The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-06-09
A FREE-TRADER IN OPIUM
He Gets Through Port Huron, but Is
Captured in This City with His Goods.
Several Thousand Dollars Worth of the Drug
Confscated-The Smuggler Says He Is
Working for q California Physician.

The United States officers Of indianapolis,
little after sunrise yesterday morning. made
one Of the most important, 80 well ~ sensation
al arrests that has occurred in the State for sew
eral years. For more than year the United
States secret service has believed that opium
was being smuegled through to Califoruia by
way of Canada. but nothing more than ''point-
ers' which never resulted in anything could
ever be secured. Several months ago
some of the best men connected with the rsvs-
nue. Office were dispatched to the border to
watch for the smugglers, but their efforts were
all fruitless. Thursday telegram was re-
ceived by the custom house officials here from
the revenue collector at Port Huron. Mich.
stating that be had reason to believe that
consignment of opium had passed him there,
and had been loaded into a car with other goods
on which the duty had been paid, and the car
would pass through Indianapolis.
Revenue Collector August Kuhn consulted
with the United States marshal. and deputies
Stein and Ward were detailed to assist the COL
lector in watching for the car in which 1t was
supposed the opium would come. For two days
all cars containing goods subject to duty that
came in from the north were inspected, but it
was not until late Thursday night that their
suspicious were aroused by finding several small
wooden boxes in among some other dutiable
goods, marked merchandise" One of the
boxes was opened, and was found to be packed
with small tin or zinc boxes little larger than
sardine boxes That "fnd" satisfied them that
something was wrong, and upon going further
and opening one of the little boxes. it was found
70 in $bo
their next move was to get the man who had it
in charge They supposed be was ac-
companying the car, and laid in wait
for him. He did not show up on
Thursday night. but early yesterday morn
ing man, badly dressed, and claiming to be
peddler appeared at the car and made some In
quiries about its contents. His actions satisfied
the officer that he was the man, and, while he
rant for his arrest, and it was served on him.
He seemed very much surprised at first, but,
finally, when he saw he was caught, he acknowl-
edged he was ia charge OF the goods in the
and the United States officials did not breathe
the news of his arrest to any one. They had
reasons to think that he had one
and perhaps two confederates, and they there
fore prepared to keep his arrest secret until
after they had made an effort to secure more of
the swindlers The man gave his name as Z.
E. Winter. He is not more than thirty years OF
age, and has the appearance and accent OF for
eigner. After he was locked in jail he talked
freely to the officers. He disclaims being re-
sponsible for the smuggling Of the opium. and
denies that he ever know what was In the boxes.
He Gays he was employed by physician
in San Francisco to see that the goods got
through all right, and was told that he would
be well paid for his trouble. He will have a
preliminary hearing before Commissioner Van
Buren, this morning. and the federal officers ex-
pect that he will make some disclosures that
will lead to the arrest of the leaders in this
smuggling business, who undoubtedly reside in
San Francisco
Gated by the government In all there were
one thousand of the small tin boxes filed, and
each box contained one pound OF the drug. The
duty is $40 per pound, making the round sum OF
$4,000. The government would have been
cheated che s out Of that ,s amount had had
United States officials here are grealy
e,sted oyer the discovery of the goods ands the
capture of the man. who they have no doubt is
professional smuegler. The arrest they think
will reveal clew that will lead to the breaking
up of the secret traffic of the drug in San Fran
cisco and other Western coast towns in which
men have grown rich by smuggling In the drug
and selling il to the Chinese.
The government Office here has no definite
knowledge of how the revenue collector at Port
Huron came to suspect the smugeler. United
States Marshal Hawkins said last night that il
was his understanding the goods came from On
tario to Port Huron. At the latter place it be-
came necessary for some reason to convey the
goods some distance by wagon. and it was while
that was being done that the intimstion was re-
ceived that there was opium in the boxes Be-
fore the revenue officer could make investi-
CATION the suspected man and the opium were
gone, and then it was that he telegraphed to
Collector Kuhn here to go to the bottom OF the