The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-19
A SMOOTH
TRICK.
Marines on SOlace
| Fool Custom
Officers.
LAND OVER 5000
MANILA CIGARS
By Means Of Trolley System
! From the Ship to Navy
Wharf No. 2.

was done In This port Only lne
N other day. 1t has been noticed
for some time past that there is an un-
usually large amount of Manila cigars
in Honolulu and it has been suspected
that the greater portion Of the fra
grant weeds had come into the country.
without the necessary formality OF
having paid duty. The incident in con-
nection with the trolley -smuggling is
an example of how some of the Chinese
weeds have made their way here.
It seems that there were two or three
gentlemen aboard the United States
navy transport Solace, while she was
in this port day or two ago, who were
very DESTROYS of getting considerable
quantity of Manila cigars. landed in
Honolulu. The gentlemen in question
were not anxious to get themselves into
any trouble over the matter and ar
ranged. with some of the marines to
take about four thousand cigars ashore,
sell them for what they would bring
and turn over the proceeds to the orig
inators of the scheme.
The smugglers supplied the cigars
and left all questions of ways and
means to the marines. The marines
centage of the proceeds, put their heads
together to plan how to get the cigars
ashore.
Several times they tried to Walk
ashore by way of the gangWay WIZ
two or three hundred of the cigars or
their persons, but each time they were
SO closely watched by the vigilant GUS
toms inspectors on the Navy wharf
that they dared not venture to pass
them with bullying pockets or with bun,
dies under their arms.
Finally, noticing that there was ne
customs inspector on Navy wharf NO
p. they decided to land the tobacco or
that wharf. There was no means OF
getting to that wharf, however. unless
one of the number was willing to swim
after lowering himself over the ships
starboard side, with a bundle of cigars
on his head. This idea was not feas
ible and SO a better method had to be
invented.
After much scheming a stout core
was rugged from the starboard bow OF
the Solace to one of the bits on Navy
wharf No. @. It was late in the after
noon of the day before the Solace sailed
for. San Francisco. last Saturday, ane
very few people were around at ths
time.
trolley was constructed from small
pieces of metal pipe and sling was
attached Then two of the men go
leave ashore and attended to the enc
| of the trolley while the others remain
| ed on shore to send them the goods.
First of all ten boxes, each containing
a hundred cigars, were sent down tn
trolley without any accident. Ine.
Handed safely and no one was any tn
wiser. Then the trolley was pulled baci
| on board by means Of a cord which MAJ
been rugged for the purpose. Anotne
thousand cigars were sent ashore i
the same manner, and still another
4 Meanwhile other marines went ashor
by the gangway, walked around to tn
wharf where the tobacco was bein
Handed and, each carrying his share
proceeded up town by different routes
taking good care to avoid the custom
house on Fort street.
When it came to sending the fourt
lot of cigars down the trolley troubl
was experienced The bundle of thou
sand smokes was as carefully wrappe
and tied as the three preceding pack
ages and had as good start down Tn
Iimprovised trolley. Just as it reache
the middle of the line, however, one Q
1.-The little pieces of metal pipe in tn
Iaffair got wedged in the cord that sup
1ported the trolley and the machine re
fused to work,
/ The smuggling marines were tempo
rarily panic-stricken What If the
should be caught just as they wer
putting the last lot of cigars ashore
It would mean the brig for them.
! They therefore commenced to viger
ously shake the line, hoping in tha
way to force the trolley down the lint
i Their efforts resulted in the sudde
breaking of the line and the packae
4 containing a thousand Manila cigar
was precipitated into the waters of tn
harbor, where it now lies, food for tn
i fishes.
The operations were noticed by on
or two men aboard the Iroquois an
they had a good laugh when they sa'
the last lot of cigars fall into til
water.
1t is well known fact that a gres
many cigars have been landed here
Ethe last few months. 1t is said, how
ever, that the local customs force
altogether too small to look out II
Everything that goes on in the way I
smuggling on the waterfront.