That it is not always well to have a friend at Court was borne in upon Chinese recently when he received a month's imprisonment for try-jing to assist friend who is one of many in custody at the Mixed Court. The Chinese went up to the bars of one of the cells and, imagining that he was not perceived, slipped a quantity of opium to his friend, who, however, had barely time to mutter his thanks before the custodian of the gaol, with a flourish of keys, opened the cell door, took possession of the opium, and the sympathetic friend as well.
This passing of opium to prisoners was & very common thing until recently, and a visit to the celle suggested an opium den rather than a prison, When the Municipal Council took charge of the Mixed Court this was one of the first matters to recei attention, and it is impossible now to supply a prisoner with the drug.
Recently " woman was charged at the Mixed Court with keeping an opium den at 384 North Honan Road, and she was ordered to pay a fine of 820 or serve three weeks' imprisonment. Four men who were found smoking opium on the premises were each fined $10, with the alternative of fourteen days' imprisonment.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.