Post by NZBC on Jul 15, 2012 20:15:46 GMT 12
The great "fan tan" case collapsed yesterday, by the Chinese defendants, George Wong and Ming Quong, pleading guilty (through their counsel, Messrs. Hesketh and Tyler,) and they were fined 20s each. Sergeant White was prepared to go into the game with thelearned counsel, butthrough the action of the defendants, the general public were bereft of the sight of the diagram, and o£ the lucid explanation that would have been forthcoming from that gentleman. We subjoin the following description of the game of fan-tan as given recently in some of the journals:—"There is a banker who stands at the end of a table. Before him is spread a cloth, on which is a square boaid divided by a cross. The corners are numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4. The other materials are a quantity of 'cash,' which is a brass coin of small value current in China. Each coin has a square hole in the centre, and when ÜBed for money j they pass from hanri to hand, tied in bunch's Of a recognised value. In the game, however, they are loose. There are besides 1 buttons of different colour, each representing sums of from 5s up to £5 or more. These are bought by the players, and used for stakes. All being ready, the players place their stakes oh the board according to their fancy, the numbers representing even mODey or odds staked by the hank. The banker then takes from a heap a handful of loose cash, and begins to withdraw them as spread out by four pieces at a draw. Thi3 is not done by the finger 3; John Chinaman has long finger nails and long sleeves, to which latter he can convey bowers and other things with surprising Qeitcrity. He is, therefore, put beyond suspicion, though it is probable that practised bankers do now and then deal 2J)t altogether honestly with the. pieces, -i-fie banker withdraws the pieces by a pointed stick, resembling a black leadlead Pencil, which he inserts iu the holes of the caa l It is evident that, at the last, there ~ttust be left on the table four, or some less number of pieces. If there are four left, the backer or backers of No. 4 on the board take e money deposited on that number, and Whatever addition from the bank that pre Scribed by the rules of the game, less 5 per cent, deducted from all winnings for the bene"t of the house and so with other numbers should they be the same as the remainder." New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6701, 10 May 1883, Page 4