Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-26


have been postponed until tomorrow on
account Of rain. The entries stand.
SMUGGLING IN CHINAMEN.
Inspector scharf Says New York Customs
Onicers Are Bribed.
Chinese Inspector scharf Is having q
lively row with the customs officials In New
York, and makes some serious charges. al
leging corruption In connection with the
admission of Chinese to the port. Assist
ant Secretary Hamlin has requested the
collector of the port OF New York to in
vestigate the admission Of Lee Lit an al
legged Chinese merchant, who Mr.. Scharf
claims was permitted to land despite his
protest. A report made by Mr.. Scharf to
Special Agent Montgomery OF the treasury
has been given out by the Treasury De-
partment. The report contains some Inter-
esting statements regarding the smuggling
Of Cinnamon, and alleges that the system
In force at the port OF New York TO in
force the provisions Of the exclusion act is
roaring farce" The report says:
THE smuggling Of Chinese into the
United States has become systematic
business. In this city there are several syn
dicates of wealthy Chinese merchants who
are proftably employed In smuggling their
countrymen into this country. L am cred
itably Informed they receive about $500 per
head for every Chinaman they successfully
manage to get through the borders. Some
OF these firms have their asents or repre-
country, well as in other countries.
They say In some places government off,
, c,ais are on their pay , rolls. Mhere , 90
pay for the aid OF all those necessary to
enable them to violate the laws. Some of
the railroad and steamship companies also
lend their cooperation In getting the Chi
nese into the country for the profit there
Is in the traffic. The Chinese smuggling
Se aesG I'm In the pay To
terpret the laws and assist in enabling
them to defeat the objects Of the govern
stantiai merchants with whom the Chi
nese have large commercial transactions
are also employed to indorse their Ger
with certificates Of character when neces-
sary;
bic firm whose names can be found upon
almost all of the certificates presented by
the Chinese when attempting to enter the
country. The senior of this firm admitted
tihcates for persons whom e he lid not not
know personally, but who had only been
Introduced to him a few minutes before
In other words, he signed them upon the
whom he had business relations"
Mr.. Scharf says the American consuls in
sible for violations OF the Chinese erclu-
sion laws in the signing of certificates
They do not use their best Judgment and
who are prohibited from entering the United
States. In many cases there exists coliu-
sion between the Chinese passengers or
agents and the masters of vessels. He al
leges that great frauds are committed by
the improper classification OF the Chinese
who are attempting TO enter the country.
The acts OF Congress prohibit the coming
Of Chinese iaborers." Under the ruling OF
port very few. II any, Chinese are excluded.
The Chinese are thoroughly familiar with
he SSH INN NV he
ment and are now coming In in droves
under the head Of merchants, students,
actors. &C.
Paid to q Deputy Collector.
The report further says: "A Chinaman
in this city who has served a term in the
penttentiary for forgery. and who now runs
the Chinese Theater. never has in his en-
ploy more than fifteen Chinese actors. This
criminal has established a regular bureau
Tor the importation OF Cinnamon under the
head Of actors. He has already imported
several hundred under this head and the
department has been informed, with the
has made arrangements to ship from that
port by every steamer from six to fifteen
Cinnamon, for which his syndicate is TO
"The department has also heen informed
that he pays $50 per head to a deputy coll
lector at this port to land them. This in
formation was verified to me yesterday by
another Chinaman. who was not aware Of
the receipt OF letters by the department
making these charges. He would not give
men detected him in giving any information
leading to their discovery and punishment
he would be murdered. However. the evil
dence is accommodating. and 1 hope before
very long to be able to furnish sufficient
evidence to convict the alleged guilty gov
eminent officials engaged in this business"
Mr.. Scharf details his experience with
customs house officials in the case Of Lee
Lit. who. he asserts. was permitted by
Acting Collector Couch TO land after a
perfunctory and unsatisfactory proceed
ing. notwithstanding evidence that he had
Burlington, but was not successful In
| closing his report Mr.. Scharf says:
From all the evidence / have been able
to gather, 1 am convinced IL will be impos-
sible for me to prevent unworthy Chinese
from entering the United States at the port
| Of New York as long as these alleged cor
| jury ard counsel in the investigation Of
their own misdeeds."
Denied by 0niciais.
Naturally the New York customs
officials involved are incensed by Mr.
Scharf's statements. They declare in in
| terviews In the New York Sun today that
Mr. Scharf expressed himself satisfied with
Lee Its examination; and told him to GO
led Into ordering an investigation.
The steamship Seneca of the Ward line
| arrived yesterday. There were six China
men aboard, including Tu XII Lin. twenty
five years old. who said he was a partner in
the firm OF Lun Yick & Co. Providence.
The other f1ve were Wah Wing. Wong Sc
Long, Chic Lau, Chin Fun, and Chin Shi.
| who said they were students. but that mer-
chants in the Chinese district, New York,
| would be responsible for them. Mr.. Schan
and Deputy Collector Gunner boarded the
| steamer and Mr. Scharf read a formal ad-
DRESS protesting against the removal of
| any of these Cinnamon from the steamship
on various grounds. Deputy Collector Gun
hon