The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-05
AFTER BOGUS DOPE"
Exciting Chase by Officers After
a Trunk.
THE smueeLER WAS swlNDLEp.
Big Prize Finally Run Down and
Cost the Victim $1,000.

n AlEEEF e1clklrE chase SIsST q STfugglei anu
trunk full OF opium cans vss made early yes
terdsy morning by Chief Of Police Rogers and
Detective Cudihee. After losing the trail hali-a-
dozen times and picking il up again aud spend
ing hsif tire night IN following IL from one hotel
10 another, the officers at last got taer hands on
tbs suspicious trunk and found that instead of
OPIUM they had been ehaing e trunk full Of
opium caus filed with moiasses and sawdust
lie ehsss and ;hs capture OF the trunk was
one OF the eleverest pieces Of detective work
that have been done In the city for some time.
IL IL not known generally where the
first clue 20 the suspicious character of
the trunk came from, but about
o'clock yesterday morning Chief Rogers re-
ceived pointer that trunk supposed to con-
tain opium had been dumped of an express
wagon in front OF the Los Angeles house on
Commercial street. The chief et once started
cut with Detective Cudihee TO seize the contra
band goods and gather Ia the smuggler When
they arrived they found that two men had car
rled the trunk up to q room. They went up to
the room, but neither the trunk nor the owner
was there IL was found that two men had
been seen carrying out the trunk, and ii was
traced 10 tbs New England hotel, at
the corner OF Commercial and Main streets.
But it had again been taken our,
and after another long search it was found to
have gone 70 the Northwestern hotel and then
TO the Windsor, at the corner OF Commercial
arrived there half hour or 30 before. and that
the man who brought it had il taken 70 a room
in which he was then sleeping. Stealing softly
up TO the door OF the suspects room, the two
officers entered boldly by the use of pass key
and turned on the lights. But the room was
empty, and the occup pant had left even more
mysteriously than he had entered No one
about the house had seen him go. aud none
could tell how he had gotten out with his big
trunk. It was discovered. however, that it had
only been fifteen minutes since he had left the
house.
Going down street agsin the officers made
another round of the hotels and Tor nearly two
hours the scent was lost entirely. Suddenly
Quincy cab came rafting down the street 1t
was a mere chance that the driver might know
something OF the lost trunk, and the chief in
stantiy conceived the plan of bluffing him.
stepping to the side OF the walk he hailed the
Jehu and said:
"Where did you take that trnnk?'
"What trunk?" asked the driver eyasigely,
with scared look upon his face.
why that one you took up street awhile
ago"
The driver here caught sight of shining
badge under the coat OF the chief and became
more frightened than ever He got down OFF
hss seat, and, looking around cautiously, said:
Wen, see here boss; / amt one TO peach,
but see you has the better of me this time, and
I'll tell you. took that trunk up TO the Brook
Ign, at Second and University, and the young
man give me IS not 70 say anything about it,"
This was news for the officers and they lost no
time in getting up 10 the Brooklyn. which Is
private clearinghouse Calling officer,
they stationed him at the main entrance,
the chief went inside TO interview
the landlady and Detective Cudihee
made all haste to United States Commissioner
Emery's Office to swear out search warrant.
Meanwhile Deputy Collector Mckenzie had been
sent for and arrived about the time that the
search warrant did. In the top floor OF the
house, which 10 four-story brick. was found
the trunk, SO many times described by the hotel
clerks who had helped TO handle it, The owner
had slipped away, however, and the landlady
said that he had gone with the cab driver.
With the trunk were found two satchels, and
lot OF clothing, books, pictures aud letters
These letters gave the officers the name of the
owner, Clarence r. Lane. Most OF them were
from Victoria, and some were addressed to
Mrs Clarence K Lane, Portland, Or" Nearly
all OF the photographs were taken in Victoria.
finely bound Bible was among the effects.
The trunk and the sstchels were taken to the
customs Office. where "a fve-tesl cans were
found. They were of the regular weight and
appearance OF opium cans, and the officers sup
posed that they had 4 catch amounting in value
to over $1,000 When about half of the trunkfuI
had been taken out and stamped little streak
of dark, sticky liquid found by Chief
Rogers on one OF the cans.
This is funny looking DOPE" said the chief,
smelling IL critically.
The next moment he had tasted ii, and then
he exclaimed:
"It's molasses,'
And sure enough, IL was. A careful examina-
ton Of the contents Of all the cans was then
made, aud il was found that they were all filed
| with moiasees and sswdust. The whole trunk
| full was taken down and dumped into the bay
No trace OF Lanes " whereabouts was found yes
| terday. The cab driver says that he did not 60
| with him, and he did not return to the Brook
| lyn yesterday He is young man with a
smooth face aud black hair. IL was definitely
| learned by the police that Lane bought the
| trunk aud its contents OF molasses and saw dust
| from Chinese firm ia Victoria, and that he
| paid 1880 for IL, believing that be had pur-
| chased the highest grade OF prepared opium. 1t
WAS packed exactly like the genuine article, and
1 ii was evident that the Cinnamon had played a
| confidence game on the smuggler.