AN OPIUM RAID.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 April 1910, Page 8

AN OPIUM RAID.

its sequel. conviction and fine. i The sequel to the raid which was conducted by Sergeant Rutledge, of the Mount Cook Police Station, on an alleged Chinese opium den.in Hairing Street on AVednesday evening last, was the appearance in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning of Chin Ah Leong, who was charged with: — (1) Having unlawfully smoked opium. (2) Having been unlawfully iu possession of opium suitable for smoking.. Mr. C. S. Nixon, Collector of Customs, conducted the prosecution, while accused was defended by Mr. Fitzgibbon. Sergeant Rutledge : was' the principal witness. In the course of his evidence, he described how he and Constable M'Kelvie advanced in skirmishing order upon their objective, the private residence of Chin Ah vLeong. They deployed, as it were, in ..Frederick Street, and after negotiating three fences, the last a high galyanised-iron structure. with a l , serrated top,. found themselves at-the' back door of accused's house.' It was a pitch black night, and they waited in silence-for some time, until someone should chance to open the- door. Presently a.Chinaman emerged. ' He was promptly-seized, and the invaders rapidly proceeded to one. of the bedrooms, where, huddled up beside an array of interesting articles, which constituted an opiumsmoker's paraphernalia, they' discovered Chin Ah Leong. 'The solitary, window of the apartment was closely ■ shuttered, and the room stank with the unmistakable reek of the opium pipe. Chin Ah Leong sprang to his feet, and was observed by tla> witness, who eyed him' narrowly, to shuffle curiously about the room, and finally take his feet out of his slippers. In one of these, the. searchers found what they were looking for—'a small tin bottle of the black viscid' fluid, in which form opium is prepared for the smoker. The various articles (exhibited in court) were seized.

' Mr. Nixoiv explained, the :uses of the various articles, which included an opium pipe, . four curiously-shaped brass-bowls, painted red, a long needleshaped .instrument, a- ;tin .of. ; dried opium, and tho 'bottlei of, fluid already referred to. The'modus operandi;'.-said Mr. Nixon, was as., . follows-:—The smoker inserted the needle-shaped instrument into the bottle of fluid, and gathered upon the point a. few drops of the liquid. This he held over a flame until the desired expansion had been obtained, when the needle was then inserted into the bowl of the pipe. The smoker then held the bowl over the flame, and inhaled the smoke through tJie\ thick stem' of the pipe, exhaling: through the nostrils. Three or four puffs constituted a "pipe," and then—the Elysian fields, ' concluded Mr. Nixon. , „■' ■

Mr.' Fitzgibbbn,-, for , the.■ ;• accused, agreed.-that his: client must be convicted on the first charge, but submitted'that, under the -Act, .'he, couldVnbt be' held guilty of having imparted the drug.'' " His Worship (Mr. W, R. Haselden, S.M.), replied.tb,at Chin Ah Leong was not so'charged. It was alleged that he was found in "possession of opium suitable for smoking;." The accused would be .convicted on each charge.. On the first he was fined £5, with the option of one monthV imprisonment, on the second : charge he was fined £10, with the option of two months' imprisonment. .