The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-04-24
BARRED DOORS
GOOD PROTECTION
(From Thursdays Advertiser0

Yesterday in the police court was q
day of significance for the gambling
fraternity OF the island, assuring them
that under the present laws they Were
immune from punishment provided
they 50 arranged their gambling joints
that no easy entrance for the police Is
possible. Thirty Chinese gamblers, ar
rested in joint on Liliha street which
the authorities. joint protected by
three heavily barred doors, with all
other approaches to the rooms protect
ed by heavy wire lattice work and the
openings so guarded with sharp spikes
and other ingenious contrivances that
1t is impossible for anyone to gain an
entrance, were discharged yesterday
through insufficiency OF evidence
against them. And. according to the
existing laws there was no other course
for the magistrate to pursue than dis
charge, and according to the same laws
there is no authority that can be given
the police to make a successful raid
on a joint so protected.
The evidence at the trial. given by
Sheriff Iaukea, Detective Leal and De-
tective Apana. was to the effect that
SO soon as the police appeared on the
scene on Tuesday, a lookout, stationed
at the door, gave an alarm, Immediate
ly following which there was q
scramble inside on the part of the
Cinnamon there, hurried shifting of
furniture, a Encouragement of chairs
and tables and a disregard to the
shouts of the police outside the outer
doors to open up in the name of tho
law. After four or five minutes of time
thus gained, the doors were opened and
the Chinese were discovered sitting
around a couple of tables having a
lunch on crackers and beer. There was
no evidence in sight of gambling, but
the Chinese were arrested nevertheless
and put on trial. The defense. COM
Quoted by Charley Chillingworth, put
on no evidence, moving for a discharge
on the grounds that no evidence had
been presented to show that any gam
bling had been going on. There had
not been, the Cinnamon had seen, too,
that there never would be when they
put in their heavy barred doors and
posted guards. allowing them to laugh
in the faces of Sheriff Iaukea and Dep
uty Attorney General Sutton when
they finally worked their way into the
joint.
In ordinary cases the police are able
to beat the Chinese at their own game.
This was shown in raid conducted
by Detective Leal on Sunday night on
joint in Kaneohe, a game that had
been running within sight of the head
quarters of Deputy Sheriff Pahia at
the Kaneohe court house but which he
had either not discovered or had over
looked, letting it run undisturbed. The
Honolulu police arrived at the place
after dark and muzzled the lookout.
who had been stationed on the road
to LOOK out for intrudirg officers, his
cue to the gamblers to be given by
pulling a string attached to a bunch
of tin cans hung up in the gambling
room. The string instead of warning
the gamblers led the police straight to
their quarry, the guard having been
grabbed and his voice limited by pres
sure on the windpipe before he could
give any signal. There were about fifty
gamblers in the joint and ten of them
were captured, putting up $40 apiece
as bail
When their cases were called on
Monday the bail was declared forfeit
ed, but the cases were reopened short
ly afterwards on the appearance Of
Charley Achi, who succeeded yesterday
in getting the fines reduced to So a
piece
1t was reported yesterday that the
hui running the Liliha street joint is
still more deliberately safeguarding
their game, having electricians putting
in electric bells and gongs. while car
penters are introducing a few slide
panels and spring doors to provide
quick exits and hiding places for evil
dence.
Sheriff Iaukea yesterday stated that
there was no way in which such joints
as this could be successfully raided so
long as the police were in danger of
damage suits should they raise a desc
Grating axe to force an entrance or law
breakers were allowed to fortify their
places as the LiIiha joint is fortified
and as one or two other places in the
town are He also CONFESSED to ina
bility to stamp out the big gambling
games that are conducted throughout
the country districts so long as the
deputy sheriffs, to whom TIE country
police look for orders, STOW the apathy
they do, disregard of law-breaking
that shows either a decided neglect OF
duty or a standing in with the law
breakers. In one district, that Of
Waianae. there are blind pigs running
more or less openly I'D quite undis-
turbed.
An effort viii be made by the Sheriff
to induce the Supervisors to legislate
against the placing of barred doors
ard windows in the Chinese tenements
and to pass such other building re-
strictions as will place the lawbreakers
outside the protection of the present
building laws
nONrT NEGT ECT COJ n