The morning call., 1894-03-22
THE RING BROKEN.
Loo 500, Chief of Chinese
Snugglers, Convicted.
A Crafty Celestial Who Has Long
BaffIed the Customs
Officers.

The opium ring in Chinatown that has
been in existence for years and has prot
ably smuggled into this country more
opium in pounds than there has been duty
paid upon fve-tael tins. received severe
blow yesterday in the conviction of Loo
500 of 739 jackson street on three charges
Of having unstamped opium in his pos
session.
Loo 500 has been recOgn zsd by Govern
ment officials for years as not only the
head and front of the smuggling ring. but
the brains of ii, and despite the many
attempts made TO catch the crafty Chinese
the customs officers have always failed
and it remained for a policeman TO catch
him. Time and again has Loo Soo's store
been searched when the inspectors had
traced the smuggled drug almost to his
door. only to find that it had been spirited
away and hidden, and when Loo 500
bowed the officers out it was always with
cordial good-by, an invitation to call
again and a smi lie that was childlIke and
bland" He spoke good English, did an
extensive busine SIS with wholesale mer-
chants downtown, paid his bills promptly
and without any wrangling, and was pre-
pared to establish at any time by repu-
table white witnesses an excellent char
acter for honesty and Integrity
But one night some two months ago a
policeman in Chinatown saw Loo 500, ac-
cOmpanied by one OF his clerks, get off a
SacramentO-street car at Dupont street
and noticed that the old fellow not only
moved labOriously along. but that his ser
want carried a suspiclOus-locking bundle.
The policeman had been watching Loo
500, had seen him go 10 house dressed In
his usual garb and emerge from 1t with
different clothing on and so he arrested
him as ne got off the car, and in searching
him found in the pockets of blouse he
wore eighty five-taei tins of opium, un-
stamped and, beyond question. smuggled.
Loo 500 gave bonds and when his case
come up for trial before a jury in Judge
Morrnw's court on Monday, presented,
through his attorney, an ingenious de-
tense, namely, that ''he didn't know it
WAS loaded" In other words, he claimed
TO have bought the opium without exam
lining 1t and believing 1t to be properly
stamped, and be likewise proved his good
character in the community by the testi-
mOny of many white merchants.
The fact remained that he had the
smuggled opium on his person when
caught, and ii only took the jury an hour
to ind him guilty on three charges
namely, that of receiving, facilitating the
transportation OF and having in possession
unstamped opium.
Loo 500 was at once turned over to the
United States Marshal and was promptly
jailed, to await sentence on Friday morn
ing. The law allows the court to imp pose n
fine of from $50 to 5000 or Imprisonment
In the County Jail or both. The Govern
ment officers openly rejoice over the con-
victi0n and say that they will. with Loo
500 in jail. be enabled 10 break up the
Chinatown ring.
Shortly after Loo 500 was taken into
custody his attorney appeared and asked
Marshal Long to make such arrangements
as would allnw Loo 500 to smoke opium
while in confinement, stating that the IN .
was so addicted to the habit that il de-
prived OF the drug for any length of time
it would result in his death. He asked
that a physician be allowed to examine
Loo 500 and report upon his condition.
TIE smuggler is said to have smoked from
ten to twenty pipes of opium a day fol-
years and is considered one of the heaviest
smokers in the city.