In the Wai Lane Gambling dens, the bribery went further than the Chinese Detective Staff, & the Chinese Constables on the beat (but it is strong corroboration of the correctness of Mr. Caldwell's information that all these were bribed by Sam Yin) probably because the Wai Lane houses and its branch in Cheung Hing Street were the only licensed houses. I have referred to So Bole for this reason.
I am a strong supporter of the view adopted by the majority of the Commission of 1886 (vide para. 3 of their report) that public (now termed common) gaming houses should be suppressed with the utmost rigour.
Now the opinion seems to be largely entertained in the Colony (vide the Article in the Daily Press of the 19th July 1897) that the corruption of the Police which has been recently discovered, has been induced by the enforcement of the stringent Ordinance No.7 of 1891.
I submit that the corruption of the police does not date since 1891, and I am convinced that if evidence on the point could be obtained, it would be found that corrupt Inspectors received as much hush-money from the small contributions of numerous gambling homes prior to 1891 as they did from the large bribes received from the few houses open in recent years.
I have made careful enquiry from the detectives King On and Jang Kain & from Sam Min and his employees Chan Kin...
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