Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-09-20
OPIUM SMUGGLING.

Somehow there has always been a sort of
romance enveloping the life and ventures of
the smuggling fraternity, all the world around
To cheat the Customs, orcircumvent the watch
full officers of the revenue has never been re-
garded, by the popular mind as a very heinous
crime. The public goose is legitimate
object of anybody's plucking; and men other
wise honest and trustworthy have not scru-
Piled to engage in smuggling. The manner of
of smuggling opium into San Francisco is des-
cribed as follows by the Bulletin: 1.-The prac-
tice of smuggling opium into this market"
says that paper, sis of long standing, and as
has been stated by those who are familiar
with the foreign business of the port, is
likely to continue in greater or less degree.
There were formerly rumors that ring was
formed in this city for the purpose of SNUG
gleing large quantities of opium from China,
and investigation proceeded so far that the
mode of operations was discovered, if the state
ments of one who acknowledged that he was
a member of the ring, can be trusted The
way in which the ring was said to operate
was as follows: Those who wished to invest
their money in the business, among whom
were many Chinese mercantile houses in this
city, pooled their contributions, which they
deposited in city bank. The deposits seldom
fell short of S25, 900 A draft was obtained
and placed in the hands of a trusted agent,
who went out on the China steamers. In
Hongkong the agent went to the Chinese
houses who had a monopoly of the business,
and invest the money entrusted to him in
would then be smuggled on board the vessel
and secreted in some safe place, where it
would remain undisturbed until the ship got
to this port. Then the smuggling on shore
began. 1t was effected by man who gave
his attention exclusively to the business, and
who received 81 for each pound of opium
safely landed The business was usually done
at night, when black boat would slide out to
the ship as she lay in dock and station itself
beneath one of the ports, which would be half
open. The agent would then safely lower
into the boat the opium which he had ready,
and the sepulchral craft would crawl away
under the wharves to some appointed place
where an express wagon would be i'll waiting
The opium would then he taken to Chinese
houses, or to other places prepared for its re-
;eption. Sometimes the boat would glide
under the wharves until it came to certain
saloon on the water front, and be lifted |
through trap to safety. The agent on board |
Vas supposed to receive his remuneration in
he assistance which the professional SNUG
,ler extended to him in his efforts to smuggla |
IN his own account At the time of the
burning of the steamer Japan one of the
gents lost S. 900 which had been entrusted
o him for the purchase of opium for this mar
,et. The tricks which are resorted to in
rider to avoid the payment of duty are almost
infinite in number An innocent looking
arpenter,s bench was once prostituted to the
business of smuggling. 1t was hollow, with
slide beneath, and when taken from the ship
lways contained a quantity of opium. 1t
Gas kept as curiosity for some time after
he fraud was discovered Cinnamon often
tempt to smugge opium by storing it in the
ollows Of their conveniently thick soled shoes
PEATEN To DEATH