The San Francisco call., 1898-01-09
The Scare Among the Importers Is Over and
 They Come Again.
Evidence Against the Dealers to Be Presented to the
 Collector.
A Cigar Manufacturer on Stockton Street Said to Head the
 Gang.

The scare received by the importers Of Chinese slave girls some months ago, when their methods were thoroughly ventilated through the columns of The Call, seems to have subsided, for the willy Mongolians are again at work at- tempting to evade the law.
 There are now on various steamers in port from the Orient, ten or a dozen Chinese girls who are awaiting an op- portunity to get ashore. These girls were brought over from China, osten- sibly as the wives or daughters of mer- chants residing here, or as native daughters. As usual each one was thoroughly coached before leaving China as to what to say regarding her birth, and were it not for the fact that sometimes Chinese memories are not perfect the girls would have no trouble to get ashore, but there is such a dis crepancy between the stories told by the girls and the witnesses through whose help they are landed that the collector of the port has his suspicious aroused and places obstacles in the way of successful consummation of the scheme.
 
 least four of them, have been brought over by man who runs cigar manu- factory on Stockton street, between Jackson and Pacific streets. This man disclaims any ownership in the girls, but those who are in a position to know say that he is at the head of an association which deals in slave girls, and that since the subsistence of the scare he has been especially active. The association has ramifications in all the coast cities, and it is claimed | that the recent persecution of Dr. Gardner, the official interpreter, was a part of the scheme, as he was in the way, and it Wa mainly through his | efforts that the schemers were put to trouble in getting the girls ashore. | They thought that if they could get him convicted of accepting bribes they | would get him out of the way and have a clear field. The ease with which Dr. | Gardner cleared himself of all taint surprised them and then they tried various devices to get him out of the | city until they could get the present batch of girls ashore.
 His return last week upset their plans | and now the slave dealers are casting about for ways to again get him out | of the way as the collector will not | wait much longer before he orders all l | last Wednesday.
 1 The Stockton street man, who is said to be the head of the importers, denies any complicity in the matter. and, strange to say, his name was not known to the officials of the Chinese | bureau of the custom house. Chinese who are well acquainted with the man and the workings of the association, 1 however, say that the man is the real | head of the importing company and that 1t was through his advice that the letter was sent to China some months ago telling that end of the association to send no more girls until the talk had ceased.
 Those who are opposed to the landing of the girls are at work gathering evil dence against them and will present il to the collector in a few days and ex- pect to have all the girls sent back tc China. They will also present a mem orial to Collector Jackson asking him to take measures to have stricter watch kept on the imported girls so that they may not be approached by the Chinese until after they have been thoroughly examined by the officials of the depart. ment.