Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-05-19
TEE ERoekrrx erIrn CASE.

neraiIsn from the Generai Sssera-
meat.
Capt. C. z. swan. of the ship City OF
Rrooklyn, made demand upon the Gov
eminent for abeut q thousand dollars
fsr detention Of his ship and board OF
customs officers in the opism smuggling
Investigation Of las; fall. and 10 reply
thereto has receivsd the copy following
OF the report Of Special Agent horr'
made thereon:
CBaee Of Special Agent Treasury DEP l.
PokT TovxEaSD. Feb lssh, looa-
Hos. H4qh NeCk4L<h.
Sssrstarg Of H. TgsassrH,
Sm-Respectfuily referring TO Depat1-
gent letters Of Jan Dsh and REQ, ID
directing report With Recommendation
In reference 20 certain expenses incurred
by the Collector Of Customs at Fort
Townsend in guarding and seafeEine
ship City of Brooklyn, and the claim OF
Captain G. r. swan for damages 10 tne
detention Of said ship, ] have the honor
10 report as follows -,
On the 18th day Of September, 1854. .
ssizure Of nearly eight hundred POUNDS
of opium was made at Seattle. ne
landing OF this opium hAd been traced
directly 70 the steamer Lone Fisherman,
which was also taken possession OF oy
the customs authorities
After the seizure information vas re-
csived that the eight hundred pounds
was only a small part Of the OPIUM
sroueht over by the steamer frem VIE
t1ria, Il. q.
This inforrnstion led to vigilance upon
the part Of officers, who kept % far a.
rossible constant watch OF the ofacers
al the steamers. In performing this
service they found that Capt swan, OF
the ship City Of BROOKLYN, was a con
slant intimate companion OF these
smugRlers-
This led to his being Swallowed and
his ship being closely watched: On or
about Oct. 9Th Captain swan, knowing
that such WAS the cssse, came voluntarily
10 Mr.. @. II. Hsnford, assistant L: ..
Attorney, and gave him the following
information:
He stated that ne had been informed
l,y a particular friend of his. whose
name be must decline to give tkat on
ihe night after the City OF Brooklyn
had discharged her cargo at Seattle .
steamer had transferred through her
i,ide ports large quantity Of smaRRled
opiam, which was then concealed under
meath the cargo of coal which was then
being put On board.
At the time be received this informa-
ton be had several hundred tons OF coal
on board, bat he caused search TO be
made and questioned his officers also,
ut failed to ascertain whether the
opium was on board.
He. however, aseertained that be be-
lieyed the information was correct, and
then and there entered into an agree
meut with the u. 5. Attorney that be
should be considered the infornfef IN
case A seizure was made. He appeared
elated over the prospect, and afterward
boosted of the fortune he would make.
This information was furnished Col
lector Bash, who, after consultation with
the assistant U. 5. Attorney, special Of
tieer Peabody and Capt. Harper, of the
revenue cutter Bush, placed the City OF
Brooklyn in charge Of customs officers.
On the morning. Of the Tth the Col
lector teleeraphed the Hon. Secretary
Of the Treasury, who instructed him to
allow the ship TO proceed 10 San Fran
CISCO in charge of special officer.
During the interval between the sead-
ino of the dispatch ON the morning of
the tn and the receipt Of the answer on
the 9Th the ship was not allowed to take
10 cargo. but was allowed to continue
without hindrance after that time. strict
watch, however, was kept until she was
ready for sea, when she started for Fort
Townsend, having three officers on board
aud being towed by steam tug. On
her arrival at the port Of entry as mid
night, or after the captain gave orders
TO steam around the bay and then went
straight TO sea, not giving the customs
officers 10 20 or shoFs or to allow OF
Deputy Bihke csmina on board, as he
had been detained, for the purpose Of
accompanying the ship 10 San Francis
90. One Of the officers returned with
the tug; the other two inspectors, James
Furlonp and the carpenter from the cut
ter, Mr.. Anderson, remained on board.
Deputy Blake was ordered 70 pressed
by steamer to take charge of the IN
loading of the ship at San Francisco.
and arrived there q few days before the
City of Brooklyn.
Mr.. Blake reported 70 me upon his
arrival, and gave me the information
referred to herein, where, ewing 10 there
being considerable jealousy Between the
two Districts, ] wrote TO Collector Bash
asking him 10 allow all three OF the Of
fieers to remain By the ship, in order
that one otficar from the Puget SQUAD
District might always be on watch IN
addition to the force placed on her BY
the Collector at San Francisco. nay
Recommendations we've coneurred In and
the ofEieefs remained.
The ship was thoroughly guarded and
searched during and after her discharge.
but no opium was found. Capt. Swan
made applicailioa cor permission 70 take
in cargo vhils dischargiHR coais bis ap-
piication was very property refused.
The ship vas NOS detained mere snnn
one day by ellis order. and Gaps. swan
claim that he lost freight through the
detention Is not true. was on board
she City of brooklyn almost every day
during her ,iischarging OF cargo, and
several times day the last two OF tnree
DAYS, Customs ofiicers Afforded All 81
sislance possible 70 facilitate she dis
charging Of the vessel; hut the owners
we're in no hurry, as they desired 70 sell
The GOAL and deliver directly from the
vhnrf. thus avoidin1 additional expense
Oh twice handling. This vas the cause
Of the DELAY which necessitaled the ad-
siitionai expense Of keeping the Puget
sound officers 20 long IN San Fran
CISCO.
The ship was placed in charge Of Gus,
tens sffieers through information fur
nished By himself, without being APP
preached BY any member OF The customs
foroa. The charge Tor beard OF officers
10 reasonable one. am not, however,
under thu circumstances. prepared TO
ever recommend the payment or this
small amount a. do net agree With
other oiaicsra Who believe Capt swan
acted In good faith.
He n believed 10 have been employed
In sundry Smuggling operations % sari-
ous times in other locations, and devei-
oprnenfa here would seem 20 indicate
that his action uaa simply dscoy 10
attract the attention o. customs officers
while his friends safely concesied the
very opium he vas supposed 70 have On
board.
1he following accounts were incident
20 the detention and guarding Of the
CITY Of Brooklyn. and under the cir
enustAnoes were contracted in TIE IL
tarexts Of the service. The efiioefs PER
forrnina the duties have paid these