The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-08-25
THE DREAMY DRUG.
A Raid by Night and a Raid
by Day.
John is EntOmbGd in His Stronghold. and
the Police are VanQuiShGd.
The Police and thu Press Take Stroll
and are Victorious.
Proofs of Their Gui1t-The Scene of the
Attack-We Run Them In.

| On Friday afternoon a secret miSsive was lef
at this Office, containing information that raid
would be made that evening opium den,
and our representative was invited to be at &
certain place at certain hour. On the bottom
| of this important and direful-looking document
| which headed with the ominous sign of i
skull and cross-bones, were the letters :. X. L
D." which were at first understood to mear
L" Kid them on,o but really meant - Keep il
| dark
THE RAID NIGHT.
At the appointed place and hour we were there
N a tattered old coat and slouched hat, armed
with stick that in it's colossal proper
tions resembled that CARRIED by Captain Tripp.
Figures of the force were seen fitting across the
road towards point those that were most
dist;nguishable being the slim one of Captain
Mehrtens and the stouter one of Captain Fihl-
Der. From mysterious and darkened corners
there appeared upon the scene ourselves and the
ever active Gazetteer. A rush was made for a
back entrance, which led to building fronting
on King street, and everybody made for a little
staircase about eighteen inches wide and almost
perpendicular but Johns spy was on the alert,
looking through small pigeon-hole above, and
and gave timely warning. door was found
that barred all further progress, and in vain did
the police officials knock and demand an en-
trance. There was no reply and no sound, but
II rushing to and fro of bare and slippered feet
JOHN WAS ENToMBED
At length weakened, frightened voice was
heard inquiring who was there, and noise of
grating locks and doors being unbarred was
distinguishable, and the long-desired haven was
reached. But, alas, too late The house was
the abode of Lee Kim, who, with three or four
associates, were seated on the floor and on beds
in an inner chamber with '' the smile that is
childlike and bland" Two rooms were searched
in every corner, nook and crevice but it was of
no avail ; for, notwithstanding the strong fumes
of the drug that pervaded the squalid quarters.
nothing was found except piece of an opium
scale and a little nut, which seized as
rophies. The roof Of an adjoining building
was examined, were two other rooms at the
back, but no further discoveries rewarded the
officers researches. John again and again pro-
teste his innocence, and reiterated 81 he
smookee opium long time" In the inner room
was closet, down which it conjectured
that the evidences of their guilt had been thrown
we proceeded to examine the place, and there
were the pipes and baskets and the opium.
thorough inspection of the doorway showed
that there was built into the stairs strong gate
of two-inch boards, which fastened from
behind by framework made of four by three
inch lumber, which fitted in between the door
and the stairs and was firmly secured to the up
rights of the building. Beyond this, and across
the top of the stairs, was trap door, which was
secured from above by several pieces of timber
A. ~ a.,
cured by hooks there was also a sliding board
in the floor, which, with several small windows,
formed safe and valuable look-outs. 1t would
be an imposshility for an entrance to be made
into such den without giving its inmates ample
time to remove all traces of their guilt, as hap
pened in the case narrated.
THE RAID BY DAY.
On Saturday about O'Clock in the afternoon,
our representative casually met Captain Mehr-
tens. and proposed stroll through the Chinese
quarters. A cordial willingness to oblige was
shown, and off we started. The different events
witnessed will not now be described, except the
lucky raid and the discovery and seizure of two
opium smokers. We turned up narrow,
squalid, disreputable lane off Beretania street.
The dirty strip of sidewalk, choked up with
garbage, was thronged with Chinese-as low
and ferocious-looking types of humanity one
would care to meet, even in daytime. While
standing and looking at the diRgy surroundings,
we smelt the well-known fumes and saw smoke
issuing from room, into which hurriedly
forced his way, leaving the other to guard the
window. 1t was the wrong house, but the fumes
grew more AMI more powerful, till we spotted .
the building, by keeping our noses close to its
floor under which we crept, and by listening to
the sounds from within. Again our united
force divided-the rushed rapidly into the
street, down another entrance and into the sus-
pected building the other watched the window,
and shortly saw signal and heard cry,
G Come on come on - On leaving something
was heard falling to the ground, but there was
no time to wait Suddenly opening the door, it
disclosed scene which more than realized any
preconceived idea of Chinese opium den,
whether drawn from picture, description, or a
disordered imagination.
TIE SCENE OF THE ONSLAUGHT.
One pale shaft of sunlight, entering through
small window, dimly illumiped narrow room,
the walls of which were decorated in semi bar
haric manner with colored prints and Chinese
inscriptions. Along one side of this apartment
extended broad shelf, or divan, about two feet
above the floor, This was covered with bamboo
mating, and on the side next to the wall was
provided low ridge pillow-for upon this
''bunk'' the opium-smoker reclines whilst in
haling the drowsy fumes. peculiar sickening
odor pervaded the place.
Cur eyes having adapted themselves t. the
glimmering dusk, we peered through a vail of
blue smoke and down into the further end of