The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-11-13
A MAMMOTH FRAUD. D.
The Government Defrauded of Half
a Million Yearly
BY A SYNDICATE OF CAPITALISTS.

Opium Brought Into the Country
Regularly Without Payment of
Duty-The Syndicate's Agent Ar
rested-He Charges That He Is the
Victim NJ Conspiracy.
q New YORK, Nov. 13.-Chief Special
Agent Wilbur, of the treasury depart
ment, has made what he considers the
most important arrest of recent years,
and one which he believes will lead to
breaking up of the gang of opium snug
glers which have been illicitly supply
ing this market with the drug. 1t is
asserted that this gang is syndicate of
eastern capitalists. some of them esti-
mable merchants in this city, and that
they have for years been defrauding the
United States treasury out of at least
$500, 600 annually.
Chief Wilbur's prisoner is Thomas Z.
Chace, of Providence, r. l., who was
arraigned before United States Com
missioner Shields yesterday afternoon,
charged with smuggling 100 pounds Of
opium, the duty on which is $12 per
pound. He pleaded not guilty, and was
held to await the action of the United
States grand jury
Chace had confederate with him,
but he escaped.
Chace is fine looking old gentleman
of SO years. He was arrested by Special
Treasury Agents Britton and Hussey
and in his trunk in his room at the
Astor House was found 200 one-half
pound cans of unstamped opium.
The Agent of a Syndicate.
Chief Wilbur says that Chace is the
"deliverer' of a big syndicate of opium
smugglers which has facilities for bring
ing into this territory 1900 pounds of
opium per month.
The market price of this opium, Chief
Wilbur says, is SEQ per pound, that is, it
costs IS a pound and the duty, $l2 a
pound, but the smuggling syndicate
have been offering it at $l2 and $l5 per
pound.
Ii is the syndicate back of Chace that
Chief Wilbur is after, but no other ar
rests have yet been made. When these
men are captured, Chief Wilbur says,
the publication of their names will cause
a sensation.
"There has not been an importation of
smoking opium in ten years." said Mr.
Wilbur, $50 you can imagine the extent
to which smuggling has been carried
on"
Chace Claims Conspiracy.
Mr.. Chace was interviewed by re-
porter at Ludlow street Jail. Il am
sorry this story has come out" he said
sit is wrong, all wrong. But l viii tell
you two facts in the case and you can
see how they have been distorted. came
to this city on business on Tuesday last
and went TO the Astor house. During
the morning received communication
from u man whom | knew, who wrote
that he would send trunk to me. lIo
asked me TO keep it in my room until it
was called for by gentleman who
would introduce himself by letter
saw no harm in complying with his re-
quest. Before the trunk came the man
with the letter arrived. 1t was u very
brief note, as remember, merely intro
ducing a Mr.. Blank TO me, and asking
that allow him TO take the trunk away.
told hml the trunk ladnot arrived yet,
and he went out, saying he would call
again.
THE second time an5thar man came,
still the trunk had not arrived. | had no
idea what it contained, and it did even
interest me. After the trunk came the
man who came first walked in.
so it is hereI' he said "Well, I'll
go out and get some one to help me
with it.
Arrested for Smuggling.
"He went out, was gone hardly min