GEE ENTERTAINS

NZ Truth, Issue 1108, 24 February 1927, Page 1

GEE ENTERTAINS

Young Married Women InOpiumDen

(From "N;Z. Truth's" Wanganui Rep.) "Chinaman Willie Gee and his brother, Jackie Gee, run a small laundry m Guyton Street, Wanganui,- and -during intervals between washing and ironing the "colla" they are m the habit of entertaining white^; women. THIS came to Che ears of Detectives 1 Jack Walsh and Leo Revell, so on a recent Sunday evening they thought they would give more than passing attention, to the premises. :; Willie i was the only Oriental at home, biit he failed to respond to Leo's lady-like knock at the back door. The detectives obtained a ladder and Leo nimbly climbed to a back window, while Jack kept both eyes wide open m case .Willie might make up his mind to beat a hasty retreat. * Lied, In the dark, thought the window led on to the upstairs portion of the building, so he stepped through as if the room were floored. The sleuth, however, stepped only into space and came down on the floor of the kitchen below with ( a tremendous thud, carrying clothes-lines, etc., along , with him. . While-ttie detective's back was turned Willie did his best to hide a quantity of opium which had been standing near a lamp. The sleuths made him— amidst, many protests and . "whaffors"— turn out the contents of his pockets, m which they found more opium. Willie tellum detectives "him ho ' smokee; old man leavum." The bright eyes of the raiders next alighted on some ladies' underclothes which were .>•■' about the room, as well as: shoes; ' Here again *Willie?pleaded ignorancewhefe . questioned, and ... said: "Jackie> him; might rkndw."' \ After a:prolohgred peViod of waiting, during \yhich Willie was growing more and more uneasy, the owners, of the ladies' apparel arrived— namely, Gladys Smith, aged 21, and Lilly Ryan, 24, both married women. • . Willie duly appeared before Magistrate Barton for having opium m his possession m a form suitable for smoking and was fined £30. When it came to dealing with the ladies, Detective Walsh told the Court that Lilly Ryan was leading a precarious sort of life. Gladys was more or less under her influence and the latter's hus-' band was supposed to be away m some' other part of the country, trying to make a home for her. Both were exceptionally well attired and no doubt bought the glad rags at the expense of Willie, to whom they paid frequent visits. The magistrate' sent Ryan into retirement for a period of one month. Gladys was admitted, to protation.