Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-09-02
LATEST OPIUM QUOTATIONS
Large Quantities Of COnfscated Dope
In Custom House Vaults.
RumorS Of The Existence Of a Big Opium
Smuggling Ring San Francisco Customs
0flclals Investigating That End.

opium now in Honolulu of which
the Custom authorities know
nothing. If this be the fact, it is
rather strange that the present
price of the article should be 80
high.
A Honolulu man who is we'll
acquainted among those who are
10 position to know concerning
opium acquainted BULLETIN re-
preventative yesterday with the
latest quotations on dope.
"The Hongkong article is of
course the best, and consequently
the most expensive" said he; "snd
the present price of Hongkong
prepared opium is S48 a pound,
1874 for half pound ito; the stuff
gotten up in San Francisco is
quoted now at SIS half pound
tin. or $50 a pound"
The Custom House authorities
in Honolulu are noted for their
thorough and efficient work, and
the present unusually high price
of the forbidden drug reflects
great credit on their care and
watchfulness.
A large amount of confiscated
opium lie stored away in the vaults
OF the Custom House today: there
it will remain until the United
States takes over that department
with the rest of the temporary
government of the Islands. Then,
according to United States law,
this opium will be sold at auction.
Considerable interest has been
excited in San Francisco shipping
circles over what is suppo, ed to
be the partial discovery Of a gig
antic opium smuggling ring, with
headquarters presumably in San
Francisco aud a branch in Homo.
lulu. In an article published in
the San Francisco Gail, August
10Th, we are informed of the fol-.
lowing:
There are two vessels engaged
in the trade between Honolulu
and the coast which are susp ,cted
of having carried, unknown to
their masters, large qusnt titles of
opium on recent trips to Honolu
la. The opium was packed in
coal oil cases. The suspected
vessels brought kerosene to these
| Islands, and both reached this
port about the same time. They
were stillin port when thepurcbaser
. of two cases of what was suppos
ed to be oil, informed the police
that his boxes each contained fifty
pounds Of opium.
Rumors of the existence of an
opium smnggling ring are rife on
the San Francisco water front.
Officers of the suspected vessel Is
were OF the opinion that many OF
the cases which their vessels car.
ried aud which we're supposed to
contain kerosene were In reality
filled with opium, and reached the
Honolulu eud of the smugglers
ring without discovery.
The Call article goes on to say
that there is scarcely clew as &c
the i'd entity Of the smugglers at tina,
end of the line; but it is though
that some Of the employees Of q
large oil company In the States
were concerned.
A large number OF the oil cases
loaded by one of the vessels il
San Francisco, were left ovrI
night lying on the wharf, this was
dir city contrary to the law oil
California.
The shipping clerk who had
charge OF the loading of this
particular ship, received on the
day Of it's departure from the
coast 200 cases of Kerosene; h.
noticed something peculiar abou,
the marking OF the cases and his
sns picious were aroused for a
time; it was evident TO him that
these cases wee marked by some
one other than the regular ship
per Of the oil company.
The captains of the suspected
vessels both declared that they
were absolutely ignorant of the
manner in which the smuggling
was carried out. They reported
to their agents in Honolulu, and
on their representation, no in
vestigation was made BY the ships
agents.