The San Francisco call., 1899-12-05
HOW CONv|CTS
SMUGGLE OPIUM
Drug CleVerly Concealed
on Their Persons.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN QUENTIN PRISON, Dec. An
their desperate efforts to smuggle opium
and morphine inside the prison walls the
convicts have resorted 10 methods that
have caused the officials amazement, ac-
customed as they are to exhibitions Of
ingenuity on the part of the prisoners in
the endeavor to obtain their regular sup
ply of the baneful drug. Warden Aguirre
has lately been kept keenly on the alert
and has succeeded in battling the plans
of the ''fiends" and their accessories, with
the result that large quantities of opium
have been seized within two weeks. the
value of which will aggregate more than
$1,000
About two weeks ago the Warden found
quantity of opium, worth nearly $1,000.
cached near San Clemente, where the
road gang, has been at work on the
Tiburon boulevard. 1t was put up In such
q manner that the men could easily con-
ceal IL on their persons.
Last Saturday evening, as the same
gang of prisoners was passing the Ward
en- S Office on the way to their cells, he
noticed one of the conYicts throw his right
hand carelessly about. AS all prisoners
clasped. this movement excited the off,
ciaIs suspicion He ordered the gardener
TO make search. a small quantity OF
opium, done up IN tinfoil. the package
being of the circumference OF a 25-cent
piece and about three times as thick, was
round. A watch was kept and box Of
these packages was unearthed where II
mad been cached near the line OF the bou-
leVard- There was enough opium in the
box to be worth $500. The man who threw
ms arms about was placed in strait
jacket, and on the second day of his
punishment confessed that the packages
had been made OF a size convenient TO
hold in the mouth and that a few of them
mad been smuggled inside the prison be-
fore the Warden discovered the trick
Further Investigations have discovered
the fact that the convicts have been car
rying opium through the gates in small
quantities by gluing small packages un-
der the armpits beneath their clothing. a
copy of an Eastern paper was examined
goedIy sne 1yher er,a, day anS found to CONTAIN
Victs are not allowed TO read coast papers,
but the mailing of Eastern publications
Where the different sheets of this particu-
lar paper had been glued together the
space glued was an inch broad, and be-
tween the two lines of the mucilage was
contained the morphine
Since these discoveries the Warden has
Issued orders that every convict work
Ing, outside the walls shall be stripped
and searched before being allowed inside
the gates. This innovation began yester-
day. and startling discovery was made
on the occasion Of the first search. One
OF the convicts had been supplied with a
pair of artificial pads for the calves of
ms legs, and enough opium was found in
side the pads TO have supplied the prison
for week.
1--WE have kept a close watch on the
smugglers." said Warden Aguirre to-day,
and are confident that we have discov-
cred who is supplying or trying to sup
ply the 'iends' with the drug. He is an
eX-convfct named James Harrison, who
served five-year term for burglary from
Los Angeles and was discharged on Oc-
tober 22 last. The man is cunning
enough not TO commit a felony by bring
Ing the drug on the prison grounds. but
we intend 10 prosecute the convicts and
make them feel that the risk OF snug
gllns Is too great for the continuance OF
the practice"