The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-05
A GANG OF SMUGGLERS.
Leader Had Sterling Letters Of
Recommendation.
WIFE OF SENATOR HALE HAD
PRAISED HER CHRISTIANITY.

The Gang Had Been Operating Extensively
at Detroit, the Goods Being Peddled
Through the Country-Th he Leader Was
Woman.
Detroit Mich, December 4.-Seven of the
most successful smugglers who ever
'worked" the Detroit river are now behind
the bars here, two of these active workers
in the persons of two ferrymen, being
locked up this forenoon
The queer feature of the case is that the
two ferry officials admit having had hand
in the smuggling; that Selma Gobree1, the
leading woman, also admits it, and that two
other women confess.
Selma Gobreen, who is thought to be the
leading spirit of the lot, has been heard OF
before in both New York and Boston, and
when arrested here Saturday had in her
possession letters from prominent Eastern
persons, among them one from Russell
Sage of New York; the Rev. A. II. VInton
of Worcester; an elaborate letter from
Senator Hoar of Massachusetts,; one from
the wife of Senator Hale Of Maine, and
others of like Importance, all of which
praised her highly asa Christian, who had
been converted in this country and was do
ing splendid work amcng her countrymen
and women in the place in which each letter
was written.s
1T appears that she has been for a long
time selling smuggled goods, and has i'm
posed upon these persons. 1t has also
developed that she is the same woman who
was arrested in Boston during the summer
of 1898 for undervaluation of goods and
only secured the release of her property by
the endeavors of influential political
friends. who advanced the money necessary
to get it out.
SHE wEEPs AND MoANs.
She says she is the sister of the man Asud
Gobreen, who was arrested with the trunk
full of contraband goods. and she has done
nothing but weep since her arrest, ana
moan about what will become of her and
what her Eastern friends will think of her.
She admits she is guilty and has begged the
officers to give her something, that she may
kill herself.
Kate Moore. the lodging house keeper IN
whose house the goods were secreted IN
Windsor, says that she held out long while
against the Gobreens importuning her to
help. and she reluctantly consented only
after her sister Miss Ann Kirk, who is also
|
had heen successful.
Ii was learned today that great quantity
of goods was b1 ought over in daylight on
the ferry-boats and taken care OF by Joe
Lazarus and John Nichol, the former gate
keeper on the American side and the latter
ferryboat deck hand. Nichol would re-
ceive bag or box of goods from the Wind
sor side and bring it over. While the boat
i ~ .x~4C nft ypnVn
not watching he would give IL to Lazarus,
ho would toss it in a dark corner until there
was chance for the smugglels to take it
away between trips.
The Gobreens are Syrians. and tried to
| conceal their identity, but Selma broke
down and confessed everything. The
officials did their best TO arrest John ADD
el-Nor, who is said to be the husband of
Selma, in New York, and were only pre-
vented by a special treasury agent being
away from his place of business on satur-
day. A telegram was sent from here at noon
to the agent there. but no reply was re-
ceiyed. Then the Department at Washing
ton was warned and woke up the New York
office. but the New York official wired back
to find out why he should arrest Abd-el-Nor.
All this took time. Secret Service Agent
Carter got angry at the delay and said he
would take the case out of the hands OF the
New York man entirely. and he started
from here for Ne York Saturday night.
the United States officials here promising
that they would keep the news from getting
out.
BLAME THE NEW YORKER.
Then special agent of the Customs Depart
ment in New York is being roundly blamed
by the officers here for not going ahead with
the arrest. as he might have known. they
say, that the special agent of the Treasury
here would have nothing to do with any
thing but smugglers.
The papers found on the arrested persons
here include the bills of the goods puI-
| chased in Constantinople, with the ship
ping receipt from Montreal. where they
were landed by steamer. and also the bills
| of lading for the same goods from Detroit
| to John Abd-el-Nour in New York city, and
| there is no mention of those goods having
laid duties.
The affair has caused much excitement
among the customs officials here. and
Deputy Collector Smith has suspended
avery man who was on duty at the points
where the goods were smuggled. and will
have an official investigation. There were
| Two kilograms received in Windsor this
morning from New York asking why Ger
tain goods did not arrive, and the officers
| fear the leader will become frightened and
disappear On the way to New York in the
hands of the express companies at present
are about $4,000 worth of the smuggled goods.
soa1Ep D K HrEOSparTnPNEy EEtI OMc