The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-03-31
Prominent Chinese Merchants
Arrested.
SlA MONTHS CERTIFICATES.
Wing wo Chan Co. and Wo Sing Co.
Implicated = Other Arrests to be
Made Bribing Tom Cook A New
Way to Leave the Country Now.

Tuesday morning Rat Poo and Lee
Chit Sam, of the firm of Wing Wo Chan
& Co., together with Lee Chin, of Wo
Sing & Co., were arrested on the charge
of bribery, and released again later on
furnishing bail at $4,000 apiece.
The circumstances leading to the ar
rest and bringing to light of a case of
more than ordinary interest are as fol-
lows:
On Tuesday, March "a, the bark Ori-
ent Departed for Hongkong, taking a
lot of Cinnamon numbering, close upon
hundred. On the passenger statement
were from twelve to eighteen names of
Chinamen who came to this country un-
der the six months residence bond
agreement, and who, it is alleged,
should have gone back to China on the
last trip of the City of Peking to those
shores
Shortly before the departure of the
Orient, Inspector of Customs Thomas
Cook, who had charge of the passenger
statement and whose duty it was to
check off the Chinese passengers as
they stepped aboard, was approached
by a member of the Triple Alliance"
and sounded
Negotiations were entered into by
which, upon payment of a certain sum
of, money, Mr.. Cook was to check off
the list of names furnished without the
appearance aboard of the parties con-
cerned. In other words, it was case of
out and out bribery
The money was pocketed and the
names only checked off, but that did not
end the matter. Inspector Cook report
ed the matter to James B. Castle, Col
lector General, and at once put him in
full possession of all the facts in the
case.
Minister Cooper was notified at once,
the case coming properly under the For
eign Department.
Up until yesterday morning, when
matters came to a focus, the customs
officials were kept busy following up the
case and arranging the meshes of their
net to scoop in ali the parties concerned
with one cast.
Upon an order being issued from the
custom house, the three Cinnamon di- |
rectly concerned in the bribery case
u-e,o orroc+ad 90 lo+o;Ioa ol,o--o rr1.o,-
very silent about the matter,
desiring to await trial before furnish
ms any light or darkness on the subject. |
As stated above, the men for whom |
they tried to arrange mattersv came |
here under the six months residence |
bond agreement. 1t is surmised that !
they became enamoured of the climate |
of this country during their short stay, |
and wishing to prolong the love feast, |
made arrangements with the men of |
the Triple Alliance" to aid them in
evading the law. These Cinnamon, who
play prominent part in the bringing
of six months residence bond brethren
into the country, are supposed to have
aided the enterprise" suggested, de-
string to help their countrymen, and in
cidentally themselves.
Kat Poo is business manager for
Wing Wo Chan, as we'll as proprietor
Of the Chinese wine establishment on
Nuuanu street. Lee Chit Sam is also a
prominent member of the same firm.
zee Chin is we'll known as being one of
he head men in Wo Sing & Co.'S es-
ablishment
Too much credit cannot be given In
spector Cook for his prompt report of
he briberies at headquarters. His act
on not only showed his honesty, but it
2ipped in the bud a neat little scheme
hat had been mapped out for the pur-
pose of evading the laws of the country,
md profiting thereby.