Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-12-22
A DARING CROWD.
Opium Smugglers Who Defy
Uncle Sans Officers.
THEY MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO con-
CEAL THEIR BUSINESS,

Eut, on the Contrary, Boast of Their Ex-
ploits to Their Friends--The Captain
and Two OF His Men interviewed by a
Chicago Tribune Raporter-The Former
Seems to Have Charmed Life.
CnIcAGo, Dec. GA special to the Tri-
bune from Sarnia, Ont, tells of the existence
Of syndicate of capitalists organized for
the purpose of smuggling opium into the
United States Three of the most daring
smueglers are now in the village. One is
Capt Harry II. Durant, who had a hand to
hand encounter with United States govern
neut detectives in Michigan wilderness last
week, and who escaped unharnled from
shower of bullets fired ut close range. An
other is known us George Rockwell, and the
third Charles Weitzel, Capt Durant's plucky
lieutenant.
All Of them are young, educated and re-
spected by all who know them, although
| they are known as the most daring smug-
| glers that ever eluded a revenue officer, and
! to be agents of rich syndicate that was or
ganzcd several years ago for the express
purpose of smuggling opium into the United
States from the manufactures at Victoria,
| B. C. The syndicate has $5,000,000 behind it
and is largely controlled by G. j. Joslyn, of
| Victoria
The special says: A Tribune reporter, who
came over here from Chicago, especially to
lock up opium smugglers, found Capt.
Durant and his friend, Weitzel, living in
yeod STYLE at the Belchamher house, the swell
hotel of the town, and had a long talk with
them. They have been smuggling opium for
the last two years, and have successfully landed
hundreds of thousands of dollars worth OF
the costly drug on Che other side without be-
ing detected.
But this last consignment they took over
was discovered and seized by governmen
detectives, and it came near costing Capt,
Durant his life Four detectives waylad
him in the woods at nigat, took him at a
great disadv antage, and standing not more
than ten feet away fired t~ lty shots Mt him
in rapid succession. But tpt. Durant has
apparently, charmed il ., for he was not
hit, and made his escape without trying to
kill his assaHants or shedding a drop of his
own blood
Joslyn is known Among the sMugglers as
rBoss Harris and ~ imme nsely rich, lie
makes no effort to conceal the fact that he is
s,nuggIer; on the contrary, hrags of it, and
enteitail9s his friends with stories of his eS-
ploits.
Another activcglember of the Harris gang
operates under tbs assumed name Of Spencer,
He attends to shipping the goods from Vic
toria. A rich San Francisco merchant Is
said tg he prominently identified with th1
syndicate. A man for maay years in the
I employ of the United States government as
an Interpreter Is another member
A Toronto 4iuaman aSd Opium Pete
of San Francisco, comprise the rest OF tb,
syndicate Ih-slcs these there arc a large
nEnbor Of agents whose duty it is to lool
= after the cDnsgnmcNts after they leave Vac
toIia, showing them frcm one point team
other in .tiie Dominion, transporting then
o8vu' the border, and then reshippilg aeFos
the states t0 California
Chief alnong the agents are Capt Npran
uFd the SVeitzel brothers, Charles an'
II4aorge George Hejtzel is the shrewder oI
the t,Yo brs ;hers and is intrusted With larg
csn,iqnnnats before and after they cress th
,h9rdar. Re does nGt, however, enoGunte
'dhc great personal risl; of moving goods fron
conc country into iaic other, the weight @
tthat responsibility falling ON Capt. Duran
and Charfas Weit2eL
Both Of the Wetzel boys sre now in Sar
Inia and. together with Capt Durant, ar
Iam.iting Instructions from BOSS harris,
'~lo haa been informed by telegraph of tn
.5cizure ~ his goods last week. Georg
%aitzcl has always been known here o
IfCieorge Rockwell, AMI there are NOT half
tdozon tursolls in the village wao know tina
DE and E{andsomecharley" are brGthers,