LONDON’S CHINA TOWN

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 30 April 1934, Page 3

LONDON’S CHINA TOWN

MYSTERY OOF LIMEHOUSE. POPULAR VIEW MISTAKEN". Opium dens, mysterious Chinamen, dark passages, a place where the writer of thrillers can find plenty of material. This is the popular view’ of London’s Chinatown. At an inquest at Shoreditch recently, however, a man, with 20 years’ experience of Chinese people living in England, revealed that there is little opihm-sinhking in London today; the younger generation of Chinese do not touch opium, and the number of Chinese in London is dwindling. These facts were revealed by Constable Coombe, of the Aliens Office. The inquest was on an opium-smoker. Loo Look, aged 65, fruit hawker, of Pennyfields, Limehouse, who died in hospital after collapsing in the street. After Miss Lily Hong Foo, singer, had told the coroner that Fookl who had lived with her father for 12 years, had been ah opium-smoker all his life, Constable Coombe stated that FOok came to the United Kingdom in 1916 and worked in Bristol and then in London. Recently be had been making a living selling fruit. “In January this year,” continued Constable Coombe, “Fook was arrested for being in possession of opium and was later fined £lO or 21 days at the Thames Police Court.” Tile Coroner: Have you had -much experience with these people P—About 20 years.

They are rather a decreasing population, aren’t they ?—Yes. Is there some movement to take them to Dagenham —There was some talk of it. Are there many Chinese in this part of London? —Only about 100. “Limehouse is supposed to be one of the show places of London,” remarked the coroner. “There can’t be much to see.” The officer stated that Fook was one of the two opium-smokers known to the police in Limehouse. . Dr Seymour explained that death was clue to haemorrhage, “I found no evidence of opium poisoning,” the doctor added. The verdict was “death from natural causes.”