RAID ON A CHINESE GAMBLING DEN IN SYDNEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8632, 30 July 1891, Page 6

RAID ON A CHINESE GAMBLING DEN IN SYDNEY.

On Saturday, the 18th instant, the Sydney police made a raid on a Chinese gambling den in George-street, kept by a Mongolian named Ah Ping, and arrested a large number of Chinese and Europeans who were engaged in playing fan-tan. The Daily Telegraph gives the following account of the raid: — , .

"It was about nine o'clock, and No. 226, George-street, was thronged j with , customers, although the passers-by might not perhaps have been aware of the fact. There were a number of Chinese articles, and a few packets of cigarettes in the window, but as they were left in undisturbed repose day after day among the accumulated dust it was apparent that the proprietor did nob do much in that line. All Ping's gambling den was not an easy place, even for the would-be gambler to enter if ho looked anything like' a policeman. There was a little leery-eyed Chinaman at the front door who took stock of you in a quiet) but effectual manner, and after passing him you still had to get into the den. In the shop ' pak-a-pu' was the order of the evening. This is r the lottery which has been so often described that no further mention of it is needed here. To reach the gambling den proper, however, another door had to be passed. The inner guard scrutinised the visitor through a pane of glass let into the door, and if he was satisfied with his appearance, bolts were withdrawn and admission was granted. Even then the gambling den was not reached. A partition intervened, and it was necessary to take some half-dozen steps along a passage before the sudden glare of uncovered gas jets and an almost overwhelming odour proclaimed that the fan-tan chamber was reached. In the fan-tan chamber on Saturday evening there sat Ah ium, presiding over the ' bank,' while the neversmiling Ah Moy filled the croupier's chair, which is something like an auctioneer's rostrum on a small scale. Louey Ah Mow, who wore an air of authority and a Chesterfield coat, kept the door, which was not only secured with four iron bolts, but was also additionally strengthened by stout wooden bars run across the door and held in slots in the posts. The back window of the room was fixed up, prison-like, with iron bars, and the back door was also well bolted and barred. It may be realised from this that to effect an entry would be no easy matter. The crowds assembled in the shop and fan-tan room were mixed. They were mainly of the labouring class, with a good sprinkling of the ' pushes,' but here and there were to be seen most respectablelooking young men, evidently of far better class than those surrounding them, and who, presumably, if they had the choice, would not care to let their relatives know their manner of spending their leisure. All those in the room were wedged round the China-matted fan-tan table, gas jets blazed against the bare brick walls, and the atmosphere was heavily laden with smoke and sickening odours. How anyone could remain half an hour in such a den without contracting disease is a mystery. Business was brisk both in the shop and in the fan-tan room. The proprietor, who had been stalking round earlier in the evening wearing ' the white waistcoat of a blameless life,' was understood to have left, and Messrs. Ah Yum and Ah Moy were seemingly in charge. The croupier - wore a heavy, 'sword-shaped weapon of iron, but for what purpose unless to practically resent an intrusion was not apparent. The chink-chink of the little brass coins went on unceasingly. A good deal of money was changing hands, and every one was deeply interested in the game—particularly two ' toughs' who were located near the banker and croupier. Suddenly a change came over the scene. A noise was heard in the shop, the doorkeeper gabbled out an alarm, the players grabbed at their stakes, and the countenances of the banker and croupier took on a hue of deeper yellow than usual, which further deepened when the two 'toughs' just mentioned each took hold of a pigtail, and arrested, in the name of Her Majesty, Ah Yum, banker, and Ah Moy, croupier. In the meantime the European .and Chinese gamblers were ; rushing about'in'order to escape, but they were caught like rats in a trap. The raid was so carefully planned that escape was almost an impossibility. The signal was. given soon after 9 by Inspector Attwell marching into the shop, where an effort was made to force him back. He was too well supported for that, however. He had men close behind, and these rushing in, armed with iron drills or crowbars, soon smashed 1 down the heavily - barred door and the partition between the shop and the fan-tan den. It was necessary to do this with the utmost expedition in order to reach the two constables inside, who had been fighting with the gamblers and had seized the banker and croupier, and whose position was not unattended with risk. Just as the inspector walked into the shop a man suddenly appeared in front with a ladder, which he quickly placed against the verandah and at once ascended. In a moment ho had smashed the upper portion of the first floor front window (which was not barricaded, as attack was never dreamt of from that quarter), and unheeding the jagged pieces of glass which remained in tho frame, sprang through into the dark room. He did not know what he might have to meet there, and, presumably, did not care. The scared . gamblers , had some of them rushed upstairs in the hope of escaping by the verandahs to the adjoining Chinese houses, but the constable who had ascended the ladder headed them off, burst open doors of rooms in which they had secured themselves, and completely routed them. A number jumped from a first floor window on ' to a corrugated iron lean-to below, but the fragile structure gave way with them, and they were precipitated to the basement much cut and bruised, and mixed up with the sheets of iron. Others had rushed below in the first instance, and had endeavoured to escape by the back way, only, however, to find themselves in the arms of constables. The police had a most exciting cha3e, and some sustained slight injuries. It was not long, however, before they had all the gamblers under guard in the house, and then every available pair of handcuffs was brought into requisition. All the men found in the front shop (the lottery department) were branded with three chalk stripes across the back, and the others with one stripe, for purposes of indentification when charging. A very mixed crowd of some thousands had gathered in the vicinity of the shop by this time, and business at the other Chinese dens had ceased as though by magic. The prisoners were handcuffed in pairs, and were thus escorted through the howling, jeering mob to No. 4 station. The Chinese were steered by their pigtails. All along the street the Chinese were standing at their doors, evidently fear-stricken by the determined character of the raid and tho partial wrecking of the premises. At the station the prisoners were formally charged. There were 42 of them, representing various nationalities. _ The majority were Europeans, and young. ' They were celled in big batches at first, and one or two welldressed men, who looked like clerks, made an earnest request to be given separato accommodation. To these requests tho reply was very properly made that they had not been ashamed of their companions when in the gambling den, and the urgency for separating them in the lock-up was consequently not apparent. Later on some of the prisoners were drafted to the Water Police station. The gaming accessories wero removed from the den, and tho police left in charge of the dwelling, which was ransacked throughout. The crowd remained around for a long time, and much satifnetion was expressod by the European tradespeople at the success of the raid."