MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 154, 25 March 1919, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

HAINING STREET RAID,

A SUNDAY NIGHT SURPRISE

' As tho result of a police raid rha.de on a Chinese gambling den in Ilnining Street on Sunday night the finances of the country should benefit to the extent of 10s., fines totalling that amount having been imposed, by Mr. F.. V. Fraser, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Gong Kwong, of 10 Haining Street, was charged with having been tho occupier of premises used as a common gaining house, and thirty-seven other Celestials ■■ were accused of having been found on / the premises. Kwong and twenty-four of tho other defendants pleaded guilty. ' It appeared that a visit was paid to the house at 9.30 on Sunday night, by Senior-Sorgeant Crean, Sergeants Woodley, M'Xean, and Butler, and four constables. A number of the defendants' were taking part in the game of "fan tan," and there was a good deal of money on the table. They were all es- , corted to the Mount Cook Police Station, ■ where Kwong was liberated, on bail in | : the sum of ,£SO, the others being released in ,i bond of .£5 each. ' Acting-Sub-Inspector Emereon aaid the gambling had been going on for somo little time. • His Worship said that most gambling places were run every night in the week, but the premises.kept by Kwong seemed , to have had its operations confined to Wednesdays and Sundays. From the number of men found on the premises it ' must have beer, a pretty healthy 6ort of school," said Mr. Frazer. ... • Kwong was fined £W, with costs .£1 te. The twenty-four defendants who pleaded guilty to' being found on the premises were each fined £% with 6s. costs. In respect to the remaining thirteen defendants it was stated that one of • them was eighty years of ago, and an-, other seventy-nine. The whole of these men were accustomed to go to. the house, for meals, and to meet their friends. They did not take part in, the games which were played. The meals were put on free of charge. . „ "It is'a sort of free counter-lunch, ' ' remarked Mr. Frazer. , ! "It is rather a good one irorn tne ; Chinese point of view/' declared heniorSergeant Crean'. •' '~:... The informations against the' thirteen nlher Chinamen who were fonnd on the premise's were dismissed. , A FREQUENT OFFENDER. " 'Some amusement "was, caused when' Lilian Jukes, -an' old offender, was brought up on a' charge of drunkenness, and a further charge of having broken the conditions of her prohibition order* • 4s on numerous previous occasions, Jukes made a long, rambling, unintelligible statement fr.an the box, which Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., listened to in patience. . • . . _ "Look here, Lilian," said His Worship, smiling, ''it is very kind of yon to come and'see me . so. often, nut A wish yon would give someone else a chance." .■'''.,'..'.. „ • "Indeed. I don't want to come, haughtily' replied Jukee, amidst loud laughter. . '"» •„;,'. "Well, I told,you to get put of Mount Cook." remarked Mr.'Frazer. Defendant then entered upon, a tirade against the Mount Cook police; alleging that they would not "leave her alone. "They go to any place where I stay, ' she 1 said, "and say, 'If you don t; get Lilian Jukes out of your house you will ' go to prison.'. lam put of the liouse I was in. I had a room to go to/ _' Mr. Frazer: Is it in the Mount Cook district? :...'. ; . ' ■" ' Jukes: No, sir, it. is not, thank heavens! (Laughter.), There are a few decent men in Mount Cook, but as for the ■ others I would' like to do something -to them. (Morejaughter.) , Mr. Frazer: Well, I would give them a wide berth if I were you. You will be convicted and discharged for drunkenness, and fined =C 2, with costs lfls.,_ in default seven days' imprisonment, for ' the breach of the order., r Jukes: Thank you very much! (LaugnteK) . .

THEFT OF "POTATOES. • A plea of guilty was. .catered by, Charles. William Price to a • charge■: of: ; . having stolen a bag of potatoes, valued at 55., the property of Wong Wah. .' ;'• It appeared that-at ten minutes past !) on Wednesday night, Price was seen taking a bag of potatoes from Wong Wah's shop,in Molesworth Street. He draped the bag along the footpath until he neared his own house in- Little Hawkestone Street. Constable Dudding was informed of the matter, and he followed the man up. The potatoes were left in a shady part of 'he street, and the constable and, Sergeant M'Holm remained on watch. About 10.55 p.m. accused ■ emerged from his own house, looked • -about him to see thnt.no one-was about, and then took tho potatoes iraide. The two police officers followed him in, and charged him with the theft, whereupon Price said that he had taken the potatoes into his own house for safety s sake. Mr. H. F. O'Leary asked that accused lie dealt with leniently, as the condition he was in at the time was responsible for his committinß the theft. His wife had told counsel that accused was silly lis' Worship admitted defendant to twelve months' probation on condition '. that he did not touch nor taste liquor, during that period. ..... .' - • His-Worship remarked to Price: If you have to go up Little Hawkestohe Street, I. would advise you not to go up on the Shamrock side, but on Anderson's side." ■

, ' * OTpit CASES. .■■ , Minnie Neilson ■ was fined 10s. , for drunkenness, in default forty-eight hours' detention. . Walter Gkorge Rush, .who was arrested on a charge of drunkenness ■on Saturday, was remanded for a week for. medical treatment. A similar remand was made in tho case of Donald M'Donald,. who was olso charged with insobriety. Joseph Calixtus) Devlin was. ordered to pay ,£2 towards the support of his wife and children. An application made by his wife for separation and guardianship of the children was granted. For the disobedience of a maintenance order, the-arrears of which amounted to .£39, Thomas Francis Bnstin was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, the warrant to-be suspended so .long as the order is complied with, and ss. per week is paid off the arrears. Angus. M'Gill, in whose case the arrears amounted to .£24 10s., wae'ordered to be imprisoned ifor one month for 'u similar offence', the warrant to be suspended so long as 10s. is paid off the arrears and the original order is complied with. • ■ ..'

Mary Smart was granted separation from-her husband, George Charles Smart, .who was ordered to pay 575. Gd.per week maintenance, together with JB7 10s. past maintenance. Plaintiff was granted custody of the children.

Nellie Badger was granted a, separation from her husband, * Charles Badger, who was ordered to pay 30.5. per week maintenance, together with iilO past maintenance at the rate of ss. per week. Joseph Arnold Moran was ordered to pay 103. weekly towards the support of , Grace Moran.