YONG HEE'S SILENCE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1449, 25 May 1912, Page 4

YONG HEE'S SILENCE.

PASSAGE IN A COURT CASE. (By Tclezraph.—Special Corresponfloct.) Auckland, May 23. All romance has not yet fled from those practical southern islands. Evidently a character from the pages of a boy's adventure bouk is stalking the streets of Auckland—a real, live pirate wrapped in all the picturesque mystery of the wicked past. This ivas the news suggested to the imbituos of the Police Court yesterday afternoon by Sub-Inspector Hcndrey, per medium of his cross-examination of Yoag llee, oue of the principals concerned in tho keeping of the Chinese gambling house which was raided by the police a coupls of Sundays ago. "Do you know a Chinaman in Auckland who is commonly called 'The Pirate? , " queried the Sub-Inspector of the pokerfaced Chinese witness. The inscrutable one knew, of no eueh. person. "What! Don't you know, the pirate who was oo bad that he had to leave China, and come to Auckland?" persisted the I Sub-Inspector. Tho Chinese did not understand. "But surely there is no such romantio person in Auckland F" interposed Mr. A, E. Sltelton (counsel for tho defence), in-, credulously. "Oil, yes," replied Mr. Hondrey, "The Pirate , is known to every Chinaman in tho city." Turning again to Tonjr H*e, .who spoke English fairly well, find admitted' that he had joined the Y.SI.C.A. about three weeks ago, the Sub-Inspector endeavoured to adjust his language to the thought processes of the Bi-lingual Celestial. ■"You know what a pirate is—a man goius t about with a small ship robbing people P' Even this graphic description failed .to conjure up for Yong Hc-e a mental meturo that would fit any ferocious figure from tho China Smb. Thou tho cross-examiner tneq another direction, pointing to some Chinaman who liad alleged to have acted fer witness in the capacity of agent for pak-a-poo tickets, (ind coupling him with the personality of "The Pirate," but it was to no purpose. Yong Hoc knew no pirate-pak-a-poo agent, no gambling house, nothing of fnntnh, or pak-a-poo, or dominoes, only a "bonrrtanouse." which he had kept in TVnlwfiold Street till March 1, when he sub-loused it to Ting JTinp. This was the "boaniahouso" in which the raiders found the Chinese gambling, and their connection with it cost Yong Hee. and Ting Wins a fine of £25 apiece. Still it was disappoint ins that "The Vimte" escaped the. Rub-Inspector and Yong Heo'e acquaint-' ance just when everybody was getting in-' terested in him.