The morning call., 1892-06-16
SMUGGLED COOLIES.
A Sensational Discovery on the
Bark SOn0ma.
Six Chinese Found in the Hold Secreted Among
the sugar-The Cook Makes Full
Confession.


light Yesterday when a search made of
the bark Sonoma, just arrived from Hon.
olulu. resulted in the discovery of six Chi
nese coolies slowed away among the sugar
in the hold. Henry Prell, the cook of the
vessel, has made full confession, In which
he takes all the blame on himself. 1t Is
hardly likely that this will satisfy the Gus
toms authorities or any one else till thor
Ough investigation has been made. Mean
while the Sonoma, which lies in the stream
of Harrison street, is yigilantly guarded.
THE SECRET BETRAYED.
When the steamer MonOwai arrived few
DAYS ago she had the usual advantage OF
steam over SAIL and though the Sonoma had
left Honolulu before the big New Zealand
steamer sailed, the light battling wind s
which delayed the one counted for nothing
in the case of the other. 1t is pretty well
known that an urgent private communlca-
ton arrived by the Monowai. which ln-
duced Collector Phelps 10 denart from the
usual custom and order special and MIN
ute search of the SOEOma as soon as the
|. latter should arrive. The Monowai made
the trip from the Islands in seven days. Inc
SOnOma was 10 days on the way. In thoSe
nine days lay the germ OF discovery winch
may set the authorities TO thinking now
many MODgUlians may have crept In by the
new route.
That netting was suspected before the
SOnOma lett Honolulu IS shown by the TACT
that Just before she started four policemen
boarded her and searched her, as they
thought. YeTv thoroughly. The coolies were
on board at the time, but they were not
found for q reason now made abundantly
plain. And yet it is evident that the secret
had been betrayed by some one who perhaps
was not permitted TO stand IN on the prep
oSition Of $50 q head, the price guaranteed
by the Nougoian agent
THE STORY OF THE SEARCH.
As already stated, the customs search OF
the Hawaiian sailers' arrivals is not very
close. Ii usually suffices to place an officer
on board and the cargo Is gotten out IN the
usual way. But when the SOnOma arrived
Yesterday Inspector 0Leary, with TWO Gus
toms officers. went on board and rsnsacked
every hole and corner OF the ship. The JOB
took them two hours and resulted IN the
discovery of six coolies, Chun Now, Wong
Hon, Chun Chew hOong, Chun Now ChOy,
CLun Bing and Low Chew, slowed away III
a space neatly dug OUT among the sugar
bags There were 1889 OF these bags aboard,
so that the opportunity OF conceaiment " as
exceedingly good. But even Chinese coolies
must eat and drink, and the question imme-
diatey arose how and by whom these men
had been provided for during the sixteen
days of the voyage.
Collector Phelps himself went off TO the
ship accompanied by Deputy Surveyor
Narney Gaskin, Inspector George PattisOn,
INTERPRETER Huff and Inspector Ruddell
Each of the coolies was examined separately
and sworn.
They testified that they went aboard the
vessel at Honolulu on the night OF May .,
and paid the cook, Henry Preii, $50 each IN
gold, and that be In return guaranteed q
safe landing in San Francisco. They further
testified that they were laborers on the
plantations in the Hawaiian Islands aud
that five of them had never been III the
United States before.
Prell, the cook, was then brought before
the Collector, and, after being duly sworn
and cautioned, made the following conies-
sion:
PRELL's Confession.
am steward and cook OF the bark S0noma,
and ! am the party who took the Chinese on
board for a consideration. Their agents paid
ne 500 IN Honolulu. l was 10 receive $50
apiece when the contract was finished. Nobody
on board knew Of these Chinese being on the
vessel but myself. l kept them patty tn the
hold ana partly IN the stOTeToom The captain
o. mates did not know anything OF this. VIII
take my solemn oath 10 that statement l take
the whole responsibility on myself.
PTen signed the confession and then went
on the deck OF the ship. his first idea was
to get ashore as soon as possible, but there
were two or three little obstacles IN the
way, as be speedily discovered.
PRELI TRIES TO ESCAPE
There was at that time on the deck Of the
vessel al Way, a well-knOHn waterfront
b0atman. who had rOwed over with Jacob
Ergel TO take OFF two German passengers
with their effects and had returned
to the ship in search Of another job.
Prell approached Way and offered
him s. to put him ashore at once.
Way knew that the regular fare is
only 81, and having heard Of the cOolle
affair concluded there was something
wrong. Prell treasured him and was per-
mitted to get into the boat, but the two boat
men had scarcely cleared the ships side when
a customs officer aRgrily hailed them and
| told them to bring Prell back at once; that
! he was wanted on board and could not be
permitted TO escape. The boatmen dis
| cerned the possibilities Of being shot even
| IL the instincts Of gOod-citiZenshiD had
/ failed them. They disregarded Prell's re-
| mODstrances and al once returned him 10
! the Ship where he was placed under guard.
Il was subsequently, discovered that the
| manner Of evading detection Of the coolies,
| both at Honolulu and iu this port, was very
! ingenious and might well have succeeded.
/ When the coolies we're placed on board at
| Honolulu they were cOTraled in q laZarett0
| 10 feet long by wide by 81 high. This
communicated not only with a second
Iazaretto, but with the cargo. When a
| search was made in one Of the lazarettOs OF
| In the cargo the coolies shifted their quar-
| tiers. There was abundant evidence that
during the voyage they had lived and fed in
one Of the laZaTettos and on arrival had
hastily scooped out hole in the sugar bags
| covered themselves over with empty bags
and confidently hoped to avoid discovery.
THE COLLECTOR SUSPICIOUS.
Captain Lee Of the Sonoma emphatically
denies any knowledge of the fact that the
men were on board. First Mate John vii.
lisms and Second Mate Thompson are
| equally persistent In asserting their entire
| ignorance Of the coolies being on board
| The SOnoma brought q japanese pas
senEers. two German passengers and two
men who were permitted to work their pas.
sage. That was the extent of their knOwl
edge. Collector Phelps finds it hard t
believe that six men could have beer
| brought on board, fed thrice daily for II
| days, and kept IN close proximity TO th'
cabin without somebody knowing Of it be-
sides the cook
The name Of the Chinese agent In Homo
lulu who paid Prell the money and closed
the contract has not leaked out, but IL car
doubtless be easily ascertaiued. and sen
sational developments are expected az bOtt
ends. The men cannot be gotten off TIL
vessel. as it Is closely guarded.
Prell, if the only offender, Is liable 4
heavy penalties-fye years Imprisonment
and fine Of $500 for every coOlie smuggled
The Sonoma is consigned to Williams
Dimond d Co.