The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-13
THE COOLIE TRAFFIC.
Trial of the Alleged Portland
Conspirators Begun.
SUICIDE OF A PIONEER OF 1854.
Attempt 10 Ouse Bank Receiver kteh-
ards 1t whatcom-oregon War Horse
Democrats Turned Down

PORTLAND, Dec. f2-0ne Of the moss m
teresting trials In the history OF Oregon.
owing to the political prominence OF some
Of the defendants, their number and the
grave nature Of the oifense charged 50 far
as il relates 20 those who we're govern
ment officials. was begun in the United
States district court this morning. VI
twenty-seven indicted, twenty-five, twelve
of them Chinese merchants. were placed
on trial on q charge Of conspiring 10 un-
lawfully land Chinese-Janes Lotsn, ex-
collector Of customs: c. j. MUlkey. ex-
special agent Of the treasury; Thomas
Jordan. ex-captain Of custom inspectors;
John Ross, former captain OF the steamer
Haytian Republic. William Dunbar and
E r. Thompson, owners Of the Haytiaa
Republic; Glenn o. Holman. attorney
and notary; r. J. Bannon, attorney and
notary: j. z. Marks. law student; Seid
Back, Ching Chong QUE, Chez How, Mon
Oak, Too Saet. May Ham, Lee Wing, Lee
Moon, Ding Wing. Wing John, Twin Wo
Charley and Charley Young. The re-
naming i've indicted. who did not appear
for trial. are Nathan Blum, w.
B. lacking. Maj. John Wilson, c. b.
Cardineii and Alex Ross Blum and Jack
ling have already pleaded guilty 70
charge of smuggling opium. In this case
they viii be witnesses for the government.
Wilson is a resident Of Victoria, and has
not been extradifed- CardInell is said to
be i'll. Alex Ross has not been arrested,
and il Is believed he is in Southern Cali
fornia. The room was crowded when
court convened.
John II. Gearin stated the case for the
government. He said a conspiracy had
been entered into by defendants. Dunbar,
Blum and lacking. partners in the Mer-
chants Steamship Company. to facilitate
the bringing OF Chinese iaborers into this
country from British Columbia. He said
the evidence would show the part each de-
PENDANT played in the conspiracy. The
defense claimed II was a conspiracy on the
part of Blum and Jackling, who had pleaded
guilty, TO drag down the other defendants.
Nathan Blum was called as a witness by
the government. but before he was sworn
the defense objected to him as witness
on the ground that he had been convicted
of a crime. namely, smuggling opium and
Chinese. The court took the matter under
adyisement. Ii the court sustains the OBJ
lection it will be virtual abandonment of
the case, as the government based its
case almost entirely on the testimony of
Blum. The court allowed Blum to be
sworn and give his testimony subject to
objection.
Blum testified that Dunbar lacking,
Thompson and himself. comprising the
Merchants Steamship Company, decided
about March, 1892, TO enter into the bust
ness of bringing Chinese laborers into this
country by means of fraudulent certifi-
Gates. They had a contract with the
Canadian Pacific Steamship Company to
carry from Vancouver b. c.. all Chinese
bound for Portland for So piece. The
business prospered aud they saw they
could get higher prices. so they raised the
fare for Cinnamon to $50 p. J. Bannon,
an attorney and notary of this city. made
out large number of blank certificates,
for which he received 81 each. Ching
Chong Quie secured photographs and Blum
took them to Vancouver, together with
Bannon's notarial seal, and there pu, the
seal on the certificates over the photo
graphs. Before Blum had concluded other
objections were raised by the defense. and
the remainder of the afternoon was taken
up in presenting the law on the subject.
The first of the trials of county officials
for malfeasance in Office was commenced
In the criminal court today. The first
called was that OF County Clerk Powell,
who is charged with failure to make semi
annual reports In accord ance with the
statutes. Sheriff Kelly, President Marke
and Cashier Sherman, OF the Oregon Ma
tional bank, were arraigned today and
given a week to plead.
George W. Edgar. an employe of the
North Pacific Terminal Company and also
of Thicl's detective agency. was arrested
today charged with forging the name of s.
4. W. Jones. OF Gervais. to notes for s.. 500
Jones was recently victim.zed out of s., coo
by confidence woman. The forged note
was deposited with bank as collateral Tor
all f~Nav.