The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-01-05
CARRY ON A WHOLESALE LIQUOR
BUSINESS.
Steal "Shamsu" From the Custody OF
the Government and Sell it to Chinese
Dealers.

The Pacific Mail wharf gang of wharf
rats are in trouble again David Kapaa
has fifteen of them at the police sta
ton charged with stealing from the
piles of merchandise that are at the
fish market in the custody of the gov
ernment awaiting delivery to con-
signees. They admit the thefts with
which they are charged. though each
individual haggles over just the amount
he stole, trying to minimize it as much
as possible, and compel some of the
Others to bear the responsibilities for
the balance.
The thefts with which the boys are
charged show progress in the arts or
"Fagin,' since they were last in the
tolls. This time they are charged with
stealing shamsu" a Chinese LIQUOR
which comes in bottles, eighteen bot
ties to the case. 1t retails at a dollar
bottle, but whether there are a hun
dred cases to the bottle or not, the evil
dence does not show. The boys have
been stealing this by the case and the
single bottle almost ever since the fish
market was made a delivery depot for
Oriental merchandise after it was fumi-
gated. After stealing it they have found
ready sale for 1t among Chinese store
keepers and coffee house keepers at the
uniform price of forty-five cents a bot
tie The money thus received went into
the general treasury of the wharf rats
with shooting craps"
Detective David Kapaa first discov-
cred that such thefts were going on last
Sunday. He suspected his friends the
wharf rats, and began to watch them.
First he took one boy into custody and
then another and by a process of close
questioning got from them the whole
story. hTeir method was to keep a
sharp watch on the government watch
man on duty at the fish market. When
| he was at one end of the long piles OF
| goods they would steal a bottle or a
case from the other end, according as
| they had opportunity or nerve to take
a larger or smaller quantity. The stolen
| goods were then hidden underneath the
naval coal sheds, until it could be put
on the market" When the watchmaD
got to the other end of the piles of
merchandise in his rounds, they would
| steal from the opposite end of the pile
| of goods, In this way they played a
| regular game of tag, and the watch
man on his rounds was always "it"
Through the boys Kappa found out
the names of the Chinese to whom the
| stolen property was sold. These were
all arrested and pleaded guilty to re-
| ceiving stolen property, knowing the
! same to be stolen, in the District Court
this morning They were each fined $40
and 81 costs. They are: All Van, store
| keeper at the corner of Alakea and
shop keeper on Alakea opposite the
telephone office; Lam Chun, storekeep-
er near the corner of King and Punch
bowl streets; All Poon, storekeeper on
| Hustace street, Kewalo; All Poi, bak-
cry on Punchbowl street, Kewalo; All
| Hong, stable keeper on PunchbowI
street; and Ho Wal, coffee shop near
the corner of King and Alakea street.
1t will thus be seen that the boys
had worked up a wide market for their
goods and were in a fair way to be-
come merchant princes, at least as long
as the supply of merchandise at the
fish market lasted.
| The boys range from six years old to
! seventeen, and are for the most part
the same gang that ewre captured some
! time ago, of whom a full account, of
age, parentage, residence and school
attendance and truancy was given In
The Star at the time. The only new
recruit to the gang is Kaai, an inno-
cent faced little Hawaiian of six years
whose brother Kalai, eleven years old
was already a member of the gang.
The boys will have a hearing in the
. District Court tomorrow morning. 1t is
expected they will all plead guilty, as
they have admitted everything to De-
tective Kapaa. Their names and ages
are: Kaleiwoh, 16; Sol Fredenberg. 16;
, Kupa, IA; Frank Kakina, 1415; Mauhi,
IA; George Kahauila, IA; Antoine Luiz,
II; Kane, Is; Joe Mana, 10; Alex Rob
inson, 70; Kahokua Kapule s; David
Maikai, Is; Jack Kalai, Il; Kaai, and
Kahalau, Is.
Note Heads. Bill Heads, Statements
and Fine Commercial Printing at the