The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-28
NAT BLUM'S STORY.
How Smugglers Planned to Sell
Certificates i'm China
HOW COOLIES WE'RE ENTERED.
Fatal Accident on the Canadian Pseinc
"A Victoria Bartender Drowned
Populists at Yakima

PoRrLAsp. June 27-Nathan Blum con-
Guided his testimony in the Chinese con-
spiracy trial today, and passed through
the ordeal of cross-examination without
the least embarrassment. In his direct
testimony he said that number of times
they were compelled 10 land Chinese
through the courts. One instance was on
the arrival OF q steamer about November
Is, 1892 Blum went TO San Francisco
and Dunbar could not get the passengers
landed by Lotan. He wired Blum ana
Blum wired back for Dunbar to see seq
Back and TO employ an attorney ana nave
the Chinese landed through the courts
''Thirty-two of them were landed. saio
Blum, by the court. lttook Just one
hours time, and cost Dunbar anu sea
Back $3.50 Through the ordinary chan
nels il would have cost sl,6Uo to land the
Cinnamon, so We saved about sl,oJO, ana
after that the custom housa people seemed
sorry they had let this money slip through
their hands, and we did not have much
trouble in getting them 10 land our China
men,"
Regarding Seid Backs and Thompson's
connection with the conspiracy, Hum
testified that Seid Back agreed, when
Thompson's trip to China was in contem-
plation, TO give Thompson letters OF IN
PRODUCTION to parties in Hongkong, which
were expected 10 enable him to dispose oil
400 Chinese certificates and buy the
steamer Zambesi I'VE figured" said
Blum, that we would get about $4,000
for the Chinese certificates and advance
money fo- bringing Cinnamon over. We
expected to pay $4,000 for the steamer and
invest part of the money IN Hongkong
opium. clearing up about 100000 beside
this, We had made an arrangement with
a London shipping firm to buy the steamer
Zambesi for $50, 600, and were TO pay Sl2,-
500 down on the purchase price. Ihomp-
son took 400 certificates with him TO
China. We were to bring Chinese direct
from China, 200 to be landed at Honolulu,
the rest here. but our company became
financially embarrassed and the scheme
fell through. Thompson left the certifi-
Gates over there. lie sold them to Chi
nese. and received between 5000 and
$1,000 for them"
Characterization failed to bring out
any material discrepancies in Blum's
testimony. He said he had no promise OF
executive clemency or OF lighter sem
tence. He expected to receive one or the
olher, but he had no promise OF either
He admitted that since the former trial of
the case he had been in the East and had
adopted different assumed names. He
had met and travelled with Val Hastings
in the East. He did not know whether or
not she was prostitute. Quite a tutter
was created in court on the cross-examIna-
ton of Sig Baer, notary public who put
his seal on large number of fraudulent
Chinese certificates. Mr.. Fulton asked
him if he had any regard for an oath.
Baer replied that he placed his seal on the
certificates for what there was in it. he
said be had a contract with Blum. Dunbar
and Seid Back to furnish certificates.
When Mr.. Fulton asked him why he was
not indicted by the grand jury Baer re-
piled that he did not know. He denied
having been promised immunity from
punishment by the government for testi-
flying against the defendant.