Raid on a Gambling Den.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6146, 19 August 1891, Page 4

Raid on a Gambling Den.

•"'. There ; was ia, Crowded attendance in tho Water Police Court, Sydney, last week, , when the men charged with being found in a 'Chinese gaftling-house in Georgestreet, where fan-tan and the lottery business were carried on, were brought before the magistrates and summarily dealt with. All Tum| who ,was found in the capacity of doorkeeper, was fined L2O and costs, jn default three months' imprisonment; and Ah Moy, croupier, and Lewey Ah Mow, doorkeeper, were similarly dealt with. Seven ofcher Chinese and forty Europeans, mostly young men, oharged with being found in a common gaming-house without legal excuse, were each fined 40s and costs. How the arrests were effected is thus explained by the Daily Telegraph :—lnspector Attewell, in charge of No. 4 division, has been contemplating a raid for some time ; but he was determined' to make a big swoop while ab ifc. Therefore he made up his mind thafc he woukl raid Ah Ping's shop or none. Ifc would have been quits a simple matter to raid a number of the smaller dens ab any timo and secure a few Chinese and European gamblers, but fchis would have had but little eftect, and gambling would have gone on as before. With Ah Ping's house, however, ifc was different. It was tho biggest gambling den, and, moreover, ifc was so guarded and barricaded thafc its impregnability was tho confidential boast of those connected with it. To successfully storm this establishment meant not only its suppression bufc the dealing of a heavy blow to all the other houses which thought themselves secure. To bring ' down the great Ah Ping meant to strike terror into all Chinatown, and Inspector Attewell, realising that, determined uot to waste his energies on smaller fry, bufc to lie low for an opportunity to swoop do^ n on the castle of Ah Ping. For months he has been planning and waiting his opportunity, and on Saturday night; he and aboufc twenty police, attired in plain clothes for the occasion, came down like wolves on the fold and carried oub tho ■well-matured plans with tho completesfc (success. In the fan-tan chamber on Saturday evening there sat Ah Yum, presiding over the " bank," while the never-smiling Ah Moy filled the croupier's chair, which is something like an auctioneer's rostrum on a small scale. Lewey Ah Moy, who wore an air of authority and a Chesterfield coafc, kept fche door, which was not only secured with four iron bolts, bufc was also additionally strengthened by stuufc wooden bars run across fche door aud held in slots in the posts. The back window of the room was fixed up, prison-like, with iron bars, and fcho back door was also well bolted and barred. Ifc may be realised from this that to efiect- an entry would bo no easy matter. The crowds assembled in the shop and fan-tan room were mixed. They were mainly of the laboring class, but here and there wero to be seen most respectable-looking young men, evidently of far better class tlian those surrounding them, and who, presumably, if they had the choice, would not care to let their relatives know their manner of spending their leisure. All those in the room were wedged round tho China-matted fan-tan table, gas jets blazed against the bare brick walls, and tho atmosphere was heavily laden with smoke and sickening odors. How anyone could remain half an hour in such a den without contracting disease is a mystery. Business was brisk both in the shop and in the fan-tan room. .The proprietor, who had been stalking round earlier in tho evening wearing " the white waistcoat of a blameless life," was understood to have left, and Messrs Ah Yum and Ah Moy v/ere seemingly in charge. The croupiers wore a heavy sword-shaped weapon of iron, bufc for whafc purpose unless to \ _actically resent an intrusion was not apparent. The chink-chink ef fche little brass coins went on unceasir^ly. A good deal of money was changing hands, and everyone was deeply interested in the game—parparfcicularly two " toughs" who were located near the banker and croupiers. Suddenly a change came over the scene. A noise was heard at the shop, the doorkeeper gabbled out an alarm, the players grabbed at their stakes, and the countenances of the banker and the coupier afc once took a hue of deeper yellow than usual, which further deepened when fche two " toughs" jusfc mentioned oach took hold of a pigtail and arrested in the name of Her Majesty, Ah Yum, banker, and Ah Moy, croupier. In the meantime the European and Chinese gamblers wero rushing aboufc iv order to escape, but they were caught like ' l'ats iri a trap. The raid was so carefully planned, thafc escape was almost an impossibility. The signal was given soon affcer nine by Inspector Attewell marching into the shop, where an effort was made to force him back. He was too well supported for thafc, however. He had men close behind, and these rushing in, armed ■with iron drills or crow-bars, soon smashed down fche heavily-barred door and the partition between the shop and the fan-tan den. It was necessary to do ' this with the utmost expedition in oi'der to reach the two constables inside, who had been fighting with the gamblers aucl, v had seized the banker and croupier, and whose position was not unattended with risk. Jusfc as tho inspector walked into the shop a man suddenly appeared in front with a ladder, which he quickly placed against; the verandah and afc once ascended. In a moment he had smashed tho upper portion of the first fioor front window (which was not barricaded, as attack was never dreamt of from that quarter), and unheeding the jaggered pieces of glass which remained in the frame, sprang through into the dark room. He did not know what he might have to meet there, and presumably did not cure. The police had a most exciting chase, and some sustained slight injuries. It was nob long, however, before they had all tlie gamblers under guard in the house, and then every available pair of handcuffs was brought iuto requisition. A very mixed crowd of some thousands had gathered in the vicinity of tho shop by this lime, and business at the other Chinese dtus had ceased as though by magic. The prisoners wero handcuffed in pairs, and were thus escorted through the howling, jeering mob to No. 4 station. The Chinese were steered by their pigtails. All along the street the Chinese were standing afc their doors. evidently fear-stricken by the determined character of the raid and the partial wrecking of the premises. At tho station the prisoners were formally charged. The majority were Europeans, and young. They were celled in big batches at first, and one or two well-dressed men, who looked like clerks, made earnest request to be given separate accommodation. To these requests fche reply was very properly made that they had not been ashamed of their companions when in the gambling dtn, aud the urgency for separating them in the.lock-up was consequently not apparent. The gambling accessories were removed from the den, and tho police wove left in charge of the dwelling, which was ransacked throughout. Tive crowd remained around for a long time, and much satisfaction was expressed by tlie European tradespeople in tho vicinity at the success of the raid. All day Sunday there were enquiries at the police stations in the northern cud of tho city as to whether Bill, Harry, or Jack So-and-so was under arrest/and thero was quite a procession of meals and comforts. The Chinese sent in cigarettes to tlieir imprisoned friends, and wanted to provide opium also, but this could nofc bo permitted. None of the prisoners wore released on bail.

Unscrupulous tradeis are endeavoring to substitute cheap liquor in place of Wolfe 'a gcboftpps.