AN OPIUM RAID

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 110, 12 May 1938, Page 6

AN OPIUM RAID

HAINING STREET HOUSE

CHINESE PROSECUTED

At 4,30 p.m. yesterday Constable Thompson and Detectives Long and Tripney visited a house in Haining Street, The place was locked and bolted, and windows also bolted end barred, but the police party climbed to the roof of an adjoining shed, and entered through an upstairs window, They found ft number of Chinese around six burning "slush lamps," used for smoking ; opium. Another room Constable Thompson found fit* ted with a bench for lamps and pipes, The Chinese made no resistance, and offered no excuse for their presence on the premises, _ These events were rented by De-tective-Sergeant P, Doyle in the Magistrate's Court today when a number of Chinese appeared before Mr. J. H. Luxford, S,M„ charged with being found without lawful excuse on premises used for the smoking of opium. The defendants, Ngan Yew, gardener,*ss, Joe Lum, gardener, 51, Lee Pay Wong, fruiterer, 44, Ah Kong, gardener, 33, Ching Yum Get, 5?, Ah Joe, fruiterer, 81, Tong Loo, gardener, 42, and Yet Young, cook, 35, all pleaded guilty to the charge. Jim Hong, fruiterer, 63, and Jay Gee, gardener, 55, who were charged with being found on the premises, and also with being found in possession of prepared opium, were remanded to appear tomorrow. As the majority of the defendants could not speak English, the proceedings were conducted with the aid of an interpreter.

Asked if he wished to say anything on his own behalf, Ngan Yew said he took the responsibility of being the keeper of the premises. Detective-Sergeant Doyle: Unfortunately we were not able to ascertain —up to now—who was the actual keeper. The Magistrate; No doubt your work will be facilitated by the admission made by Ngan Yew. Most of the other defendants said they had nothing to say in answer to the charge. Tong Loo and Yet Young, who were described as first offenders, were convicted and fined £12 log, in default one month's imprisonment, and the remainder of the defendants were fined £20 and ordered to pay costs and interpreter'* fees, default being fixed at two months' imprisonment.