FAN – TAN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7180, 3 June 1891, Page 3

FAN - TAN.

r ' At the Christchurch E.M. Court this morning, before E. Beetham, Esq., E.M., \ Ching Sing was charged, on the infor- ', mation of Ah Quong, that, being the keeper of a Chinese boarding-house in Tuam street, he did unlawfully allow a ' Chinese game known as fan-tan to be played therein on May 10. Mr Joynt defended the accused. James Yee Yin was sworn as interpreter, and, at Mr Joynt's suggestion, Jem Lee Goon was present to check his translating. Ah Quong : Laid the information. Was at Ching Sing's house a fortnight ago, but could not tell the day. Fan-tan was going on, and Ching Sing was the banker. They were playing for money. The Bame day he went to the police station and complained. The last time he saw them play was on May 9, and he went to the police station that day and complained about the case. He signed the information next day. To Mr Joynt : Besides Ching Sing there were Ah Mun, Ah Gong and Too Fee.Witness was fined in May, 1890 for playing fan-tan. It was on a Saturday that the gambling took place. . Detective O'Connor asked that the information be amended to read Saturday, May 9. Mr Joynt objected to the alteration, his client having been brought there twice. The Court would grant an adjournment if Mr Joynt wished, but the difficulty of . fixing dates amongsb the Chinese must be taken into consideration. Mr Joynt thought that the informant should at least be ordered to pay the costs, !as his client had brought a number of witnesses there to disprove a charge of fantan playing on one date, and then the informant found he had made a mistake in the dates, and rendered an adjournment and a new defence necessary. The Bench ordered the accused to pay 2s 6d costs to each witness, and .£1 Is solicitor's fee, and adjourned the case sine die.