Raid on a Wellington Gambling Den.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 30 October 1890, Page 2

Raid on a Wellington Gambling Den.

UIO o'clock on Monday night Oetec ives ! 'ampbell and Herbert gai'.ed admittance to a place of busi* ties-! iv Wi lis street which has long been known is a res irt of gamblers. From the vigilance of the pr prietor and the complete manner m wlii h a! h s plans are cairii-d out as to adiuittan o is very -hffimlt for anyone, unli s.- tlioio immediiitely connected with the nefarious rmg, to get. inside tne buildi .g. This night, however as the two detectives were pa-sin-.! tlie rear of the premises they saw one of the spi ling fraternity leaving, and .hen lie was out of ::iu'bt tho detectives knocked at tlio door. A squeaky voice within said, " Who's there?' and the reply received was so sutisfac'ory that the doi-r w:s immediately opened, and in wa ked the two detectives. Tlie loor keeper seeing that lie had heen had, so to spoik, tried to get the le ec ives out again, but this he coul 1 not do, and the officers ru.-hod ••■■stiirs but before they had gone hah way up the lights wero put out, aud between liO and 30 men of the spi-ler class wi-r- se-*n rus'iiug about the staircase. It may be here mentioned that directly the detect \es had passed the sentry downstaos he touched an electric be , which give the si Mial in tho gamblim.* ro >m and all lights w t<> ext uguishod and there was a general rush to get outside. On entering the room where the gambling wa- being carried on there was a long tab <• with a baizo covering. A dice box wa-s found, thickly padded, >-o that nothing "f the sound of die* 1 throwing could l>e hea d should tho windows happen to be -pen On each side of the table were long forms, which would accomodate about -10 oersons. Last night the amount of monoy taken by the police was not huge, but there was a great number of silver c 'ins ofsma I value, which would lead to the suji, osit.iou that the game was being* played was •• hazard.'' A quantity of <iice were found, many of which are very suspicious, as tho big numbers have a j peculiar tendency of keeping out of l -ight. Tlie namos of some 12 or 14 of the persons present, were taken nnd tbey will be summoned together with he proprietor of the houat*. — N. Z Times.