through the^b^ck door. Tanner had had a risky experience already, for as he was. moving towards the house one of two., ' Chinamen, who had been lurking the shadows opposite made an attempt to fell him to the ground with a large stone. The movement, however, w^s checked by Constable Cassin, who came up with draw,n baton, and 44 rryer 9 ye off, the assailant- Cassin then, followed his companion into the house, and as Tie did so a s,tone grazed lus'head. $t was imppssible, h,ow,eyer, to arrest, the thrower, for time was precious at the moment. ' The VPPm in which. lottery was being conducted was, on, tfee righ^-h&nd side of the front d.oor, ' and as the de.tective, burst through, he was Just in time to. catch, three Chinamen—Ah Wong, Long Shick, and Joe On Lee — in the act of drawing the tickets. Ah Wong, banker and occupier of the house, was sitting at a table, with Long Shick, the manager of t)xe lottery, drawing, while Joe On Lee, the assistant, was, standing up. The men were so completely surprised that escape was impossible, and they were quickly arrested and handcuffed. Every precaution, against detection had been taken — the windows being boarded up and curtained, while the tiokets " as they were drawn were at once burned. Qn the table was all the apparatus connected with the lottery, including the two crossed knives usually placed on such occasions in the centra of the table, the Celestial believing that by so placing them he can frighten away evil spirits. The total amount that can be won at this particular bank is £250. The prisoners were searched, and on Long Shick were found two cheques, one for £10 and the other for £6\ besides £6 in notes and gold and £2 in silver. Ah Wong had in his possession £5 7s 6d, but Joe On Lee had no money. The room was also overhauled, and its cqntents were confiscated. By this time the news of the ra,id had spread, and had brought together a crowd of gesticulating Chinamen from all quarters. They gathered in front of the house, and their angry'- murmurings could be heard by those inside. At the s,ame time several stones hurled from tne street gave evidence of the temper of the mob. As the police party was so small there seemed some probability of its being maltreated in its retirement. The situation reminded those inside of the experiences of their lately-besieged countrymen in Pekin. The bulk of the confiscated articles being great,, it was deemed inadvisable tei try to get all to the Mount Cook Station in one. trip. It was therefore, decided, that the two constables should take the prisoners to the station handcuffed together, and return with a bag in which to convey the spoil, while the ~ detective remained in pharge of the Ijouse. . As the party made their way out into the street, the Chinamen looked threatening. Some were armed with sticks, and others with stones. They contented themselves, however, with following the constables to the station in a stratgding, gesticulating, muttering throng/ When the prisoners had been handed over to the officer in charge, the constables returned to the house, where Detective Cox was on guard, and removed the confiscated articles to th,e station. At the station the men were formally summoned to appear before the Magistrate's Court this morning on^ a charge of conducting, a lpttery. They were bailed out by Yee Chpng, a merchant, who gave a bond of £100 for each. There were about fifteen men in the house at the time of the raid, but only the three prisoners were found in the lottery-room. Others were smoking or reading in, different rooms, while pne, who had apparently been in bed, made ,hig escape through a window at the first sound of alarm. Joe On Lee is a fruiterer in Cubastreet, while Long Shick, who is also a fruit agent, lives with Ah Wong ih the raided house, the latter however paying the rent. ■ " - J &