Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra15161885roya).pdf/321

 French Colonies your Memorialists are informed that even in the Licensed Gambling Farms such a mode of gambling is entirely disallowed by the Government, and is suppressed immediately on discovery.

8. That the keepers of these "Wha Hoey" establishments open them twice each day, and as is generally the case the person who may be a child or a poor coolie or a blind person, trying his or her fortune to gain, will place a stake of say (1) one cent upon the "Wha Hoey " if such person gains he or she will receive (30) thirty cents, but if the choice of signs fail which is generally the case they lose all, in this way thousands of dollars are brought to the Wha Hoey" manager. The "Wha Hoey" keeper guaran- tees to be responsible to the lucky players for only say $ 1,000; but supposing the successful players win $2,000 or more, the keeper will only divide his guaranteed $1,000, amongst them, again if say two thousand persons or more were to put a dollar each and all of them are unsuccessful the "Wha Hoey" keeper pockets the whole $2,000 or more. By which means he manages to squeeze money fraudulently out of the poor, as well as the rich. The mode by which the frauds are practised by the manager of a "Wha Hoey" may be represented as thus: The Manager makes it known that the maximum amount of his loss in one forenoon, say is $ 2.000. The Ticket to be produced by him for one stake being as a matter of course known to himself and his partners he clandestinely slips in a ticket or as many as he likes identical with the one to be produced, to win say $1,200. Thus his so called maximum loss, if he can ever lose at all, is practically reduced to $ 800 only.

9. So wily are the "Wha-Hoey" Keepers that sometimes they write on the sand the winning number, then rub it out with their feet at other times it is written in the palm of their hands, when there is no chance for the above they shout out. The place of thus proclaiming the character being first made known, a great number of people young and old assemble to hear it, when the time is fixed they take every trouble to meet at the appointed rendezvous to hear the character or successful sign proclaimed, and as soon as the successful sign is given, all the people interest- ed announce the same throughout the town, in crowds as people coming out of a theatre or retiring from a riot.

10. Your Memorialists would like the Honourable Members of the Legislative Council to know that twenty years ago or there-