A FASHIONABLE OPIUM DEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9229, 17 June 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

A FASHIONABLE OPIUM DEN.

* —. . Tin: Now York papers describe a raid recently made on a fashionable opiumsmoking den by Detective Casey. When admitted, Casey found himself in a veritable fairy palace. The room into which he was ushered was magnificently furnished in Oriental stylo. Tho windows were darkened by plush hangings, suggestive pictures hung about the walls, Turkish divans were arranged against the walls, and light was furnished by a shaded lamp that stood upon a t;'.blo in the centre of the room and shed a sort of crimson twilight glow. Besido tho lamp of the table lay a complete opium outfit of the most expensivecharacter, the trays and lamps being of solid silver, richly engraved and ornamented, while the pipes were pro fusely mounted with the same metal, richly chased. On two of these divans lay a man and a woman, wearing rich dressing robes, and in a corner of the room sat a woman, plainly dresed, and with a three-year-old boy on her lap. Tho detective was invited to take a seat, and tho woman who had admitted him, taking one of the pipes from the table, lib it and took a position on a vacant divan, whore sho enjoyed the delicious ecstasy of the seductive drug. At this juncture tho detective gave a warning whistle, which was answered ot once by the captain and Detective Rear, who burst into the room and arrested alt the inmates, who were taken to tho station, and afterwards eloased on heavy bail.