Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-14
sNIuaaLEp OPIUM.
customs Officers Become Suspicious OF
the Low Prices Asked.

the Low Prices Asked.
The notice OF the Washington custom
house has been called to the suspicious
~ low price which is being charged for
opium Ia the Chinese quarter OF the
city, and Captain Matthews. u special
agent, who Is known around headquar-
tcrs as The opium man." n Mt worl, on
the case, His attention was attracted
To this circumstance several months
agu, and, although he has worked hard
during that time II IL thought that
very little evidence has been secured
which warrants the conjecture that tho
stun Is being smuggled. II lt Is heing
brought In surreptitlously Il rs probO-
bly, being landed from the river, va
Washington ia one of the easiest places
TO the smugglcr In the country, because
the customs officers are few aud they
are not. Il Ia said, so suspicious As are
THOR brothers In those ports whore
smuggllng Ia always looked upon Bs a
probability. Although the officials are
exceedingly rcticent. yet 10 Is known
that efforts are being made to trace to
Ia source all the opium winch is being
sold in the city. This 10 an Grduous
task.
A star reporter talked with several
OF the officers on the subject OF SNUG
Cling, ana the result makes plain that
Washington and the Potomac river
would be pleasant places for the ac-
complishcd smuggler 10 practice his
profession.
Up TO a few weeks ago there was but
one officer TO attend the opening ut
bonded cars at the two railroad dcpots,
10 watch all the excursion steamers
That they might not exceed thor rcEis-
try limit ana To keep an eye on NIL the
craft ON tho Washington and George
town fronts. When n vessel would
come In from foreign port her mHnl'
fest would be called for at the capes
ana turned over to the customs author
tiles hore. Then watch would be set
on the vessel to see that nothing should
be landed not contained in her mani
Irst, These craft come manly from
ST. John with latha from Port Spain
with Asphalt and from the Bahamas
with fruits or vegetables, Mhcn
private yncht, or what is thought to be
q private yacht, comes, very little care
N given to the case. II IN the easiest
thing Imaginable to land dutiahlc goods
from the lee craft running down from
the keunebcc ANA the prnobsont, or the
lumber craft coming mp from the South.
The contrgbnnd goods could simply be
transferred from the vessel clearing
from the foreign port to the coAstwi1c
craft, and Il IL probable tina, no uues-
tons would bc asked, Thnrc shipa
lumber ana shlnRlca are peculiarly dam
gcruua az smugglers, Even though
all these ships were watched closely.
tho stun could be landed down the
river and shipped by rail. II IL under.
stood that the informal revenue officers
are aleEt and are keeping cloRe tally
on the cigar and tobacco factories OF
Richmond, Baltimore and Washington.
According TO tho statements of the
police the Cinnamon are not suspected
Of Smuggling, but are suspected of Vioa
la,,nE the law In failing u pay the tax
on an opium compound, II la said that
the Cinnamon buy the genuine article
and then make a compound that they
sell az much less than the price charged
for the genuine article. Under the law
this preparation II taxable the same az
the pure opium, The first complaint
mndc against the Cinnamon was more
than q year ago, but no arrests have
necn made In this city although it IN
suspected TINT some OF the local Coles
tigls are violating the law Several
arrests were made In Baltimore few
weeks Washington Star.