A TOOTHACHE CURE.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 151035, 29 July 1919, Page 6

A TOOTHACHE CURE.

THE STORY OF. A CHINESE OPIUM SMUGGLES. (United Prkss Association.] Auckland, July 28. A young Chinaman *»Maed Ah Fook r who is a member of the crew of the ship Suplectela and had been caught coming off the ship on Friday with a suspicious looking vial concealed in his clothes, came before Mr Wilson, S.M., to-day, en a charge of having in tvs possession opium in a form suitable Jx>r smoking. *"No smoke cigarettes, no bmoke at all," declared the Celestial lad, who English fairly fluently. He explained further that the stuff that was 1 found on him was a mixture of treacle and sugar with a little opium in it which fee had bought in Shanghai and used as a toothache cure, and it was no good for opium-smoking. The Collector of Customs.stated that, in his opinion the stuff iv the littie j Jar found on An Fook was pure opium, j ibeing about two ounces. Wfuui tlie ship ] 'was searched after this youth had been caught with opium, tbere were found 150 small tubes of opium, making about & pound altogether of the drug. j A Customs watchman stated that the; ivial was found twisted up hi Ah Fook'si skirt inside the front of his trousers. The youth had been noticed to start \ down the gangway from the ship several \ times and to go Back vlion be ;,jiw Cus- \ toms men in uniform on tho wharf. \ Witness had served in the ISavy on the I China station, and had often seen these; itttle jars of opium at Ilonglccng. This' Kwie was sealed down with tho Govern-1 snent seal,.and.had not been opened till' it waa seized. Among" opium-smoking jwiraphernalia found later among the crew on the-ship y.Rre two other «acfa viate, both empty. The price cf a vial in China was about 6s, svhile in i&tickland a vendor could got 'up to £8 or £10 for it from opium smokers. ' ; Ah Fook still stuck I*>:his ioothache cure story, "but it was disbelieved, and ac was fined £10, and 17s 6a costs.