The morning call., 1893-07-25
BIG OPIUM FIND.
A Trunkful of the Drug Is
Captured.
1T IS VALUED AT OVER $1,000.
Some Ones Blunder in Shipping 1t
by Water Aids the Customs
Authorities.
1T is VALUED AT OVER $1,000.

An eml ty, cheap. wooden trunk, along
side pile of forty-six packages Of Lai
YueE opium in the Office of Deputy Sur
veyor Samuel j. Ruddell at the Custom
house late yesterday afternoon told story
In its own eloquent way. Only little
while before the opium had been inside
the trunk, aud the innOcent-looking thing
was lying down on Broadway wharf l, I'M
claimed by any one, when Inspector 4. T.
Hagans concluded to take possession Of it in
the name Of the United States Of America.
1t proved magnificent prize.
Those forty-six packages represented
115 pounds of opium at SIS pound, or
total of 5000. There were 23o five-tael
tins. and accompanying them had been
colossal pipe, and it had little story OF
it's own, too. Upon examination piece
of Chinese communication was 1ound,
reading when interpreted:
IL send you the music. Kun Ming"
1t was a case of fortunate coincidence
for the customs authorities. For the last
ten DAYS Collector Wise has had his eye
upon certain movements and this was the
result. But after all it was rather ac-
cidental result. The Collector and his
subordinates had expected to capture the
trunk and its contents at another deStna-
Is usually moored and by all that was in
tended it should have been unloaded at q
railway depot, but owing to the fortunate
coincidence alluded to it went where the
lofty countenance of Mr.. Hagans might
shine upon ii, and ergo. after having been
Spotted for two days, 1t found con-
signee different from the one expected.
There was big brass tag or check OF
the Minneapolis, st. Paul and Sault Ste.
Marie Railroad attached te one OF Its
leather handles, and it bore such informa-
ton upon the reverse SIDE as would estab-
lsh circumstantially, that the trunk had
come by rail all the way from ST. Paul
perhaps from Sault Ste. Marie itself or
some other likely Canadian border-and
had been intended, after reaching the Puget
Sound terminus of the Great Northern, to
be trans ferred upon railroad running
south to San Francisco.
EInstead of coming by rail, however, 1t
lad been put aboard the steamer Walla
Walla through some mistake and had been
dumped upon the wharf here. the same as
any other baggage. The fact that no one
made any claim to it was rather singular,
but if any one had he would doubtless
have accompanied the trunk and its con-
tents TO Collector Wise's headquarters
The Walla Walla steamed out of tbs har-
Dor for the north yesterday morning, and
lutte did her officers guess what she had
There is one clew to where that trunkfuli
of opium came from. The railroad check
upon 1t shows that it was shipped from
station $780," wherever that Is, and its
last resting-place previous to coming here
is supposed to have been Tacoma.
1t may be surmised, though. that this
opium, bearing tho firm name of Sing Kee
& Co. was originally shipped from Vic
taTia, 3. c. There, it is said on good
authority, bout thirteen or fourteen fac
tories are Ia full blast, and their products
find natural market in San Francisco.
How do they get here? In various ways
eyer the Canadian Pacific. perhaps, to
various Eastern points, thence across the
border where least expected. and, finally.
over land to this city. 1t would not be a
very difficult matter to pack opium from
British Columbia into Washington, Idaho
or Montana, through some of the noun
tain passes, and there are plenty of easy
border-crossings from Alberta. Assniboia,
Manitoba and Ontario. At any rate tho
goods" will come here. it seems. and yes
terday's capture was an illustration of that
fact, thanks to the diligence of Messrs.
Wise, Ruddell and Hagans, and the mis-
take by which the opium was left on the
dock by the Walla Walla.
When the dope" was packed inside the
trunk, the only, thing placed upon the tiers
OF packages was some pieces OF an old
dirty Ouilt