The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-11

TALE OF A SMUGGLER.
The Skipper Of the Halcyon and His
Daring Trips.
PoRr TOWNSEND, Dec. IL-(Special. 1.-The late
captain aud master of the notorious smuggling
schooner Halcyon, of Victoria, is an inmate of
the county Jail. He occupied room in the
Key City lodging house last Sunday with q COM
panion named Darius Albee. Tho same evening
they began drinking, and early Monday morning
Albee accused his room mate, who gave the
name of Charley Smith, of abstracting S gold
piece from his clothes. Smith was arrested aud
convicted on the evidence of Albee and was
sentenced to serve twenty days in the county
Jail.
Smith, whose true name is Charles Johnson,
was captain OF the worid-famous smuggling
yacht Haieyon when she took load of contra
band Chinese and several hundred pounds of
opium to California last September. He is well
known by the United States customs Off
GERS. After the Hacyon returned to Brit
ish Columbia from California and upon
her subsequent seizure Smith was thrown
out OF employment. At the county jail
this evening he told the story of the Hal
cyons last cruise to an old acquaintance and
also to the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES correspondent,
As follows:
The Halcyon was manned by six men all told,
three japanese seameD, mate. a steward and
III.
with $50 male Chinese, one Chinese woman and
$50 cases OF Ty Yuen opium. Each case con-
tanned loo pounds. We were to receive $Il0 u
head for the Chinese and $500 for the woman,
payable at Victoria after their landing in Cali
fornia- The opium was sent down by the own
ers OF the Halcyon on speculation. We came
out of Victoria late in the afternoon and the
only vessel in the straits was the British ship
Lorne, coming up from Cape Flattery. We
tackled across the straits few times, keeping
well away from the American shore, however,
about eycutlQe. when
on. The Halcyon fairly skipped the seas.
Under ordinary sail, before a fair breeze, she
could easily make ten knots an hour without
any extra exertior. We took a direct westerly
course from Cape Flattery until We had gotten
two or three hundred miles from shore and then
headed south. Splendid weather was expert
! enced and the only craft we sighted was full
rugged ship west of the Faralones. On the
ninth day OF the voyage, at l O'Clock in the
spouse was made 70 our signal that the coast was
clear. In two hours the Chinese and opium were
landed aud a receipt taken therefor from the
persons into whose charge we delivered the
cargo. The only mishap was the accidental
capsizng in the ocean surf of one boat contain
ing a dozen Chinese, who safely scrambled
ashore. That same night we took aboard two
tons of American contraband goods which We
intended to smuggle into British Columbia.
II took twelve days to make the return voyage.
We passed Victoria, the port of entry, and went
up TO sydney island, whore our cargo was
landed. The British customs officers dropped
on to our reciprocity system aud nabbed the
vessel. Although they could not prove any
thing against the Halcyon they made 1t so tropi-
cal that we were forced to abandon future
operations. The owners OF the vessel, Ty Yuen
and Lsi Yoen, were forced to make a sham sale
recently There Is no doubt but that the Hal
cyon will be retained in her past avocation.
She will never go into the sealing industry as
long as there is such a premium on Chinese and
opium smuggling The owners realized $20,300
for smuggling the Chinese on this one voyage,
in addition to q profit of not less than S
pound on IS, 600 pounds OF opium, amounting to
$4,000.
Capt Smith, or Johnson, as he is more geaer-
ally known, is about AZ years DID, perfect
athlete, with clear, penetrating dark eyes and
an honest looking couutenanee He is of Nor
wegian extraction, and the only Objectionable
feature about him 10 the absence OF eyelashes.
The slightest noise causes him to glance about
| in a nervous manner. He is we'll bred and a
| good eonversatiouast lt 10 but fair to state
| that during his conversation he was not aware
| that one of the two no was talking to was a
newspaper reporter. The Posr-lNrELLIGEscER
| correspondent was present and quietly joined in
the conversation. and after some hesitation
Johnson told the story of the Halcyon's cruise
Before johnson got command OF the schooner
! she made two daring trips into the harbor of
| san Francisco and landed quantity of opium
| and several Chinese. That was before she was
| taken across to China. The HaIcyou passed in
| through the Golden Gate at night, sailed around
| to Butchertown, South san Francisco and
| landed five tons of opium and eighty
| Chinese. she then went across TO Alameda,
| lay TO during the day and that night sailed out
! upon the ocean undecided. A few weeks later
she made a second trip 10 San Francisco bay
and anchored of sausalito, where the cargo was
transferred 10 aGother schooner. Before day
| light the Haicycn was OF and outside OF the
Farsilones. The third trip down she exchanged
! her cargo with small yacht near the Far
| aiones.
| About this time opium was very dear in Hon.
/ agv-Fr a =. n
! the mauaser OF the Ha.cyoD. arranged for the
| schooner 10 take aboard seven tons at Victoria
| for Hawaii. He went down there TO receive it.
| She was 10 hover around the islands for forty
| days awaiting Whallys signal to land. At the
end OF that time, no signal appearing. ii was de-
cided to 80 over 70 China and take on an addi-
Uonsl cargo, Nhally followed the vessel and
purchased fifty additional tons of opium
on speculation, promising to pay for
the opium after making the sale in
Honolulu. The opium was safely landed
and sold in the Hawaiian islands after A
few months, detention caused by the Halvcon
being wrecked on the coast OF Japan. Il Is in
timated that Whally received about $4,000
lie never delivered cent TO his companions,
but poeketed the entire proceeds Ty Yuen and
another Chinese firm in Victoria were the losers
as they had guaranteed the payment for the
opium, and this venture alone cost the two Arms
about 5000.
.
terey last september Oil the arms the crew had
aboard was one shotgun and two reyolvers II
was reported a; the time n tae newspapers that
she wss armed wish fifty improved rites This
statement dId not enthuse the san Francisco Of
hciA.s 10 take any hazardous chances in eject
/ Ing her capture. Only niuteeu o; tue Ch.uese
were ever pture1.
Capt. johnson yIdicu,ei the idea that the
/ Uaiycoa was going ont OF the smuggling hust-
! ness, AID SAYS she Is Still owned by two Of the
/ leading Chinese arms OF Victoria He said thst
! about two years sso she cane 20 Puget sound
/ end Landed about h!ty Chinese above Pori
Z Townsend.
Bananas.
! The famous Bocas Del Eoro bananas Will make
! their arst appearance Oh this Coast December
! y Iar Is eons-saeI - JacAsoG & AIper aJ-
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