SENSATIONAL RAID

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7027, 15 January 1910, Page 5

SENSATIONAL RAID

POLICE AND CHINESE. ALLEGED PAK-A-POO SCHOOLS. A CLEVER. RUSE. Hainiug street, one of the congested Chinese quarters of "Wellington, was the scone of a . somewhat sensational police raid last night, resulting in thirteen arrests. This street is known as a pak-a-poo resort, but the discovery of offenders against the gaming laws is a task of great difficulty, owing to the fine system of scouting the Chinese have in vogue. The sight of a man in uniform' is sufficient to cause alarm; two or three likely-looking policemen in plain clothes have no ohanoe of detecting anyone. Thus it becomes a question of <the police outwitting the scouts in cleverness! if they desire to suppress what they know -without doubt exists. •Nos. 48 and 53, Haining street, have been -watched for some , time. Men were seen to come and go from those premises; gaming has been suspected, but 'how to get insido without alarming ,the inmates was the question. So last night, about half-past seven, the scouts were eluded by a clever ruse. People passing down Haining street at that hour were startled by a landaul dashing along the street and suddenly stopping in front of Nos. 48 and 53, houses which are almost opposite, and a posse of police rushing into each house.- ,' Sergeant R/utledge, with Constables MoKelvey and Quayle, took No. 53, and Sergeant Murphy, accompanied by Constables Doyle, Sims,: and Caldwell, invaded No. 48. _ There was consternation in both camps. Pak-a-poo tickets innumerable were disclosed to the view of the police. In No. 48 was Wong Lee (occupier), and Joe Wong, Sue Bun, John Wilson, Frederick "Williams, and Francis Nelson. In No. 53 there were Jim Young (occupier), Frederick John White, Peter Cooney, John Regan, William Eobertson, and Thomas Poynter. AH the. men ,wore arrested and conveyed to Mount Cook Police) 'Statjon. Meantime the unusual scene 'attracted passers-by. The crowd swellted gradually until about five hundred people "must have -been gathered in the vicinity.! „ •Mr George Lambert, J .P.. held an emergency sitting of the Police Court at Mount Cook last night. Wong Lee land "Jim Young were charged with being' the occupiers of certain premises ..and' using the same as a. common .gamming house. On the application of Ser--geant Rutledge, the accused were remanded to appear at 10, a.m. at the Magistrate's Court to-day. Bail was allowed,the accused each, in one surety of , £IOO. Ah Ping, fruiterer, of Molesworth street; stood as bondsman. He counted out two hundred sovereigns ait short notice, and the accused Were released: The mem found on the premises .were also remanded'to appear to-dayj being released '."<aibail of" £5 each, whioh was forthcoming. The presiding Justice was ■" occupied from,B p.m. until 10 p.m. in carrying out his-unexpected, duties. ).