PAKAPOO RAIDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22406, 30 April 1936, Page 15

PAKAPOO RAIDS

PREMISES IN CITY THREE 'CHINESE FINED DISMISSAL OF ONE CASE EUROPEANS IN COURT As a result of raids carried out simultaneously by parties of police on four premises occupied by Chinese, on Tuesday afternoon, 21 men, including several Chinese, appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, on charges under the Gaming Act. In outlining the cases, Sub-Inspector Seoit said that the offences concerned the illegal game of pakapoo. Quantities of pakapoo' paraphernalia were found bv the police when the various premises were raided, while previous to the raids purchases of pakapoo tickets had been made by a plain clothes eonstable. Charged with using his premises at 92 Grey's Avenue as a common gaming house, Wong Lee (Mr. Dyson) pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Tocker said that when he entered the premises he found Wong Lfe and two Europeans seated at a table, upon/which were pakapoo tickets and marking ink. Accused admitted that he was the occupier. Evidence of visiting the premises before the raid and,purchasing tickets from accused was given by Constable Griffiths Contention fcy Counsel In quoting a decision oic Mr. Justice Salmond, who held, that the proprietor of the business was the only person who could be charged with keeping a common gaming house, Mr. Dyson submitted that, while Wong Lee might be the that did not make him the keeper. In this case he was only the agent. "I think he was the keeper, and I ;am satisfied that the case is proved," said the magistrate. "However, as this :is his first appearance in Court on any charge, I will convict him and fine him onlj £l2 10s." In the case of Wong Yen, who was charged with a similar offence, Mr. Dyson entered a plea of guilty. Wong Yen was an old man of 72, quite incapable of working, said Mr. Dyson. He merely tried to earn sufficient pennies in order to live. He could not pay a fine arid would have to go to gaol. Commenting upon the fact that accused had been fined previously for a similar offence, the magistrate imposed a fine of £25. in default three months' imprisonment.

"Wong Lok, for whom Mr. Dickson appeared, pleaded guilty to a charge of using premises in Hobson Street as a common gaming house. As a first offender he was fined £l2 10s. " Benefit oi the Doubt "

Mee Nam Lowe (Mr. Dickson) pleaded not guilty to a charge of using his premises in Grey's Avenue as a common gaming house. Sergeant Dunn said that when the raid took place pakapoo tickets were found on a shelf in the restaurant, but no further evidence concerning the game was found. Constable Griffiths said that on four different occasions he went to the restaurant and bought tickets, but he had not purchased any from Lowe Remarking that he would give the Chinese the benefit of the doubt, the magistrate dismissed the charge. Three men, Wong Shung, Chan Ner and Sam Lowe, who were charged with being unlawfully on the premises, were also discharged. The following men were charged with being found without lawful excuse on premises used as common gaming houses and fined £1: —James Clark Fenton, Patrick Cunningham, Lancelot Gordon McKeown, Leslie Patrick O'Kane, Robert Charles Davies, Clarence Patrick O'Brien, Christopher George Ryan, Tony Anthony Lukashevski, Edward Smeal, Sydney Smith, William Feeney, Daniel Rhelan, Nicholas Sasunic, and Reginald Murphy.