The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-27
BIG OPIUM sMUaaLINa SYNDICATE
Foreigners Who Illegally Import Mil
lions OF the Drug Annually.

Foreigners Who Illegally Import Mil
lions OF the Drug Annually.
CHICAGO, Dec. 2l.-A local paper prints
a story of the operations Of the opium
smuggling gang of which Capt. DuraLt,
who recently escaped from the officers, was
the leader. Durant and his assistant,
Charles Weitzel, are living in big style at
the leading hotel at Sarnia, Canada, and
are lioniZed by the residents of the town.
They have landed hundreds Of thousands of
dollars worth of opium OF the American
side, but the last consignment was seized by
the government. The officers tried to kill
or capture Durant, but he escaped without
injury, although the officers fred twenty
shots at him, though he was not ten feet
away.
Durant will not tell how he became a
smuggler, and at first said he had never en-
gagged in the business. This statement he
qualified by declaring he had never seen an
ounce OF opium in his life, and if he was en-
gagged in transporting it across the border
it was his own private bu.iness. He openly
defies the gov srnment to convict him of
smuggling. 1t is known here that he is the
agent of a syndicate, with a capital of S.
100000, controlled by G. p. Joslyn of Vic
toria, B, c., and organized for the purpose
of smuggling opium from the factories at
Victoria to the United States.
Joslyn is known among the smugglers as
BOSS" Harris, and is immensely rich. He
does not conceal the fact that he is the big
gest opium smuggler in the dominion. He
has an account with bank at Sarnia, and
has declared that he and his associates have
made 81, 900 out of opium.
He gave an instance of the money to be
made out OF opium smuggling. A consign-
ment Of the drug was shipped from Vic
toria to Sarnia. Two men were hired to
carry the stuff across, and they transported
it in tin cans carried in their pockets. The
entire consignment was disposed of in a
week, and the United States government
defrauded out of 100000 dues. Harris
made $50, 900 out Of the consignment.
He takes no risk other than a pecuniary
one and he knows his goods are liable to
confiscation, but he never ventures across
the border himself, as he is aware he would
be arrested. The people of Sarnia are
willing to aid him in his operations, as he
spends his money freely among them.
The syndicate is comprised OF Harris,
man named Spencer, who attends to ship
ping the drug from Victoria, rich San
Francisco merchant, a man employed for
many years ss interpreter by the United
States government, q Toronto Chinaman
and ''Opium Peten Of San Francisco. There
are a number of agents who are charged
with the care Of the stuff en- route, its trans
fer across the border and its reshipment
through the states to California The prin-
cipal agents are Durant and the Weitzel
brothers, all Of whom are in Sarnia await
ing instructions from Harris, who has been
notified by telegraph Of the seizure of his
goods.
The value of the drug manufactured in
factories controlled by the Harris faction is
s., 900, 600 per annum, of which about 80 per
cent. goes to the United States. The drug
is shipped across from all points along the
border.