The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-01-25
FEAR NOT
POLICE.
Opium lends Can
Smoke at
Will.
NATIVES ARE FAST
BECOMING SLAVES
Many Believe That the Drug Will
Prevent the Spread Of
LeproSy.

THERE Is JOY depicted on the count
cnancc of many OF the Chinese in
Il habitants of Honolulu. No more
will the slaves OF the opium habit
be compelled to indulge In their favor
lite vice in secret. Deputy Sheriff Chill
lingworth no longer inspires fear in the
hearts OF the Joint keepers" and all
on account of the recent decision OF the
Circuit Court.
For six months past the police OF
this city have been lighting the Chi
nese, and even the natives, In their use
OF the deadly drug, and not without
success. for an average of at least FIVE
cases Were heard each week and rarely
did any one charged with having OPT
um in possession" escape conviction.
Conviction cost each culprit $50, and
the police treasury was increased by
the sum of nearly $1,000 per month:
$4,000 year went n long way towards
the maintenance of the police depart
ment, but now iris Is n thing of the
past and Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth's
friends will wait in vain for coniscat-
ed opium outfits. while the citizens of
Honolulu will be called upon to make
up this loss to the police treasury.
There is no law by which a man or
ter, can be made amenable to the
courts for smoking or eating opium,
and now that the only charge which
could be preferred has been removed,
the police are rendered powerless
The evil which viii exlst is f1rther
reaching than itNat first sight appears.
Chinese are known the world over as
opium smokers; white people often ac-
ouire the habit end to many OF the
natives OF these Islands 1t il fast be-
coming a necessity.
Laborlng under the impression that
the use OF the drug will prevent lep-
rosy, they fall willing victims to its
use. Before the recent action OF the
court every one was compelled to re-
sort to the vile dens maintained BY tbs
Chinese in order to satisfy their eray-
ing and the fear of detection kept many
person from becoming an opium
slave; but now that they are enabled
to sit quietly in their own homes and
smoke with impunity, the numbers ad-
dcted to it's use will be terribly In
creased. fA.S
On visit to one OF the most notorf-
GUS dens i'm this city yesterday, tie
many devices that the willy Monaghan
has resorted to in times past to carry
on his trade in opium were exposed ana
II Is little wonder that TIE police have
had their hands full and that the dive
keeper now sits on the lanai and rubs
his hands In glee.
AS the house was approached Chi
nese women and children would poke
their heads out of the windows ana
doors of neighboring houses and n
warning cry went up for those who
were inmates of the structure in the
rear where the drug was smoked.
The opium house is two-story
building about is feet wide and 20 feet
in length, the lower part of II being
occupied by Chinese familles. The en-
tire upper floor Is one big room. and
this Is used for the benefit Of the p'o-
prietors many customers who sit
around on the low couches and smoke
until they fall into insensbility-
Entrance to the upper floor IS gained
through a door that is nothing mere
than IA narrow slit In the wall. and
through which even thin man has 10
enter sideways. This door is construct
ed of one and one-half inch lumber.
as are all other doors leading into the
room.
When the lookout" above has care
peep hole, II he has decided to permis
one to enter, there will be noise OF
wooden bars being withdrawn from
their fastenings, and one will find on
passing the door thar he IS IN a small
entrance and that only n few feet up
the narrow stairs IS another door SINH
lar to the first. Passing thar ne looks
above and to all Appearances tho Hnor
Is solid, and just as he Is abnu. 10 'utu
back the floor will omen and he viii be
admitted to the smoking room. But n
trining space Is left between these bar
riers. as from repeated visits Or the po-
lice the Chinese have found that II is
to their advantage 10 leave but little
room I'm which an axe might be swung.
Everywhere on the walls are marks
" axes and hatChets that bear silent
testimony To the frequent raids OF the
police and the method that they are
compelled to employ 10 gain an en-
rance. All around the room arc low
ouches covered with mating end sew
raj pairs of men are to be seen reclin-
ng on these with the LAYOUT" be-
ween them. Four small windows open
nto the room and these are heavily
AIRED with iron.
In one corner is n pipe that leads into
he room below, and II Is into this that
hey hastily throw the precious opium
hen the police appear.
When asked what he thought of the
eclslon OF the court the proprietor Of
ne den replied that his business WAS
llned and that every one was now
noking their opium pipes a. horne.
High Sheriff Brown and Deputy
herlff Chillingworth are not inclined
} censure the Judge for his opinion,
NJ Il Is their conviction that the law
at fault and that a speedy change
ust be effected