The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-26
4E SMUGGLERS' DEN.
= Of the Cory Fight With
Chinese Told in Court.
- THEORY or THE DEFENSE.
1900 Claim They Were Trying -
Csssh observation-disclosures fer
Esputsssoa Wanted.


- shs true facts leading mp to the arrest
q tkese three Chinese on Jnne II. 1s92,
- bloody battle with the customs
- viii now be brought out. The
x.ks took place In . room in the rear of
~ upper story of the big frame building
SO Washington street. and was cory In
= extreme. The customs officers laid
s 40 for the Chinese by representing them
~isss o opium buyers, and ths Chinese
- claim that they also were endeavor-
& - 10 trap smugglers for the government
- tine facts win undoubtedly be brought
q before the case goes 70 the jury
tnieht
Ths witnesses who testified for the gov
esmsnt yesterday were ex-Customs In
4 sector q. @. Mcbride. ex-Coiiector Of
fussoms Andrew WATSON, +. A. Thorn
1yis and young man named Wilson.
re testimony of Mcbride and Wilson
e.ons was Of interest. and Il bore out COM
pI<se!y the story as published In the Posr-
IsYrtIrsEscxa on June IL, 1852 Early in
3 lose, II appears from the testimony Of
Mcbride and Wilson yesterday, Wilson,
vho vas constantly among the Chinese
snd Who acted AZ stool pigeon for the
Customs officers in this case, informed the
IsissT, both in this city and ut Port Towns
md, that be could put them on the track
ofcspturing So pounds OF opium and the
smuggiers who had ID in their possession.
He mentioned no names. but as he was
kusxn to be familiar with the Chinese and
ibslf doings. Mcbride, who was stationed
81 Port Townsend. was detailed to come
zoxn and work no the case with VIII
son's assistance. His first act was 10
lake . room at the Arlington hotel
under an assumed name. Then he and
wilson laid their plans to cntrap All
Hos, the suspected snuggler. 1t was
finally decided that wilson should so TO
he Chinaman and inform him an opium
buyer was at the Arlington hotel and
would huy the whole 352 pounds IL he
could get it at = fair price. Wilson did 80,
snd on June Q An How came to Nc
Brides room with Wilson. Mcbride was
Introduced as the opium buyer and nego-
nations were entered into for the pur-
chase. Finally on the day Of the fight
Mebride. who could not induce the Chi
naman to come to the hotel with any of
The opium, agreed to 60 to bi2 Washing
ton street and see q sample. He also
sgreed to buy Il for 5000 for the $50
{ II
vas not much more than one-half the
value Of that quantity OF genuine opium.
and Mcbride suspected IL was "frost," or
spurious. but decided to capture Il any
way. The Chinaman stipulated that the
money should be In gold. not bills, but
Mcbride did not want to take so much
gold down into o den of thieves, and when
81 o'clock he and Wilson went into the
door of 5i2 Washington street. they were
loaded with 81. 600 in iron washers made
up to initiate so gold pieces They were
met by All How, who, after short
pariey with other Chinese, led
them mp two flights of stairs and
through labyrinth of bare rooms. the
doors of which were closed and locked be-
hind them by some unseen hands.
Finally they came to small room. not
more than ten feet square. without win
dow or skylight and absolutely dark ex-
eept for little peanut oil lamp burning
on table In the center of the room. The
door of this room also closed and locked
behind them After q moment. when
their eyes had grown accustomed 10 the
light. they saw powerfully built young
Chiaaman and Chinese woman were also
in the room. They sat down ct the table
on a bench, and what followed was toll
on the stand yesterday by Mcbride as
fellows:
lie. All How said. Are you readyf 1
said yes. Then he said: Count out the
money, them I said / wanted to see the
opium first He sent the other China
man 20 bring four cans from somew here,
and he opened one with sharp knife
which lay on the table. tested the stuff
AMI said: Yes, that is al! right, that's
genuine Then he put the cans under his
House. ! asked 10 see the opium, and be
took us TO a little closet and showed us q
heap OF soap boxes filed with cans of
opium. They had the lids on them with
The nails started, all ready TO be nailed
down with a Ratchet which lay on the
Door near by. We counted the cans In q
lev boxes. aud then he asked me IL was
faslstsed. said that l was. Then said
% him: 'Ah How, ! am an officer of the
Ialtsd States. and ] arrest you
lie shouted TO NE; You fool me. Cd
do you,' and grabbed up hatchet and
struck al me. | grabbed the Ratchet with
enc hand and tried 10 pull my pistol with
sae other. bat the hammer caught IN my
Pocket and could not get u out AZ once,
ssd he got me BY the throat. Then l gof
tue pistol out and he dropped my throat
and grabbed that We struggled around
ard fell over on the floor under \ bench.
sAeo wat NGFfANs VINO touu0 WAS us
wis, began striking me on the back with
sreee Of board, and also on the wrist TO
make me drop the gun. ] watched my
ehaace and kicked her. She fell In the
corner. Then Just as Al Iune. the other
salnaman, was coming tor me with a
Ratchet, Wilson hit him on the head with
another Ratchet All How and both got
e. eur feet and we bad il hot and heavy.
We laid them out. Then we broke down
tae door aud vent down into = vacant los
eshind the house"
While the light Was going on WATSON,
iaosndyke and several other officers were
waiting At the Russ house near by 10 get
'as signal - come down and arrest the
eaass'ers, out Of course they got no sig
Aa until the hght was over. They then
ssas up tn the room with Wilson and Nc
hsiae, Al How was sitting in . chair
seeding from several cuts on the head and
ssck. while the other man aud the woman
s'enst around on the door, also pretty
vel dsmoEailzsd. The trio WAS bundled
me patrol wagon and sent 20 the hos
rsa and, when they had recovered snf-
esaeaslY. wers given = preliminary exami-
aafsee and bo0nd over. The room where
eas hght occurred va. thoroughly ex.
Ansasd. and bar sour cne-hAlf pound cans
49, &@8~ NSE$ taaa1a tAe ukaeE 80
Eh.aas ~. only > mixture 81 tar and
sssNzsses, but the possession OF bat the
soas saas may eonvicI ali three Chinese.
al hi opening statement yesterday one
y tsAs attorneys for the Chinese stated
sA TIE defense woala prove thai instead
: "A How aud bis wife aaa "A Yans be.
% snaeslsvs tasy we're IN fast acting for
- government aad were trying 20 catch
@axsssrs themselves; that n fact two