RAID ON CHINESE,

POLICE COURT PROCEEDINGS, CHARGES OF GAMING. A table on trestles, covered wibh a grey blanket, a number of dominoes, I a tin foox, two dice and an enamel mug were produced as exhibits in the Police Court this morning, when, following on fche recent raid on premises occupied by Chinese at 40, Hobson Street, Wong Doo (50), and Wong Sun were charged with being the keepers of a common gaming house, Ah Heong (46) and Lee Ohew (45), with having assisted in the keeping of same, and charges of having been found in a common gaming house were preferred against Loo Au (25), Hung (32), Ah Soo (2S), Wun (22),Ah Wah (57), Shi (30), Wing Kong (18), Wong Shium (24), Jimmy Gee (20), Chen Jong (30),Ah Hong (22),Ah So (21), Wong Yee (42), Mong (20),Ah Kit (55), Wong Fong (24), Ohan Fun (29), Wong Chung (23). All the Chinese concerned were  present in Court. Chief-Detective Mcllveney prosecuted, and Messrs. L. Lean- and R. P. Towle appeared for the accused. The charge agaist Wong Doo was proceeded with first. The Chief-Detective said that it would i he shown Wong Doo, Wong Yee, and Wong Sun had entered into an agreement for the purchase of the premises situate at 40, Hobson Street, in December last. On the ground floor of these i premises, which the police had keptj' under observation, there was a fairly i large room facing Hobson Street, whidh on the night of July 1C was occupied by seven or eight Chinese, who were apparently attending a prayer meeting.' i conducted hv Shack Horn. At the rear I

of the kitchen was a smaller room containing two tables. Therp were two or three windows in the room, the lower portions of which were composed of stained glass, and the upper panes appeared to have been whitewashed at one time. On bhe second storey was a room fronting Hobson Street, behind which were several bedrooms. The owners of the premises, so far as could be gathered, did not slleep there. The evidence would show that the premises were generally conducted by Chow, -who described himself as a cook. These premises were kept under observation by Detective Meiklejohn and Constable Doel. At 5.15 p.m. on July 16, he (tne Chief Detective) and other police raided the premises by virtue of a eearc-h warrant. Gaming was going on in the room on. the ground floor and also in the room on the second floor. The game of "Haing Grow" was being played downstairs and "Ma Chuck" wag being played upstairs.

The Chief Detective then -went on to describe the game of Haing Govt. This, he said, was played with 32 dominoes and t/wo squares of dice. It was played fov six men, one of whom was the banker. The two equares of dice were thrown to determine who would be hanker. Tttie banker changed if lie was beaten by one player. The 321 dominoes were then shuffled and placed in stacks of' five —two being left face upwards. Amongst the dominoes were two, the counting of Tv-nich could be changed -one with two white spots and a red one could be counted either ag 3 or 6. The other had four red spots and two white and couild be counted either as 6 or 3. One square of dice was then tossed by the banker to discover which player would receive a particular stack of the placed dominoes, and the remaining lots were then counted out to other players. Before the square of dice was tossed the players placed the other stacks on the table. Then the I money was paid 'by the banker to the winner. Anyone could bet on the players' chance against the (banker. In the room was an agent who watched the game and received a percentage from the winner—ten per cent, he believed it was in this game. When the money was set and the dominoes stacked, the banker tossed the dice. The dominoes were handed out. each player receiving five. They then set to work with three dominoes to make up either 10, 20, or 30 in numbers. The number arrived at determined whether or not the player would be a winner or loser. He could have a hand of 10—not over that. If the banker had fewer i numbers than all the other players he had to pay out, and if he had to pay out to anyone he lost the bank. If the players had fewer numbers than the banker, they would have to pay out to the banker. Tie game could be played for pounds, shillings or pence. The implements shown to the couTt were seized on the night of the raid.

James Graham, solicitor for the yen dor of the premises to the Chinese pur chasers, said Wong Doo had told him the police raided the place, but said he was not afraid. Wong said to witness, '"Don't you play cards at your house? Europeans play cards for money: we play with dominoes." Detective Meiklejohn gave lengthy evidence regarding his observations of 49, Hobson Street, where he had several times seen Haing Gow being played. In answer to the Chief Detective, witness said Haing Gow was a game of chance. Mr. Leary: I object to that statement iis evidence. I am most emphatically gointr to prove that it is a game of skill. Detective Meiklejohn said tnat Chinese had been hitherto convicted in the court for playing this opaine. .Mr. Poynton: The demonstration given by the police seems to mc to prove it ;i game of chance. (Thy detective had manipulated the dominoes to show tin' Bench how the same was played). Mr. That was a Gilbertian demonstration. 1 have text hooks tv prove that it is a game of skill. Mr Leary then proceeded to that die ga'mo was one of skill.I duped a text hook on "Ma Chuck," writen by a judge of the Supreme Court »t" Hong' Kong, in which it ivas -tated tiiatj vas rapidly becoming the tniiK'«'| I national game of cards, played by old j and j-oung, rich and poor, men and wo- men." This judge had written with tin-1 Idea of popularising the jrame. which played in the European duos and in tiio ward rooms of var«hips, under the namu j of sparrow. The best player he knew. said the judge, was a boy of years,  Mr.cary proceeded to finder and :ir- i range the characters of "Ma Chuck." It will prolmblv take mn Lwo riuy- t.i teach your Worship tlie game."' be "it took me that long to leurn it—but will proceed to do if you allow Mr. Towle contended ttiat flic pre- j mises at Hobson Street were u>ed as a Chinese club, and that tile game* played were of skill. The Court then considered further demontrations of Ham.How and Mah Chuck. Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 177, 28 July 1922, Page 5