The herald., 1893-12-13
In THE LAWS MESHES.
AN INTERESTING CRIMINAL TRIAL
COMMENCED.
Twenty-Five of the Portland Conspira-
tors in Court-obje cotton Made to
Admitting the Testimony OF
Those Convicted.

PORTLAND, Ore, Dec. 12.-One OF the
most interesting trials in the history OF
Oregon, owing to the political prom
inence of some of the defendants, their
number and the grave nature of the
offsnse charged, so far as relates to those
who were government officials, began in
the United States district court this
morning. OF 81 indicted, 20 (l2 OF them
Chinese merchants) were placed on trial
on the charge of conspiring to unlaw
fully land Chinese. They are James
Lotan, ex-collector of customs @. J.
Mulkey, ex-special agent OF the treasury;
Thomas Jordan, ex-captain of customs
inspectors; John Ross, former captain
og the steamer Haytien Republic; Will
lam Dunbar and +. p. Thompson, own
ers of the Haytian Republic; Glenn G.
Holman, attorney and notary; p. j.
Bannon, attorney and notary; J.
Seid Back, Ching Chong Quie, Chez
How, Mon Oak, Too Suet, Moy Ham,
Lee Wing, Lee Moon, Ding Wing, Wing
Bohn. Twin Wo Charley and Charley
Young.
The remaining five indicted, who did
not appear for trial, are Nathan Blum,
vs. De ShGhlhky huJOt colA w lioOhS W
B. Carlinell and Alex Ross. Blum and
Jackling have already pleaded guilty to
the charge of smuggling opium. In this
case they will be witnesses for the gov
eminent, Wilson is a resident of Vic
toria, and has not been extradited. Alex
Ross has not been arrested, and it is be-
lieved he ia in Southern California.
The room was crowded when court
convened. The impannelling of jury
was begun at once.
At the opening of court this afternoon.
John M. Dearln stated the case for the
government. He said conspiracy had
been entered into by defendants Dun
bar, Blum & Jackling, partners in the
Merchants Steamship company, to fscil-
itate the bringing of Chinese leborers
into this country from British Colum-
bia. He said the evidence would show
the part each defendant played in the
conspiracy.
The defeuse claimed it was a conspi-
racy on the part of Blum and Jsckling
who pleaded guilty, to drag down the
other defendants.
Nathan Blum was called as witness
by the government, but before he was
sworn, the defense objected to him as q
witness, on the ground that he had
been convicted OF an infamous crime,
namely. smuggling opium and Chinese.
The court took the matter under advise
ment.
If the court sustains the objection it
will be a virtual abandonment of the
case as the government has based its
case almost entirely on the testimony of
Blum.
The court allowed Blum to be sworn
and give his testimony subject to OBJ
lection.
Blum testified that Dunbar, Jackling,
Thompson and himself, comprising the
Merchants Steamship company, de-
cided about March, 1892, to enter into
the business of bringing Chinese labor
ers into this country by means of fraud
ulent certificates. They had contract
with the Canadian Pacific Steamship
CONF pany to carry from Vancouver, B.
c., all Chinese bound for Portland for
s6 apiece. The business prospered and
they saw they could get higher price
go raised the fare for Chinaman to $50.
p. ]. Bannon, an attorney and notary of
this city, made out large number of
blank certificates for which he received
81 each. Ching Chong Qui secured
photographs and Blum took them to
Vancouver, lv8ether with Bsnnon's no
tarial seal, anu there put the seal on the
certificates over the photographs.
Before Blum had concluded other OBJ
jections were raised by the defense and
the remainder of the afternoon was
taken up in presenting the law on the
subject.