CHINESE DEN RAID SEQUEL

Northern Advocate, 4 November 1935, Page 6

CHINESE DEN RAID SEQUEL

NINE MEN CHARGED

hot opium pipes

DETECTIVES TELL STORY

r Snecial to “Northern Advocate. ] [.Special *° AUCKLAND , This Day. _ rpHE unusual incident thata 1 ese, out of spite, gaye the police information which resulted in | jad on a Chinese house in Nelson St t on the afternoon of October de^.e that the informer would give ey in favour of seven of the men f lly were charged with being un found on premises for opium smoking —was outlined by Mr J. J. Sul l , the Police Court this morning before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., when n Chinese appeared in the dock. Ah Lee, aged 32, a gardener, was charged that, being the occupier the premises, he permitted them to b used for opium smoking, while > Fun, aged 48, another gardener, wa charged with being in possession prepared opium. c Seven other Chinese, Wong (36), Wong Wah (40), S. han f y a^ (SI), Ah Wong (50); Ah King (37), Ah Shun (36), and Kwok King (41) were each charged with being found w\ ■ out lawful excuse on premises, wnicu were being used for opium smoking. Senior-Detective Hall prosecuted and Mr J. J. Sullivan appeared for An Lee and all the others, with the exception of Fun and Wong Sun, who were represented by Mr J. F. W. Die Ah Lee and Shan Fun pleaded guilty. The others pleaded not guiLy. Packets of Opium. Senior-Detective Hall said that as the resultof complaints, Detective-Ser-geant McHugh, Detectives Davies and. Miller and Constaole Fuller went to Nelson St. at 1 p.m. on October 21. They saw Shan Fun come out of a lane. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said to him ‘believe you have some opium. Shan Furi said: “A little.” The detectives then searched him and found on him 15 packets of prepared Opium. He vvas arrested. Detectives McHugh and Davies desrcribed their visit to the house in Nelson Street. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said he could hear voices inside, but could not get an answer to his knock, at either the front or back doors, so he forced one door with his shoulder and entered it. In one back room he found two hot opium, pipes on a mat on the floor, while an opium lamp was burning. Strong Smell of Opium. The other-seven men were found in the four roomed cottage, the windows of which were covered with sacks nailed to the sides of each window. There was a strong smell of opium in the house. In another back room \yitness found another lamp alight and two more hot opium pipes. He .also found three pipes, in the making, a tray on which were opium seconds in twb'tiris’and a pajper bag. Other opium smoking equipment, consisting of grease, wicks, scales and head-rests, were seized in the house. None of the seven men found on the premises could give an explanation why he was there. He questioned Ah Lee, who, admitted that he was the occupier of the house.

Perusing Shan Fun’s list of convictions, the magistrate remarked that this accused had four previous convictions for being foimd in possession of opium, Opium smoking and being unlawfully on premises.

Mr Wyvern Wilson said the only thing to do with him was to put him away where he could not get opium. .Opium smoking was an evil.

“But why?” said counsel. “He is the only man who suffers, and he is not doing harm to anybody except • himself. No policeman in the world could stop him smoking opium. If he goes to gaol now, when he comes out, he will still smoke. The punishment should fit the crime.

Mr Wilson; “I am not going to punish him. I nm going to check him, that’s all. He will be remanded for sentence until - the other cases are heard.” ,

Respecting Ah Lee, Mr Sullivan said he had only occupied the house for t\vo weeks prior to the day on which it was raided.

(Proceeding.)