Herding the inmates into one corner while detectives searched them, other police literally went through the rooms with a tooth comb, mattresses, pillows, blankets and sheets being unceremoniously dumped on the floor while the contents of wardrobes were brought out for further scrutiny. Even hats and shoes were searched and chairs and cushions prodded before the parties were satisfied that nothing incriminating was stored there.
The raids were not without an amusing side, on more than one occasion protesting Chinese being dragged out of bed, sleepy-eyed and Somewhat shocked, to submit to the customary "running over" of the Chinese ' detectives. Then would come a thorough searching of the bed, with the mattress thrown to one end and the pillows and sheets at the other, while the former occupant, now thoroughly awake, looked on with awe and trepidation.
Even bathroom were not exempt from the searches as one unfortunate Chinese gentleman found to his cost. when, with nothing but a lather of soap to cover his nakedness, he w: asked to stand up while smiling de tives diligently searched through the hot water in the tub. Luckily nothing was found there, except some bath salts which were looked upon with some suspicion until a foreign officer explained that they were quite harmless.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.