The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-01-15
SMUGGLING.
THE BIGGEST OPERATIONS KNOWN
TO EASTERN MAINE.
How j. M. Pike & Co., Carried on the
Business.

In the United States Court record of the daily
papers last week was given the formal, brief
report of the case OF the United States VS..
Messrs. Pike, Dodge & Wood. in which yer.
| dict was rendered for the government. II was
stated that this was smuggling case of con-
siderable proportions but no idea was conveyed
of the magnitude of this conspiracy on the part
of the defendants; a conspiracy which revealed
system for defrauding the United States such
as was probably never before unearthed in
Eastern Maine. The case developed facts un-
known to citizens of Lubec who little dreamed
Oh the business carried on by j. M. Pike-now
SAID to be sojourning in Campobello--the
senior member of the firm of j. M. Pike & Co
The people of Lubec were astonished to learn
that within fifteen months this firm sold to
Boston party more than 125,000 pounds of
wool, and more than $4,000 sheep skins-the
latter article known to the trade as "slats."
The entries made at the PASSPORT Custom
House, to give color to the business of import
ing wool and skins by this firm, amounted to
l4,70O pounds Of wool, and 5,315 skins. Be
sides these articles the firm entered large
quantity of wooden rags and several tons of
lead. The price realized from the sale of the
wool alone, amounted to the handsome fortune
of $4,000 The duties on the amount of wool
the firm entered at the custom house was ST.
972 which were paid. The modus-operandi of
the smuggling WIS as follows:
Mr.. Woods, one of the defendants had been
in the wool business previously, and knew all
its branches thoroughly. Dodge, another of
the defendants, was a son-in-law of Pixies.
Mr.. Pike owned wool pulling factory at
Lubec Mills, at the head of Johnson's Bay,
Pike and Wood went into partnership for the
purpose of carrying on the wool-pulling bust
ness, and in the fall of 1879 took Dodge in as
partner, thence continuing the business until
February 1881 Having arranged all their
smuggling plans they went to work. Wood
went into the provinces and personally, and
through agents, bought immense quantities of
wool, skins, rags and lead. AS fast as pur-
chased the goods were taken in sailing vessels
to st. John and thence re-conveyed to
Patch's factory, Campobello Island. This
factory, and warehouse combined, was owned
by the firm, and here the goods were kept
stored until wanted. It was only brief dis
lance from Lubec, and to avert suspicion, and
cover the proceedings, some goods were en-
tered at the Custom House and the duties paid.
The firm made arrangements with a number
of stout, active young men in Campo Bello and
Lubec and vicinity, who they thought they
could depend on to hold their tongues, to
remove the rest of the goods from Campobello
to Lubec when wanted. 1t seems like melo-
drama to hear how on cold stormy nights in
winter, when not star could be seen, and in
1r1Q xrIa folr fo~ o,11 l..
brooded over the sea, long boats pulled by
these strong nervous arms, (the lookouts
anxiously keeping watch for any suspicious
hghts) slowly moved from the island up John
sons Bay loaded with wool and skins. For
this service these young men received one cent
pound for the wool and two cents for each
skin, so that it can be seen how enormous the
business must haue been to make it profitable
for SO many to enter into it. 1t was shown on
the trial that, when the tide served these
boats had carried as many as 1000 skins from
Patch's factory, up Johnson's BAY and then
returned
The government was able to show on the
trial what quantity of wool and skins was pur-
chased by the firm in Maine, and this amount
deducted from the amount of sales made by
them to one party in Boston left $4,000 pounds
OF wool purchased by the firm in the provinces
on which duty had not been paid, and there
fore must have been struggled. The same
figuring left q, 900 skins on which duty had not
been paid. Furthermore the government Off
GERS showed books and papers, containing en-
tries and figures which they had secured from
G. L. Wood, one of the defendants, fully car
rying out the results attained by the govern
nent officers in other ways. The testimony in
the case was SO clear, precise and overwheim-
ing that when the government closed, Mr..
Dodge, who was on trial, "threw up his
hands" and the jury Immediately found YER
dict of guilty.
j. M. Pike s. Co. by their operations swim
died thu government out of $4,000 in duties
which are known to have been due. But how
much that was not known, or how much on
rags and lead will probably never be known,
although some of the rags and lead was iden-
titled. 1t also appeared on the trial that Mr..
Dodge was deacon in the Baptist church at
Lubec, a denouncer Of all things worldly and
very severe on those who were not exceedingly
strict in their ways It was shown that one
stormy night 1t was thought the officers were
coming and Pike, Dodge and Dodge's hired
man, with others, went over to the factory, got
ont the goods, carted them out of town, to-
gether with a big boiler, and hid them in the
woods. The work of ferreting out these trans
actions occupied the officers for many months,
but they brought the culprits to book at last,
and succeeded in sending Dodge to Machias
Jail for four months. When he gets out more
trouble will await him.