PAKAPOO AND FANTAN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 110, 10 May 1916, Page 6

PAKAPOO AND FANTAN.

STOPPED BY POLICE. CHINESE GAMBLERS RAIDED. I TWO DOZEN ARRESTS. MANAGER PINED £IOO. On Friday a completely successful raid was made by th e police on a Chinese gaming house, which had been locate 1 at No. 49, Grey Street, Auckland. Games of pakapoo and fantan, the two principal Chinese gambling games, were found, not exactly in full swing, but evidently in a state of surl den interruption, and no difficulty was found in arresting the couple of dozen Chinamen found on the premises. The men were taken to the police station ' in motor-cars, and the police then took ' change of a large quantity of••, money found on the tables, together with all the gambling apparatus. There was an unusual scene in the Police Court next morning, when the couple of dozen Chinamen, who were of all ages and various occuptions, were marshalled before Mr. F. F. Prater, S.M. Most of them clasped blue papers, and it was with the -help of these, and an interpreter, that they were eventually ranged in line according to the order of names on ' the charge sheet —a process which took fully ten minutes. Joe Gai, an elderly man, was charged that, being the oecupien of certain premises, he did open, keep, and use the same as a common gaming house, and further, that being an occupier of certain premises, he assisted in „ the management of a lottery, to wit, pakapoo. Ah Shong, Ah Mong, and Jim Fat were charged that they assisted in conducting the- business of a common gaming house; and all the rest that they were found in such common gaming house. All the accused pleaded guilty with the exception >of four of those in th e last category, and three who did not appear. A BIG BUSINESS.

Detective-Sergeant Hollis, who prosecuted, said that the police had lately become aware that gambling was being carried on by Chinese at No. 49, Grey Street, and a raid was organised under the direction cf Detectives De Noriville, Powell, and Cullen. assisted by \ body of uniformed police. Hehad been informed that two banks of nakapoo were' run every day, each for £250. so that the institution was an important affair. It had been kept very quiet, and apparently no Europeans had been admitted. A large sum in cash was found, and it was significant that Fong Sing had £sl upon him, and Ah Mong £29. The magistrate said that as the place had been run on a big scale the penal 1 - tv must be heavy. Gai was be convicted and fined £IOO on tUB more important charge, with no fine for the other; Ah Shong, Ah Mong, and Jim Fat would be fined £lO each; and Sing Fong, another man who was strongly suspected of being connected with the management, £5. Two Chinese who were able to give some excuse for boing en the premises were convicted and discharged, all the rest being fined £2 apiece. The question of the confiscation of the money found was deferred.