The morning call., 1890-09-01
CLEVERLY CAPTURED.
Policemen Catch a Smuggler in
Chinatown.
al Important Seizure of Opium Which Had
Escaped the Customs Officers I, Made
Early in tie Morning.

through the watchfulness of two police
men large and important seizure of opium
WIS made early yesterday morning in the
very heart Of Chinatown, after being SNUG
gied successfully from schooner at Lom-
ca'd-street wharf past the United States Of
felals by an ordinary seaman
ne slnuggier was placed in cell at the
City frlson and will be given in custody of
the United States Marshal this morning.
tie gave The name of Louis MattSon, and
SAID he was sailor on the schooner Jennie,
now lying at Lombard-street Wharf.
the opium, which he hal taken from
British Columbia, was confscated by the
police, who hold it temporarily for the Fed
eral officers. 1t consisted OF 332 5-tael boxes,
worth about S740O.
About 1880 o'clock yesterday morning
Officer Michael J. Conboy and Special Of
fcer Farrell were standing at the corner of
hearny and Commercial streets, when their
attention was attracted TO a hack drawn by
two gray horses and which was driven up
and down kearny street three or four times.
ran VINO appeared 10 be a sailor loitered
at he opposite corner and was apparently
on he lookout for something. Each time
the nack passed by its solitary occupant
lift up the blind and looked out cautiously.
The suspicious of the officers were aroused,
and it was decided to watch the hack.
A CLEVER DISGUISE.
Very soon it was driven up Commercial
street, toward Dupont and stopped opposite
the old Nerandah Iheater building A Chi
nese opened door and said something to the
man in the carriage, who was not quite shrewd
enough to carry his scheme through, for
cripple limped past painfully and overheard
the words
All right; I'll be back about o'clock"
The lame man was Special Officer Farrell,
who ceverly assumed the disguise at mo-
ments thought.
Conboy and Farrell were then certain that
some unlawful transaction was to he perpe-
trated at that hour, and they made arrange
mentS to meet shortly before the time and Sc
crete themselves near by the doorway, to be in
readiness for anything that might transpire.
They hid in a dark recess opposite the place
they were to watch, and just at o'clock
were rewarded with seeing the same hack
and It's gray horses pass the street along
ke9rny in southerly direction. Two men
were on the corner, however, and. it seems,
frightened the smugger from turning into the
Chinese quarter with his precious booty.
AT TIE LAST MOMENT.
The carriage passed on, and returned again
and again, while is occupant peered
anXiously through its windows toward
where he wished to go. All was as still as
night in the narrow street, and the uncertain
light encouraged him to hasten forward and
finish his risky task; but the night providers,
he imagined, were watching him, and he
drove around to Dupont street After brief
interval his carriage appeared at the other
end Of the block and stopped Then it stOl.
almost noiseleSsly down the slight hill and
stopped at the point where it had been three
hours before.
The smuggler stepped out quietly with
large case, which lie carried into a door
way, where Mongol was waiting in the
dark. The box was too large to pass
through the small door, and the iron door
bad 10 be opened to get the opium inside.
AS it was deposited ON the floor the big
weather-tanned sailor who took it in was
placed under arrest by Officer Conboy.
The sailor looked up from where he was
STOPPING, and in terrified voice exclaimed:
Its all up with me now. There is no
use in denying anything"
AT the City Prison the smuggler gave the
naTe of Louis Mattson, and talked quite
freely of his capture and how he came by
the opium.
THE sMUGGLER SPEAKS.
He said that the opium had been snug
gled into British Columbia some time ago
frou CHINA, and held at Nanaimo until the
schooner Jennie; on " hich he worked, ar
rived there anu took it on board for this
port Only hlmSeit was interested IN the
scheme. and his remuneration was set at
$50. He told another story to the effect
that he was to have been paid S1315 by the
Chinese for the opium, which WIS carefully
packed in two large boxes and bag.
Maurice Walsh, the back-driver who owns
the vehicle which conveyed the opium from
the schooner, lives at Twenty-nintn and
Folsom streets, and may be held response
BILE for his completely in the smuggling, al
though he claims he does not know what
Mattson had in the bag and boxes. When
he found how matters turned out he loudly
demanded his fare.
tits all up now" replied Mattson, land
l cannot pay you. If had got my money
on the opium l would have paid YOU"
81 don't know about your crooked work,
but | want TO be paid for driving YOU about
the town for five hours" retorted the angry
hackman.
Mattson hired the hack early in the even
ing drove to the Cliff House, where he took
dinner with the driver, and then returned
to the wharf. He gave Walsh So. all the
money he had in his possession.
The schooner Jennie trades mostly be-
tween England and France, with general
merchandise, and sailed to Vancouver
Island with mixed cargo, after which she
came to this port with the struggled opium.