New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-23
AFTER TIE OPIUM SMCGhEho'
McKEssON AND ROBBINS'S DENIAL
DRAWING THE NET TIGHTER ABOUT TIE CON
sPIRATORS

DRAWING THE NET TIGHTER ABOUT TIE Gun
sPIRATORs
Special Agent Montgomery enjoyed the hoiiday e'vsl
day BIZ continuing his detective work In drawing 'e ~
tighter about the opium ring which exists IN 1s c.!'
H. has ovidenee that there been general pacce
Of Withdrawing bond for the ostensoIe purpose
exporting It quantities Of crude opium anu snpplns "
on board OF steamers for tho West Indies ana inc Dda
mas and without filing shippers manifests In the custom
House The law requires that the contents oil packages
shall Ia noted In the manfests, but none nave oeeh
found where opium has been specified Ihere nae
however at times Of such shipments been heu
upon which are noted a corresponding NUMBER OF uEus
IL ia believed that latter dummies as the OPIUM
has not heen traced after shipment but Is believed 10
have been returned the same vessels and smuggioa
ashore Tho evidence, however, Is not suncieh'S oo"
armed to make public, but will probably be In Few days
Captain Faircloth formerly Of tho Ward Line made
recent statement to tho effect that eight packages OF
oplm containing 22O 12 pounds Of crude opium, gen
orally called smokers opium had been withdrawn from
bond by McResson Robbins on October Ia, 1887. Ihey
the steamer Cicnfuegos Tor export W
Cuba At tho same time eight cases OF drugs were
also sent FOR which, the captain charges, McKesson 81
Robbins filed shippers manifest filing none Of the opium
On the voyage down the opium Is alleged was removed
from eight boxes and secretly put in the stewards
storercom Upon arrival Havana the eight cases sup
posed to contain drugs were landed They are STILL IL
is said in the Custom House these. The Custom House
officers also found secreted opium and seized IT,
Smokers opium In contraband in Cuba
Mr. Robbins said OF the yesterday: d We know
nothing whatever about this Havana business and have no
means OF knowing We sell opium for cash to Brown or
Jones or whoever may purchase it. give him an invoice
and bill of ladIng and it is taken from the public stores
and sent wherever purchaser may require 1t may
be- that tho bill calls delivery Havana steamer
elsewhere is anything wrong in this matter In
any way It between the people Of the steamship and
the purchaser
The purchaser may Of course give assumed name.
Our transaction with him everyday mercantile one
Whether opium has been withdrawn from the and
shipped TO Havana Go not know. Even IL IL has, the
Government can lose nothing is defrauded Of any
duties You say this opium is contaband In Cuba.
l did not even know that We have occasion to look
up Cuban law the subject. For have trade
there. Our import OF opium wholly from Lon
don Of the Turkish ports Smyrna Salonica etc.
We import no Chinese opium II that smugged In
it would undoubtedly by the way OF Canada Texas.
This whole story Is ridiculous this firm is
cerned There would be no object in Withdrawing
opium to reshp Havana for said, the Government
would lose nothing.
AS tn tho Canadian story, that Chinese opium has
been struggled in by firm, L know
nothing beyond the report. But thing is certain
Import opium from London AMI from the English
ports 1 do not know whether the Canadian ttory
ers to smokers opium not Our opium Is put In
bond until ready to sell It to for manufac
urng purposes The ounlne Manufacturing Company OF
which president large amount Of opium for It's
business This withdrawal OF opium from the public
IL usual We sell from fvo TO eight
OF these packages In ordinary business II the pur-
chaser orders IL sent 10 certain steamship or 10 any
other spot Is the In tho delivery Of
express package. As 1 said at FIRST II some Of ths
has been shipped Havana. know nothing Of IL and
have means Of knowing