GAMING HOUSE RAID.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18945, 17 February 1925, Page 11

GAMING HOUSE RAID.

CHINESE BEFORE COURT. "THEIR ONLY AMUSEMENT." SMALL FINES IMPOSED. Seven of the nine Chinese arrested by defectives on Sunday evening, in consequence of a raid on premises in Grey Street, were charged in the Police. Court yesterday, before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., and Mr. T. A. Gubb, J.P. " Cheong Oak, aged 52, pleaded guilty to> keeping a common gaming house at 24, Grey Street. The following admitted being found in a common gaming house without lawful excuse:—Sing Hoy, aged 52; Ah Loui and Ah Li, both aged <8; Ah Lu, aged 45; and Ah Young, aged 70. A plea of not guilty was entered by Ah Sing, aged 42, who acted as interpreter. The two absentees were Ah Ten, aged 22, and Harry Wong, aged 61. Chief-Detective Cummings stated the premises had been kept as a gaming house for some timo by Cheong Oak, games being played mostly on Saturdays and Sundays. In consequence of a complaint regarding the noise made on the premises about midnight, a watch was set, and as a result a search warrant was executed on Sunday evening. The nine Chinese charged wero found on the premises and nine more were found in a yard. It appeared betting was only carried on in a small way, as some of the accused bad very small sums of money in their possession. Hat gnow was the principal game, although additional apparatus for the playing of packapoo and fan tan was also seized. The house had been conducted well, and only men of his own race and class had been admitted by Cheocg Oak, who was appearing before" the Court for the first time. Some of the Chinese had their meals on the premises, and (the cook. Ah Loui, deserved some consideration, as he was not participating in the game. It was the only amusement they had, Mr. Cummings said, and a nominal penalty would meet, the case. Detective Meiklejohn deposed that Ah Sing was standing at, the table on which hai gnow was being played. Harry Wong and Ah Ten were found in the building. Mr. Cummings: Wong is a professional gambler and has been here frequently. Ah Sing said he went to collect a debt r>f a few pcunds and five minutes later the detectives arrived. Cheong Oak was fined £lO, Harry Wong £5, Ah Loui was convicted and discharged, and the case against Ah Sing was dismissed. Fines of £2 each were imposed on the other men. An order was made for confiscation of the apparatus found.