RAID ON A CHINESE GAMBLINGHOUSE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 6439, 2 December 1881, Page 6

RAID ON A CHINESE GAMBLINGHOUSE.

On the night of Nov. 19, Sergeants Anderson and Ready, accompanied by a posse of police constables, made a raid upon a shop and store in Taranaki-street, occupied by a Chinaman named Ah Lung, who, it has been well-known to the police, has for a long time past gained a livelihood by keeping nothing more than a gambling-house, iu which an oriental game known as fan-tan has been nightly played, the backer being Ah Lung, who, no doubt, has made a very fine Jiving out of the well - known gambling propensities of bis countrymen. About 10 o’clock on Saturday night Sergeants Anderson and Beady arrived with a warrant obtained from Mr E. Hardcastle, 8.M.,0n an information sworn under the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1881, and entered Ah Lung’s premises, the precaution having been previously taken to surround the place with constables in order that none should escape from the den. X’he two officers found the game of fan-tan in full swing in a back room, in which, besides the banker. Ah Lung, were three actual players and eight other Celestials who were looking on. On the officers making an advance to apprehend the chief offender, Ah Lung made an attempt to “ grab” the money which was lying on the table, but in this effort he was foiled. Ah Lung was handcuffed by himself, aud the other Chinamen in the rota were ironed two-and-two, and were marched through the streets to tha city lock-up ou Lambton-quay, where they were all detained, with the exception of one of their number, a man named Ah Hing, a market gardener at Kilbirnie, who was subsequently bailed out. Acting on the authority of the warrant, Che officers seized a leaden plate, on which the game of fan-tan is played, a large quantify of Chinese brass coin known as “ cash,” which are used by the players as counters, and also £l3 10s lid, which was taken from the banker, Ah Lung. On the persons of the other men found in the room—which is an apartment of about 16ft by 16ft—were found sums of money varying from 2s 6d upwards. The procession of the prisoners and their escort produced no small amount of excitement as they passed through the streets on their way to the look-up, and by the time the, place of destination was reached there could not have been less than three to four hundred people who followed with a view to ascertain the meaning of the unusual arrest. The penalty provided by the Act, in case of conviction, is a monetary one, being a sum not exceeding £SO for the keepers of the gaming-house, or in default any term not exceeding three months’ imprisonment. A player is subject to a fine of £5, recoverable by distress. Any person not a player, but who may be found in a gaming-house, is liable either to a fine or a term of imprisonment, at the discretion of the Bench. The prosecution is the first instituted under the new Act. The prisoners are all either market gardeners living at the Hutt or at Kilbirnie, or pedlars. One of the accused is the cook at the Melbourne Hotel Elsewhere will be found an account of their interview with the Resident Magistrate.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on the 27th inst., before Mr E. Hardcastle, R.M., and Mr E. Baker, J. 8., the first cases under the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1881, were heard. The prisoners were 12 Chinamen, who were arrested on the night of Nov. 19. Fan-tan.— Ah Lung, Ah Hing, Ah Lee, and Ah Tan, were charged on remand with playing the Chinese game of fan-tan in the house of the first mentioned accused, situated in Taranakistreet, |on Saturday night last, contrary to the provi-ions of the Lotteries and Gaming Act, 1881. Mr Gordon Allan defended the prisoners, who through an interpreter pleaded not guilty. In addition to the charge entered against Ah Lung of playing an unlawful game, a further charge of being the keeper of a common gaming house was preferred against him. Sergeant Anderson gave evidence of his having visited the prisoner Ah Lung’s premises in Taranaki-street, in a'back room of which were the four prisoners seated at a table playing the game known as fan-tan. Ah Lung was seated at the head of the table, and was acting, apparently, as banker. The other three prisoners were playing. Upon the table was a plate of lead used in the game, a large quantity of Chinese coins, known under the generic name of “cash,” and also 18s in silver and 2s fid in coppers. Ah Lung was counting the “cash” which were used in the game., He paid some money to one of the other prisoners as counters. Ah Lung, according to the witness, when he saw that the police intended to arrest them, attempted to put some of the money in his pocket, and upon being searched, the sum of £13.10s lid was found upon him. Sergeant Ellison gave corroborative evidence. Mr Allen submitted that there had been no proof given that the prisoners were engaged in playing at the time the police visited the house, i The Bench considered that sufficient proof had been given that play was going on at the time of the visit of the police. Mr Allen then remarked that the, accused were merely playing for ridiculously small stakes for a supper or a dinner the next day. The prisoners really did not know they were acting illegally, and that this was so was evidenced by not the ►lightest secrecy being observed. The Act was a new one and only came into force on the Ist instant, and therefore the Chinese did not know they were offending against the law. The present prosecution would have the effect of warning the prisoners and their fellow countrymen that they were acting illegally, and he thought that a small fine would meet the ends of justice. Ah Sam, one of the prisoners, made a statement to the effect that Ah Lpng had invited him to play for a glass of beer and “something to eat from the cook’s shop.” The Bench inflicted a fine of £5 on each of the accused. On the charge of keeping a gaming house, Ah Lung was fined £lO, or in default one mouth’s imprisonment. Eight other Celestials (who were found in Ah Lung’s house at the time the police saw the game being played) were then charged with being found in a common gaming house without lawful excuse ; but the ’’.ench considering there was not sufficient evidence to support a conviction, discharged the accused.