The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-01-16
Was Brought Here With Fellow
COuntrymen.
Whom He Was Trying
To Smuggle In.
win Be Arraigned in United
States Court Today.

Seven Cinnamon were among the pas
ssnQers who arrived on the late afternoon
train from Bangor yesterday. Tney were
prisoners OF law, and were in the custody
CT Chinese Inspector X. K. Miller and
Deputy United States Marshals Hasty,
Norton and Smith. They were at once
taken to the county jail, and this morn
ing they will probably be arraigned be-
fore Judge Webb in the United States
District Court on the charge of having
violated the immigration laws. These
sever Acknowledged celestials one day last
week crossed the border between the
Maine and New Brunswick, with the in
tention OF going - Boston and there en-
gaging in business.
Sam Wah kee is the leader of these
Cinnamon, who are now confined in the
Portland jail He was born in Canton A.
years ago, and came to America in 1865,
by the way of San Francisco. For the
first five years In this country he was in
business in SalenAs Oregon. Then he was
one year In Chicago, and then Vent to
Boston, where he has since been locatsd
lie has been very successful, and Is prob
ably worth $lO0.O00 He is the best
known member OF his race In New Eng
land, and is the most influential China
man in Boston, his store on Harrison
avenue having for a long time been the
centre OF the celestial colony There have
bsen many raids made by the police on
the fan-tan players, and sam Wah kee
has always been notified whenever the
officers would come in sight.
After the prisoners would be arraigned
he would always be on hand to bail them
cut No Chinese family festival or
funeral in Boston has for years been COM
plete without sam Wah kee. lie has
stores in Boston, Philadelphia and San
Francisco. About a dozen years ago he
returned to China and came back to Bos-
ton with bride OF 10 Two daughters
were born to them and their births were
tho occasion OF great celebrations in Bos-
ton Then son was born, and 700
Chigamen from all over New England
were invited to help celebrate the event.
The party were lavishly entertained at
the Parker House, and the boy was
named "Amss Hart May wah Kee." The
f1rst two names were in honor OF the gem
tlemen who at that time were respective
ly the governor OF Massachusetts, and the
mayor of Boston. The family of late has
resided considerably In China, and Sam
has mads frequent trips to his old home.
hut Sam has, for several months been
the object OF no little trouble on the part
of the officials of Uncle Sam In his
eagernsss to add to his colony of friends
In Boston the officials say that he has ex-
ceeded the bounds, in that he has illegal
ly brought these friends into this country
from New brunswick. Last October he
went down to New Brunswick and sue
ceeded in smuggling across the border
number OF his friends. The officials gave
him a good chase, tut sam got away
with the trick, Since then they have been
on the lookout for him, and now, after
having waited for some time have been
successful. The official who is responsible |
for the clever capture OF Sam and his |
friends is Chinese Inspector Miller who |
devotss his sole attention to seeing that |
the statutes in relation to the Chinese |
laws are not violated.
One week ago this morning Inspector
Miller was at Fairwell, New Brunswick,
hOWh oAIoo oub ltOm Lu6
City of st John. He was there on busi-
ness. AS he disembarked from the train
he saw the Cinnamon get on, He learned
that these ceIestials had been driven from
st. John, to Fairwell, and that they had
tickets good for st. Stephen, N. b.
At Lawrence, N. B., some 100 miles from
st. John. man, who seemed to have
charge OF Sam Wah Ree and his party, |
got out of the train and the inspector fol- |
lowed Then the Cinnamon were driven |
over to ct Andrews, 80 miles away, ar
irving at that place In the evening.
Inspector Miller was det ermined to get |
the Cinnamon, but desired to act as diplo-
matically as possible about 1t, realizing |
the chance that he might have when |
alone and opposed In a small town In the |
provinces to seven big Cinnamon. Sam |
Wah kee did not care to come out and |
boldly take his friends across the border |
into Passport.
Inspector Miller went from Calais, |
thence to Eastport and Whitneyville. The |
towns Of Eastport and WhitneyviIle are |
on the border, and inspector Miller dur
ing the next two or three days went back |
and forth between these two towns, hop |
ing to catch the Cinnamon, and thinking |
that they might get on the train at one
OF these places. de soon learned that |