SUNDAY RAID

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22608, 22 December 1936, Page 13

SUNDAY RAID

GAMBLING PREMISES CHINESE SURPRISED SIXTEEN MEN FINED CAUGHT IN BASEMENT Surprised by detectives on Sunday afternoon while playing fan tan in tfie basement of a house in Grey's Avenue, 18 Chinese were arrested and appeared before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday. Fines totalling £29 were imposed on 16 of the Chinese, who pleaded guilty to charges of being found on premises of a common gaming house, and two men wcro remanded. Detective-Sergeant MeHugh, after describing tlio raid, said complaints had been received concerning the particular house. The basement where the Chinese were found was 47ft. long, loft, wide, and 61t. in height. It was poorly ventilated. A game of fan tan was in progress when the detectives entered. "The basement was in a very filthy state, and it is really a menace to the city," said Mr. MeHugh. "It has been raided two or three times, but the men will insist on congregating there." The Magistrate: Who is the owner of this place? If it is not fit for occupation it should be pulled down. "1 am not sure yet who the owners are." said Mr. MeHugh. The magistrate added that the owners should be ordered to clean up the place. "It is quite close to the Town Hall/' said Mr. MeHugh, Albert Hong Duk, clerk, aged 36, and Wing Wong, lorry driver, aged 31, who were each charged with using the premises, 49 Grey's Avenue, as a com-

mon gaming house, were remanded to appear on January 22 on tho application of their counsel, Mr. Dickson and Mr. Giescn. Bail was allowed in the sum of £IOO and one surety of £IOO in each case.

"Some of their faces seem familiar," said the magistrate when dealing with tlie other Chinese. "Have any of them been before me previously?" Mr. MeHugh: Yes, some of them are familiar. Described as old offenders, Wong Chuck, laundryman, aged 61, Charlie Ix>e, laundryman, aged OS, and Buck Hoo, gardener, aged 4G, were each fined £5. while Chung Oak, laundryman, aged 64, was fined £2. The following Chinese were each fined £1 and costs: —Bing Hoo, gardener, .'52 years; Ah Chong, gardener. 38; Ah Wong, gardener, 43; Dov Yuen, tourist, 56; Ah Wong, gardener, 42; Ah Hop, fruiterer, .'3l; Ah Lay, gardener, 40; Fong Chee. laundryman, 40; Ah Lee, fruiterer. 52; Wong Hock, laundryman, 57;' Ah Way, gardener, 42; Shim Ying, gardener, 38.

ASSISTANT FINED TICKETS SOLD TO POLICE A plea of not guilty was made by Joe Bong, one of the men arrested last month when 11 Chinese -houses were raided, who appeared before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday. He was charged with assisting in the management of a common gaming house in Grey's Avenue on November 12. Accused was represented by Mr. Dickson. After hearing the evidence, the magistrate said he had no doubt that Bong had sold pakapoo tickets to a constable. He was fined £lO.