The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-02-16
A Smugglor In Death.

"The worst smugglers, and the ones
that give us the most trouble, are the
Chinese. Raw and manufactured silks,
pearls, ivory ornaments, Chinese drugs
and opium are the principal articles
they attempt to smuggle. As for the
first-named articles, we have no trouble
in detecting their presence, as they are
bulky and awkward to stow away.
Opium is what troubles us. You see it
is either solid or liquid, and can be
slowed away in a thousand places. A
favorite place is the hollow between the
two soles of their shoes. A common
bamboo cane would hold several pounds.
The hollow handles Of trunks and
valises, the hollow rods Of bamboo bird
cages, the rings they wear on their
wrists, the handles of their knives, and
even dead mans body, are few of the
places in which I have found opium
slowed away"
ga dead mans body?" queried the re-
porter. "What! do you mean say
that they attempted to run opium ashore
in the cavity of dead mans stomach"
eyes," do" replied the official, land
if you like I will tell you about that case.
1t was about three years ago that 1 and
another officer got orders to inspect
bark from Canton with load of coolies,
rice and tea on board. We boarded her
out in the stream and went through her
manifest before she drew up to the
wharf. The captain told me that all the
coolies on board were green hands, so l
did not expect much trouble. l heard
the ships doctor say something to DR..
McAllister, the quarantine officer: about
a Chinaman having died on the voyage,
but as dead heathens don't pay duty l
paid but little attention to his remark
and went on about my business. 1t was
pretty late next day when we got about
through disembarking the coolies, and l
felt so tired when the last couple came
up to be checked off that but for the
pride 1 take in honestly fulfilling the
duties of my responsible position l should
have left the pair go with only casual
search. They were about as green a
looking brace of incipient high-binders
as you ever set your eyes on, and
stared around with look of stolid
wonder, as much as to say, what in the
name of Cain do these barbarians want
to go through our baggage for? Jim
Carter, my partner, was going through
the bundles, leaving me to inspect big
trunk that they had dumped down near
the gang plank. When | asked for the
key they commenced to jabber excitedly
and having no time to waste l just cut
the cords and kicked the lid open. There
was some loose truck on the top that
looked innocent enough, but I ran my
hand down in the customary way. !
pulled it out with yell that Jim said
was loud enough to drown the noise of
Chinese gong on festival day, and you
bet had good reason, for my hand had
come in contact with the habby body OF
q dead Cinnamon. Jim asked what was
the matter, and as soon as told him he
said that he guessed it was the body of
the Chinaman we had heard the
Doctor speak about. We turned
the clothes out, and there lay
the stiff, cut off at the legs so it could go
into the trunk, and embalmed with some
preparation to prevent decomposi-
ton. The Doctor was sent for, and
said it was all right, that they had pre-
served the body to send the bones
back to China. / was about to let the
thing go, when Jim says: 'Mebbe it's
plant. You never can tell what them
heathens is up to. Let's look the thing
over, anyhow The Doctor, he chips in
and says: DO as you like, but that fell
low died of a mighty mean disease, and
you had better ,disinfect your hands after
you get through handling it. would
not touch it for twenty dollars Jim
was as brave as lion and the Doctors
fear only made him obstinate. and so he
catchas hold IF tho afiff and commanded
feeling it all over. The Cinnamon COM
menced to make strong kick, and got
fairly crazy with rage when Jim, after
punching the cadaver with his fists, took
out his bowie-knife. Jim called to me
and another officer to hold the Cinnamon,
and when be saw they were secure, he
coolly ripped open the stomach Of the
stiff. Well. that Chinaman, dead as he
was, panned ont forty-six pounds of re-
fined opium. IS. F. Examiner.