The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-22
GANG OF SMUGGLERS'
How They Evade Paying Duty
on Opium.
OPERATING ON A GRAND SCALE,
An Interesting story-Work of a
Wealthy Syndicate-Cheating
Government,


ing story is printed this morning of the
operations of the opium smuggling
gang, one of whose leaders, Captain
Durant, so narrowly escaped from the
customs officers at Sand Beach, Mich.
week ago. The cores ondent says
Durant and his lieutenant, Charles
Weitzel, are living in style at the best
hotel in Sarnia and are Iionized by the
inhabitants of that little Canadian
town. The correspondent had long
talk with them yesterday. They have
been smuggling opium for the last two
wears, and have successfully landed
hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
of the costly drug on the other side
without being detected, but the last
consignment they took over was dis
covered and seized by government de.
tectives, and it came near costing
Durant his life. Four detectives way
laid him in the woods at night, took
him at a great disad 'antage, and tried
their best to end his life by standing
ten feet away and firing twenty shots
at him in rapid succession, but Durant
HAS A CHARMED LIFE,
and made his escape without injury
Every one around Sarnia knows him to
be one of the most daring smugglers
whoever exchanged shots with custom
house officers. They know, also, that
he is one of the trusted agents OF rich
syndicate, that was organized several
years ago for the express purpose OF
smuggling opium into the United
from Victoria. The syndicate has
SIS 600 900 behind it, and is largely con-
trolled by a man in Victoria known as
BOSS Harris" He is immensely rich
and makes no effort to conceal the fact
that he is the biggest smuggler in the
Dominion. He always has large bank
account here, and he has told the
cashier of one of the leading banks that
he and his associates had made millions
out of opium. AS an Illustration OF the
BIG MONEY TO BE MADE
out of the business, he said he brought
down consignment of opium from
Victoria to Sarnia and employed two
men to carryit across the river to Port
Huron, whence it was shipped to Cali
fornia. The men carried the drug,
which was packed in tin cans, in their
coat pockets and rode across the river
on the regular passenger ferry boats.
Although customs officers are con-
stantly stationed on the ferries, the
men who transported the drug were not
detected, and the entire consignment
was carried over in less than wee k.
Within four weeks from the time the
drug left Victoria by this circuitous
route, it was safely delivered at San
Francisco. The United States govern
ment was defrauded out of over 100000
duties, and BOSS Harris" pocketed
$50 600 for
HIS SHARE OF THE PROFITS,
and another active member of Harris
gang" operates under the assumed
name of Spencer. He intends shipping
the goods from Victoria. A rich San
Francisco merchants said to be prom
inently identified with the syndicate.
A man for many years IN the employ
of the United States government as in
terpreter is another MEMBER. A
Toronto Chinaman and Opium Pete, -
of San Francisco. comprise the rest of
|
q large number of agents whose duty
if is to look after the consignments
after they leave Victoria, showing them
from Que point to another in
the Dom Mon, transporting them over
the border, and then reshipping across
the States to California, covering up
their tracks in such a clever manner as
TO successfully elude the vigilance Of
the customs officers. The value of the
combined product of the factories in
British Columbis, the headquarters o!
the Harris gang, is estimated at S. co.,
900 per annum, and of this more thar
80 per cent. goes to the United States
It is elieVl d that less than 10per cent
OF it pa ,ses through the custom houses
The gang operates not only at SarGis
but all along the northern border of thu
United States.