The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-12
THOMAS E. CHACE'S ARREST.
rs HE IN THE REPORTED CONSPIRACY
TO ron THE GOVERNMENT OFDUTIEss

..'"s' s""s Vt sSrubktrsS
and Other Dealers Are Impiicatea IN =
Systematic smuggiine Of Prepared Opiua
Across tho Canadian border. and thss
Other Arrests Are Likely to Follow.
Thomas i. Chace was arrested yesterday
noon by Special Treasury Agents Britton and
Hussey. accused Of smuggling He was ar.
rnigned before United States Commissioners
Shields and committed to Ludlow street jail
in default Of $1,000 bail for examination. He
had no opportunity to plead and was asked no
questions. One Of the agents who arrested him
made whispered statement to the Commits.
sioner and tho commitment was signed. II
there were any papers In the case they were
removed from the other court papers before
the court adjourned. The court ofiicials pro-
fessed ignorance OF the prisoners name and
the Treasury agents professed ignorance Of
everything.
The air OF mystery that for the past few
weeks has pervaded the Custom House was
deeper than ever. None Of the ofilcials had
heard OF any arrest and none knew Of any In
vestigated charges OF smuggling. Chief VIII
bur OF the secret service was out Of town On
duty. and Special Agent Cummings refused
point blank to give any Information. He Cd.
mitted tho fact Of the arrest and insinuatsd
that before long Mr.. Chace would have plenty
,Rumors have been aaqat for several days
n bad Big
stories said that. several weii.Enown firms Ia
scheme. and that when the evidence was ali q
arres WbaT S5s
rumor had underrnted the Importance Of the
discovery made By his men; =. s ,,
was the commodity struggled. and that 2OO
pounds Of e had been seized under circum-
S ssa
sher had the Stun t. hs de Sssn .sae ss
that %hSn he rtur1s this
traffic across the Canadian border. the report
went on to say. was engineered by opium
Madras and Caicntta to Canada, whence Il was
brought to New York under the eyes Of the
John McKesson. Jr.. OF the firm OF McKesson
s Se ess WHEN trss e
some arrests were to be made., lie knew moth:
something to say to.morrew: The other
members Of the, firm and other whole.
Of ssd ss
opium. except, when prepared for smoking.
Was not I'd dutiable SPECIAL Agent cammpgs
completely in n scheme to smuggle opium. He
said that in ten years only one case Of opium
had been declared for duty ut this port
II there ia any opium in the seizure rooms
OF the Custom House the employees there do
not know it. None Of the cases there Ia marked
opium and no mention OF opium is made on
the list OF seizures.
Thomas E. Chace declined to see visitors at
the Ludlow street jail; Ho told the Warden
Won .Boskirk ,thHt bail would be found for him
within couple Of hours. Then he wrote out
five dispatches. and asked that they be taken
to tire nearest telegra IN Office. The dispatches
were ambiguously worded. and the Treasury
agent to whom they were submitted. fearing
that they contained warnings to persons who
were being sought; detained them; The prisoner
for mis- Interests. but proftesseI to be in iGno-
Mr.. Chace arrived from Providence. Il. l.. on
Tuesday He registered at the Astor House
and was walking across City Hall Park shortly
after moon. when he was arrested.
Mr. Wilbur had not returned to his house on
Gates avenue. Brooklyn, ut midnight. and Mrs.
Wilbur said that she did not expect him until