THE PROHIBITED PIPE.

NZ Truth, Issue 183, 19 December 1908, Page 5

THE PROHIBITED PIPE.

PIGTAILS AND THEIR PLEASURE. j Raid on Dunedin Dens. A Dealer m Opium Dealt With. "Seek and ye. shall find," says the Scripture, Josh Billings, or some other high and erudite literary authority. This advice may, or may not, be the straight wire, but this scribe knows, from sorrowiul experience, that he has often gone a seeking without finding what he sought —especially on the course when trying to find winners. But three cops who went out on a raid m Dunedin on a Saturday night were doubly blessed by fickle fortune. They riot only found what they sought, but they also discovered something they hadn't expected— a delightful little surprise packet The traps, cops Rasmussen, Kean and McCowan, set out on the Saturday uiyhfc to raid the residence of Louie Wah, who runs a Ohow restaurant m Walter-street (significant name ; Wah's monicker will probably be Walker, after the Johns have finished with him). It was suspected that Louie, who is not a sheroale by tlje way, was running a sly groggery, and it was to acquire incriminating evidence of this illicit traffic that the traps descended like wolves on the fold of Louie Wah. The raiders found the loot they coveted ; a demijohn of beer and two. bottles of 'the same sweet but sinful liquid, which will form the frasjs oj a 1 charge of sly grogselling. Alsb, and quite unexpectedly, they happened on .another "case," one Ah Toy (oh, wlbat joy), "who was conjuring up ,'■■'. DREAMS OF S.OOTHING CELESTIAL PARADISE, per 'medium of the prohibited opium pipe. Ah Toy was, ther t re, presented at Court on Monday and charged with having bej:n found m possession of opium m a form suitable for smoking ; further, with having unlawfully smoked opium, Ah Toy was defended by Mr Hanlon, and pleaded not guilty. Mr Sibbald, Collector of Customs, pro* secuted, and m opening, remarked that it wag some years jnow since the Legisla-* ture had raised the maximum fine from £100 to £500 for introducing opium utto this country, but that had, not seem-, ed to have the . desired effeot. It was decided by the prosecution to proceed first with, the charge of having ten found smoking opium. Copper Kean told how, at 10.40 pn Saturday ni; h% and m company with 1 tr^aps Rasmussen a> d McCowan, all wea*> ih£ plain clothes, he searched the suspected premises of Louie Wah, In an upstairs room they found Ah/ Toy. He was stretched out on a bed smoking an ppium pipe over a lighted lamp, and liiS' yellow features wore that seraphic, faraway look of ethereal ecstasy that indulceuce m the poppied piece- of pipe is said to I ring. Cop. McCowan spoke a little piece m ' corroboratipn. > . Then Chief "Tec. Paddy Herbert called as an- exp rt witness to explain to the unen ierhtened .Court how the shameful sin of opium smoian'z" was committal. Pa'dy, with the aid of the odorous paraphernalia looted irom Louie Wah's was showing m detail how the act' was cr-mmtted, when Hanlon cut m, with a sniff of scorn, "Ch, we all know all about that." This was the preliminary to a little passage of arms between the Chief and the lawyer, WHICH QUITE ENTERTAINED THE COURT. A breezy argument felowed as to whelihjr certain opium produced was "coofc ed" or "uncooked,' ' and at length Hanlon burst out impetuously, "Oh, you can't teach me anything about this question." Paddy : i don't know about that ; I was studying this before you were born,--very probably. Mr Hanlon : Oh, you've been a long while at sea, I know. Paddy : I've had thiity-five years' experience of this opium smo! ing. , The Magistrate made a jocose remark to which Paudy replied.: "Ph, I've reformed now." Mr Hanlon : There was plenty of room' for reformation. But it was a good humored remark,* without any gall m it. Ah Toy was about to be sworn when tihe Court Orderly (having regard to'the form of oath tp be administered) enquired, "Is accused a Christian?' 1 Mr Hanlon : I haven't the- faintest idea, but I've no doubt he'll tell as much of the truth if he's not as he would if, he were, That's my experience of Christians. - " '/*■ Ah Toy proved to-be a picturesque P»;gah, and was sworn by blowing out the acoustprnqd wax matcjj, Also he spoke through a bland and henign interpreter, whose.fa.tt, fluent smile seemed to be frollicking m every corner of the court at once. Ah Toy said he was a marked gardener, at Kajkprai and lived m the garden, (didn't say whether he knew Eve or her old man). He called into Louie Wall's place to meet a mate, or .whatever is THE CHINESE EQUIVALENT FOR :A COBBER. Said pal's name was Gee Lung (Mr Hanlon \ Ah, Mr Geelong). Said Gee hadn't arrived,' so Ah Toy lay down and rested his weary Mongolian > bones. But he swore lie never . touched the sinful, prohibited pipe. l .His Beak wasn't convinced of all this yellow innocence and fined Ah Toy 40s and costs. As to tue otaer charge, however, Mr Widdowson pointed out ;that the' parei\henalia and opium seized belonged to Louie Wali, and it seemed little useproceeding with that charge against Ah Toy. : The second charge— that of having been found m possession of opium m a form suitable for smoking— was accordingly withdrawn? . ' '• • >■ ' MORE OPIUM. Another case m which the guileless Chow was charged (with trafficking m the poppied pleasure that spells Paradise: for the misguided Mongolian was that which introduced Ching Sang to the Magistrate.. Accused, for whom Mr 1 Hanlon appeared, pleaded guilty to havr ing hid mMs possession opium m a form suitable for smoking. According to the little bit pf poetry that Chief Tec. Herbert spake unto the Bench, Sleuths MeT cod and Li.ly called on Sang at his place m Walker-street on December 10. They walked right up without waiting to send m their cards, and as a. result happened on a quantity of 'opium, scales and trays m a room, and four tins of the prohibited pleasure m a cellar. It was obvious from the men found m the room and the pile of opium seized that Ohing Sang * WAS A DEALER IN. OPIUM. Questioned by ..the 'tecs. Ching said he •'bought the opium from a white man." Mr Hanlon said accused had come from .Oamaru, and -was being treated for a Itad foot; The. opium was offered to him for sale md he bad unfortunately accepted tne offer. Counsel asked the Bench to take into consid ration the fact that opium valued at £15 had 'oeen con--fiscated.. The Magistrate: The large quantity found fliows that accused has been dealing m opium and a substantial penalty must be imposed. Accused is fined £50 and costs.