"THE WILY CHINEE."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17689, 29 July 1919, Page 5

"THE WILY CHINEE."

— : «»- ANLY "A TOOTHACHE CUBE." FINED FOR POSSESSING OPIUM. (Psji United Pebss Association.) AUCKLAND. July 28. A young Chinaman named Ah Fook who is a member of the crew of the ship Lupleotola and had been caught coming off the ship on Friday with a suspiciousooking vial concealed in his clothes, came before Mr Wilson, S.M., to-day on a charge of having in his possession opium in form suitable for smoking. "No smokee cigarettes; no smokee at all," declared tho Celestial, who spoke English fairly well. Ho explained further that tho stun that was found on him was a mixture of t-eaclo and sugar, with a little opium in it, which he had bought in Shanghai and used as a toothache cure, and it was no good for opium smoking. The Collector of Customs stated that in his opinion the stuff in the little jar found on Ah Fook was pure opium, being about 2oz in weight. When the ship was searched after this youth had been caught with opium, there were 150 small tubes of opium, making about a pound altogether of the drug, found in it. A Customs watchman stated that tho vial was found twisted up in Ah Fook's shirt, inside the front of his trousers. The youth had been noticed to start down the gangway from the ship several times, and to go back when ho saw Customs men in uniform on the wharf. Witness had served in tho navy on the China s&tion. and had often seen these little jars of' opium at Hongkong. This one was sealed down with the Government seal, and had not been opened till it was seized. Among the opium smoking paraphernalia found later among the Chinese crew on the ship were two other such vials, both empty. The price of a vial in China, was about 6s, while in Auckland the vendor could get up to £8 or even £10 for it from opium smokers. Ah Fook still stuck to hi| toothache cure storv, but was disbelieved, and was fined £10 and 17s 6d costs.