The Russellville Democrat., 1882-01-26
OPIUM SMUGGLING.
A valuable Seizure of the Drug Made by
 Two California officers.
San Francisco Chronicle.

of the lGUeEUI EJNCl lILIClIb tidS t4AS NuH
 tom house authorities bad been warned tbat an attempt would be made t2 snug cle opium into Chinatown from the steamer Tokio, which arrived about a week aro from China and Japan. Extra precautions were taken to trdstrate the arbeme. As matter of fact, captain and ten inspectors were specially de- failed and have watched the steamer since her arrival. Notwithstanding, the ottpmut was made. so to speak, under their very noses, and proved nearly sue ressful That the booty was captured Iy tw, police officers was a mere aCci- dent. The circumstances of the seizure, which is the most important one for four ve7rs. are as follows; Numerous com IIaiDf5 have until & short time ago come to the thief of police of yachts in Mis- sion bay being broken into and every ihing of value stolen. This class of theft, aside from the usual pifering by bay Iirates. became of such frequency that Officers Edward NJ. Egan and James Smith were specially detailed to patrol tLe bay in a Whitehall boat along the line ofthe water front and the shipping within a reasonable distance. At this special work they have been busied the the last three weeks.
 It was about midnight on Tuesday tbat while pulling in their boat near the Pacific Mail dock, they perceived the scarcely dstingljshabe outline of a boat some distance astern, very low in the water, aud with two men in it. 1t seemed to them that the suspicious craft was being propelled with muiflej oars. The night was pitch dark, the wind high and the bay rough, and withal the ram made vision doublv difficult. The officers turned their boat about aud pur- sued the strangers, who finding that their presence WAS noticed, made fast time for the slip between the Mail dock and the steamer Transit. Having come near enough to the strange boat, the of fcers hailed it's occupants, but received no reply. This circumstance, coupled with the strangers evident determina- tion to escape by faster rowing, made inc officers give then Q hard chase. Just as the craft was about moving into the s]jD at the foot of Second street the off cers overhauled the fugitiyes. Their boat was boarded at the point of two re. yolvers, and was found to be laden with tin cans fore aud aft, so as not 10 hinder the oarsmen. The two men were lroued and their boat lowed to the Folsom street landing. The men were marched to the Southern District police station, where they were soon identified as Wll- liam McDermott, alias 'Brick-top, the Boatman." and James Kennedy. McDer- mott is a red-haired individual who for the last ten years and upwards hss been q boatman on the water front. Kennedy is man who is known to have been in the employ of the China steamships, but left the Pacific Mail service some time ago. t is said that he has q brother who IS a steward on the Toxic.
 The boat was found to contain 194 tin cases. each holding twenty smaller cans of five taels each of prepared opium and two rolls of silk. When overhauIed the smugglers magnanimousiy offered the valuable cargo 10 their captors as a gift if they would promise to say nothing of the matter and allow the contrabandists to escape. Before their capture the smuggers threw overheard a number of cans, the full number having been. as it is believed, 200. No appraisement of the seized goods has yet been made by the custom house officials. but the amount is estimated at 1000 pounds, valued at S20000 in round numbers. As each of the clptors is entitled to about one third of the goods seized, the prize is a valua- ble one to the two officers. When the intelligence of the seizure was received at the custom house yesterday morning, to the intense amaZement of those ar gus-eyed officials, large and hopeful delegation repaired to Chief of Police Crowley and made strenous efforts to ob tain poe- ession of the seized goods. They are now nominallv in the hands of the United States marshal, but in the actual custody of the custom house officials. Chief Crowley assured his visitors that he would personally see that the seizure was properly taken care of, and that the police officers obtained their just reward. Where the opium came from has not yet been learned with any gree of cer- tainty, the belief bcingthat it came either directly from the steamer TOkio, which is being discharged from at the Mail dock, or from some place, perhaps under the dock, where it had been cached, to be re- moved on some occasion when, az on the night in question, the elements favored the transfer. At the time of the seizure there were six custom house officers on duty on the Tokio and one on the dock, his fellow having failed to appear. It is noted as singular circumstance that there was no watchboat between the vessel and the Tokio, as is the custom, the only reason being that the water was rough. Rough fl was, but not to- much so for the police officers, or for the smugglers with their heavy laden craft.
 The sentiment among the federal judi cial officers tends strongly to duplicate the custom house officers with the at. tempted smuggling, and how nearly ton of goods could thus be removed in the very presence of a squad of inspec- tors is beyond their understanding. In due course of time the prisoners were transferred to the custody of Marshal Poole, bail having been set at $5.O0O. During all of the afternoon United States District Attorney Van Duzcr held a le- wee, at which was present a host of in- diyiduaIs ready and anxlous to go on the bonds of the smugglers. After A minute examination oq 10 their regnect
 i've possessions, Mir. Van Danor at a Iata hour accepted James Harkins and Gus. tavus Pope as sureues for McDermott in 5000. Harkins gave bis residence as No. 38 Mary street, and claimed under oath tO own l5,OO0 acres of land in a neighboring county. Pope is the propri- etor O. the Eureka restaurant on Fifth street. Owing to the st -lctness ofthc ex- animation for their qualifications, not an. other acceptable boudsman could be found among the remaining dozen. While waiting for endorsements, MT. Van Duzer learned tbat IIarkins has bppU gf BtbRr tituaa nm fra bond. c