IN AN OPIUM DEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1920, Page 7

IN AN OPIUM DEN.

GIRL'S STRANGE STORY. Sydney, Nov. It). Away from the beaten track, down behind Oxford Street, lies a closelypacked locality, holding many streets. There, in a drab looking Chinese opium den lived, for ten days a young white & irl, Gladys Maxwell. She had been missing from her home for that time, and was discovered under somewhat startling circumstances. The story the girl, who is not yet sixteen years of age, told the police has convinced them that they have stepped in on something which suggests the white slave traffic. Gladys Maxwell says that she had been working as a domestic servant, but that her grandmother, to whom she gave her earnings, did not spend enough money on her clothes. "I wanted better clothes," she said, "so I left my granny," She encountered a woman in tho street who offered to take care of her, and handed her over to/ another woman, who took her to a place which proved to be an opium den. The womm bought her expensive clothing and boots. Well dressed Chinese were always coming to the house, and when they were going away they would leave two shillings on a tray for the opium they had smoked. Tho girl having been reported missing from her home, the police instituted inquiries, found the girl and a companion in the atrect, and were taken by the girl to the place where she was housed. A posse of police were told off to raid the premises. When the girl rang the bell the door was opened, and the police rushed in. Anion,; other things the police found an opium smoking outfit, fresh from use, of most elaborate design. Usually those outfits are very rough and ready, but in this case things were on a much more, luxurious scale. Tho lamp was beautifully shaded, the pipe was of superior workmanship, and everything was there to fid the smoker's pleasure. Ah Poy, the Chinese, was arrested, and the girl was taken to Ormonde House. Ah Poy was taken before the Court and charged with having smoked opium and having opium in his possession. He was remanded to have his fin-ger-prints taken. The girl has since been transferred to Hillside, adjoining Ormonde House. She says the police can take her anywhere they wish.. She will work, and would like to work on a farm.