The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-30
STEAMER SEIZED.
Haytian Republic Taken
at Seattle.
CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING.
The Government in Possession of
Documentary Evidence Against
the Agents of the Craft.
Special TO THE MORNING CALL.

SEATTLE. Wash. May 29-The steamer
Haytian Republic was seized last night by
customs authorities and is now tied up at
buoy in the middle of the harbor in
charge of an inspector. She was searched
to-day and only five pounds of opium
found.
The customs officers say they did not
expect TO find more and that she would
have been tied up if they had known she
did not have pound of opium on
board. They say it is for past offenses
that she has been seized and that when
they file their libel on her in few days
there will be developments that will JUS
tifg them in making the prediction that
she will be coufiscated.
Beyond this they will say nothing. It
IS know0, however, that The customs Off
GERS are working upon disclos-
ares made some time ago by
the agents of the Haytian Republic
ut Victoria. John Wilson, who,
smarting under real or imaginary wrongs
suffered at the hands Of the men now 0per-
ating the Haytian Republic, has turned
ovec to the customs ofi1cars all the CORE
sporden ence be has had with the agents of the
vessel during the past nine months con-
corning the traffic in opium and the I'M
portation of Chinese, and has furnished
other evidence of an incriminating nature.
The Haytian Republic has been under
charter to the Merchants Transportation
Company of Portland, whereof William
Dunbar is the active spirit and manager.
For some time n. Blum Of Portland ap-
pears to have been associated with him.
Among the correspondence furnished the
customs officers some time ago by Wilson
we're large number of letters purpOrtng
to have been written by Dunbar and Blum
to Wilson, giving instructions concerning
a quantity of opium TO be brought from
Victoria and Vancouver to Portland on
each trip, what precautions 10 take, etc.
The letters also urge the agent
to push the passenger business.
showing him that unless he sent them
great many Chinese at $50 head they
would not be able to meet certain 0biga-
tions in which he was deeply interested.
Wilson also gave the inspectors a. large
number of cipher dispatches. relating to
the same business, and a copy of the
cipher used.
By this cipher the word 'coaP' was to
be used for opium and the wore "tons"
was to mean pounds, so that dispatch
directing him TO have the Haytian Republic
take 200 tons of coal at Vancouver meant
to bring 200 pounds of opium.
The cipher contained in the neigh bor-
hood of a hundred different words and
each of the Chinese firms in Victoria and
Vancouver was indicated by some unsus-
picious name or word representing some
ordinary article of commerce, such as
crackers.
The dispatches and letters also contain
many references to the customs authorities
at Portland, and in some of them intima-
tions are broadly made that they are cogni-
zant of the smuggling operations and reap
large share of the revenue therefr0m.
In one of the letters. purporting to have
been written by Dunbar in reply to letter
from Wilson urging him to make paw
meut long due for opium. the statement is
made elat the money cannot be sent then
because the customs authorities have
! forced them to pay such large share of
what they received for the goods.
In another letter Wilson is told that
there is very slow sale for coal" in Port
| land, and that those who bought the
previous lot had not paid for it.
| He would therefore have to wait for
/ LnuuoI anu w IloOH is uTReu 10 Se1u more
passengers as they bring ready mon ey
and are much more profitable Through
QUE the letters are complaints of sums
that have to be paid to the customs author
| tiles.
These letters were first obtained by Chi
nese Inspector Coblentz, whe, not more
than two months ago, sent report to
Washington City charging that the Hay
tian Republic was engaged in wholesale
smuggling.
1t was after this that he learned that
Agent Wilson at Victoria had fallen out
with the Portland men over their failure
to pay draft for $4,000. alleged to be due
| for opium, and which he bad indarsed.
CoblentZ went there and got the corre-
spondenee and sent it to Washington City
The first intimatinn be received from the
department. was the arrival of Special
Agent Edwin o. Wood from Washington,
who at once took charge OF the case
Wood has refused to say what his line
of action will be, and would not answer a
direct question as 10 whether the arrest of
any customs officials or the owner of the
boat would follow