The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-16
THE OPIUM RING.
True Story of the Cruise
of the Emerald.
How Captain Voss ShrewdIy Out.
witted His Friends and the
Customs Officials.

In the annals OF the customs service in this
city there has never been case OF arrest for
smuggling, except that Of Nruburger, Reiss &
! Co., that has caused tho excitement among the
| Government employees and the citizens of San
francisco that the arrest OF the alleged men,
| bers OF the Emerald ring has caused. The ring
| is credited with having successfully smuggled
into this port thousands OF pounds of opium
and scores OF Chinese, but their greatest ven.
ture was supposed 10 be in connection with the
swift yacht Emerald, which upon its second
trip to this port, In October, 1898, landed up
ward OF 1000 pounds of opium, worth 81 a
pound net and thirteen Chinese, who paid 500
each to be landed.
The whole smuggling operation was given
away to the officers by the arrest In Sacramento
OF Voss. who was the captain OF the yacht
Emerald, and a. " Svenson, captain of the
coasling schooner South Chief. They had sew
eral dozen tins of unstamped opium In their
possession when taken into custody. The men
were brought here for trial, gave bonds In the
sum OF $500 each In cash and then fed to Vic
toria. Other arrests followed the flight OF the
TWO men, Foss and Svc nson, and the Govern
ment has been working hard ever since to
secure evidence that would lead TO the conyic-
ton of the indicted parties.
Every offer except that of absolute Immunity
from punishment has been made to Voss TO get
him TO return here and testify Special Agents
OF the Treasury Pnenix of this city and Cullom
OF Portland have made trips to British Column
bla and talked with Voss to induce him TO re-
turn, but without success.
On Monday night last the mate of the snug
gler Emerald, Henry Mensing, was arrested
and jailed, and IL Is more than probable that
the Government officials no longer care for the
attendance of Voss as they have the full story
OF the Emerald's cruise.
1t is as follows: The Emerald was pur-
chased by Wichman, Greenwald and several
business men In California and OTeaon Her
first trip was eminently successful, but on her
second trip Mensing. the mate arrested Mon
day, gave the scheme away. He was detached
from the yacht up north and sent TO his city
by rail by VOss TO be here and help land the
Chinese ana tn opium upon the EmeraJd's
arrival IL being The Intention of Voss TO steal
the entire cargo and sell IL. On the way down
by rail Mensing got drunk and talked so much
that suspicious were awaS ened, aud the Emer-
AIDS arrival was watched for at the point she had
planned to land her cargo. Voss, the captain,
on the way down with the yacht, became sus-
picious, and instead OF putting into the port
agreed upon ran the Emerald straight into the
bay and anchored of Hunters Point. Meusing
who had sobered up, was waiting al the point
agreed upon when the Emerald anchored in
the bay
Voss. on getting here, was without ready
money. The opium on board was packed in
coai-ol cans and marked astral OIL" He
landed during the afternoon and kept his
Chinese below deck, but ut enough opium In
bundle of sailors blankets to furnish the
needed cash, and this he sent ashore by a
sailor, who delivered 1t to a Chinese at the COR
ner OF Washington street and Washington
dlley, tORtI06r WIN note stating that tile
thirteen coolies contracted for were 10 port and
would be landed whenever the 500 per head
was paid 10 him VOssl. The Chinese paid sput
cash for the opium brought 10 him, and said he
would let VOss hear from him later about the
coolies on board. The ChiDaman then started
out to find the owners OF the Emerald, with
whom he had made a contract, but they were
up the coast waiting for the vessel to put in an
appearance, and in consequence the importer
of cOntraband opium and coolies had TO treat
with Noss.
The coolies were landed the night following
: the Emeralds arrival, V0ss being paid $1,000
cash before they went ashore, but the DELAY in
negotiations had delayed the landing OF the
opium until it was no longer safe TO attempt it
here. VoSS then took Miller, one of the ar
rested men OF his crew, into his confidence, and
Miller undertook to find relative who would
go to Martinez and receive the opium and sell
1t for Voss
The latter loa1ed all the opium into a sloop
and took II to Martinez. except one trunkload,
which he sent 10 the express office here to be
shipped to Denver, and which was quickly
seized by the customs officers. This gave Voss
thu chance to claim that he had shipped all the
drug In various packages to Denver, intending
to go 10 that city and reship IL to its original
owners, the smuggling ring. The opium that
he loaded on the slOUD he took to Martinez and
stored on the ship South Chief, of which A. v
Svenson was master. After day or two lie
began shipping Ii, first 10 one place, then an
other, expecting TO visit the various towns
claim his goods and sell the contraband drug
he took Svenson into partnership and the TWO
went TO Sacramento where they secured the
first batch of the OPIUM and Were caught while
trying to sell 1t TO Chinese. ThrIr arrest i'm
prisoument here. release on bonds and flight
has been described. Beyond question there are
hundreds of pounds OF the opium brought by
the Emerald awaiting a claimant to-day at sta
tons TO which IL was shipped by VOss.