THE OPIUM RAID

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 73, 28 March 1933, Page 9

THE OPIUM RAID

FIVE CHINESE CHARGED

VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS

Five of the ten Chinese arrested by the police on Thursday night in consequence of an opium ■ raid on premises a' 142 Tory Street arid 4 Haining Street appeared again at tho Magistrate's Court today before- Mr. E. Page, S.M., and pleaded not guilty to charges of being found unlawfully on premises used for the purpose of smoking opium. The accused were Ah'Hum, Wong Men, Joe Young, ~Ah Sing, and Charlie Young. Ah Hum was also charged with being in possession of prepared opium.

The first two cases dealt with were those against Wong Men and Joe Young, who wore charged with being found unlawfully in the house at 142 T,ory Street. Wong Men was represented by Mr. J. Meltzer, and Joe Young by Mr. R. Hardie Boys.

Senior-Sergeant Scott said .that when the police forced an entranco into the Tory Street house they found no one about. A heavily-barricaded window facing a verandah connecting with other houses in Tory Street was open. The Senior-Sergeant said that he went through this window and along the- verandah. He then entered the window of premises at 140 Tory' Street, and went downstairs, where he saw a number of Chinese playing inah jongg.* Constable Clark pointed out . the two acbused as two of the men he had seen leaving the premises at .142 Tory Street. ".■■■_ ESCAPE; THROUGH WINDOW. . Constable Clark, who was one of those guarding the exits from the house at 142 Tory Street at tho time of the raid, said that about ten minutes after tho raid commenced five Chinese came out of the window on the first floor and ran along the verandah and entered . the' window of a Chinese restaurant at 140 Tory Street. Witness shono his torch on them, and after' a ladder _ had been obtained followed them into the premises. He recognised the two accused as members of the party that" had come out of the window. '".,.' ■~;■-. DEFENCE NOT CALLED ON. The defence was not called upon. Mr. Page said that the opportunity of positive identification was at its best very fleeting. He did not say affix'niatiyely that the constable was "mistaken but he did not think it was adequate evidence to establish with reasonable certainty that the two accused were amongst tho men who had left tho -house at 142 Tory Street. ; " ■ Mr. Hardie Boys sai'd that tlie charge was one of considerable importance to his client, Joe Young. It was only fair to say that the evidence that would have been called on his behalf would have showed that he- was not a smoker of opium. Ho was present at the Chines© restaurant at 140 Tory Street when the raid took place, for the purpose of having a meal. . HAINING- STREET RAID. Giving evidence in tho cases against the other three-; accused, Sorg'eant Black said that when the police entered the house at 4 Haining Street they found Ah Hum, and Charlie Young standing in the scullery. In tho hand of Ah Hum he found, a tin which oontained prepared opium in the form of pellets. Later the poliee forced a trap-door at the top of the stairs. The- first floor, was filled with the fumes of burning opium, and several opium, lamps were alight. Witness took the names of seven. Chinese including Ah Sing. Mr. Meltzer ,said; that Ah. Hum and Charlie Young admitted being on the, premises. Their, explanation was that they were both old men, who were destitute, and were given food and shelter on the premises. The explanation of Ah Sing was that ho was there to meet a friend.

After hearing Ah Sing's evidence, Mr. Page said that the onus was on the accused to show that he was lawfully on the premises. The explanation that he had gone there to meet a friend was not sufficient and he would have to be convicted. The accused did not appear to have been in trouble before, and the minimum fine of £12 10s would be. inflicted.

. The cases against *Ah Hum and Charlie Young were adjourned until Friday to enable Mr. Meltz'er to- obtain evidence as vto whether the pellets found in the box' in Ah Hum's hand consisted of opium prepared for smoking.