The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-11
lHHl UrIUM UEHL
Further Developments From Cracker
Company.
STUFF SHIPPED FROM CALIFORNIA
Parks Declined to Say
Who is In the Deal.
Possibility of His Being Prosecuted
in Portland-Waiting Fur
Their Returns.

Parks, the Portland man, who is sus-
pected of shipping opium in the crack
Company sometime ago, is pretty close
ly watched in Portland, and the author
tiles there are doing all they can 70
prosecute him on a criminal charge.
The Customs authorities are in receipt
OF a communication from the Portland
Cracker Company, which throws liz
tie more light on the transaction.
When Mr.. Wittenberg called at
Parks hotel, the clerk showed him a
letter addressed to Parks, enclosed in
an envelope bearing the card of a
Seattle lawyer. Whether this man had
been retained by Parks or whether it
was merely a friendly letter could not
be ascertained. The latter is probably
the case, as Parks formerly lived in
Seattle.
Parks was formerly connected with
the Puget Sound Machinery Company,
and was under suspicion in Seattle of
being engaged in dealing in contra
band opium. Mr.. Hobson, clerk at The
Grand Central Hotel, in Portland, stat
ed to Mr.. Wittenberg that he had had
business dealings for the past five or
six years and that they had worked
together in 1890. He had not seen
Parks, however, between February,
1895, after his return from Honolulu,
and October, 1896.
On the occasion of his last visit he
seemed much worried about something
as though he expected some one to
IL @o1l J0tl
son that if anyone came in and asked
for him, to say that he was not in, even
if he was standing in the office. From
further investigation in Seattle, posi-
tive evidence was obtained connecting
Parks with previous invoice of crack
ers bought from the Seattle branch
of the Portland Cracker Company, and
shipped by him to Honolulu. 1t is not
believed that more than two lots Of
crackers containing opium were ship
ped here; the first came through all
right and the second was captured.
The following letter was received by
Deputy Collector McStocker yesterday,
which gives other details in connec-
ton with the case:
PORTLAND, Ore, Dec. 81, 1896.
Mr.. F. Il. McStocker, Deputy Collector
of Customs, Honolulu, II. l.:
Dear Strive have your favor bearing
date of December 9th, incloSing piece OF
cardboard which you state was found in
case of tins containing opium, and which
we herewith return for your further dis
position.
We have carefully noted the contents of
your letter, and while were already
informed of the seizure from the tele-
grams from San Francisco, on arrival OF
the steamship there, we assure you that
il was very disagreeable information for
us. The cardboard that you inclose is
similar to what use in packing our
tins. and other crackers in any of our
packages. BY investigating any of our
cases in Honolulu containing soda crack
ers, you will find the same kind OF card
board
here at Portland, there is no doubt in
our minds. However, we are positive it
was not put in at our factory. MIR. Wit
tenberg has found the man who hauled
the cases from the party to whom we
sold them, to the building where the
change seems to have been made from
crackers to opium, and has also found
the man who hauled the packages, after
they were fixed up, from this place to
the steamer.
The man Parks, who has been men
toned in connection with the entire deal,
seems to have done it alone in Portland.
he packages which we are satisfied con-
tanned the opium came from San FRANCIS
to Portland by express. We have run
shipped to a man by the name of James
r. Stilson, in Portland, by some parties
in San Francisco on October p. we
have written our manager in San Francis
co to endeavor TO find out who delivered
the goods to Wells, Fargo Co. They
were packages bound in such thongs as
are used by Chinese in preparing goods
for shipment. This man "Stilson,' and
James r. Parks are the same parties;
of this we are satisfied.
Our Mr.. Wittenberg had a personal in
III Do a
mitted buying the crackers of the Ore
gon German Bakery, who in turn had
bought them of us; he admits taking them
to this house, and really admits tax Tg
them from the house to the steamer and
shipping them in our name, but he does
not admit that he put opium in them or
that there was opium in them. We are
using every effort to take action against
not commit him on anything criminal In
this country. We regret very much he
is out of your reach, as we are satisfied
that the evidence we have would certain
ly hold him.
We trust that some of the informal ton
given you will assist you over there. OF
er this man Morris is implicated or not.
1t would look reasonable that he was, as
this man Parks was formerly boo
keeper for Morris & Co., at Honolulu
and 81, would seem that they might ha &
made an arrangement when he left Nc =
ris & Co., and came to this country to
forward with our shipment, opium if he
could possibly get it in. 1t would look
to us that Mr.. Morris had notified Parks
that we We're going to make ship~-ent on
the Mount Lebanon and that I would be
a good opportunity to put some T the
opium if he could get it, which of course
he proceeded to do. We hope that sir.
Morris is not guilty. We have always
considered him an honorable yoU1- an.
We shall take every preCaUt'@ i'd
this inconvenience in the futJrs. shall
use your suggestions in mall est our
bill of lading.
We fear that our business L1a -au in
jured on the Islands for som 70
come. and this means consider 10 loss
to rs We thank you yer .ch for
sending us the cardboard. v nave tried
TO find out here if anyone is acquainted
with this man Harry Reeves" or what
L. r,nonrn IN tln ID