The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-12-05


Secret service men believe these
gangs were organized befor his ar
rest last April by Larry" Kelly,
styled King of the Smugglers of
| the Pacific Northwest" now serv-
| ing sentence on McNeill's Island,
west of here Kelly mas given the
| federal authorities no end of trouble
in the last twenty years, and, though
he is almost seventy years Of age, he
is as determined as ever that he will
never earn an honest dollar under the
Stars and Stripes.
Kelly's life history contains many
of the elements that go to make up
melodramas and nickel thrillers. 1t
is full of daring dashes across the
Straits of Juan de Fuca and the Gulf
| of Georgia in sloops loaded with
| Cinnamon and opium. 1t is replete
with bloody encounters with customs
officers of two world powers. 1t is
capped by the records Of the federal
prison at McNeill's Island, which
show that he has not always escaped
scot free from punishment.
The earliest known bit of Kelly's
history is that he served as a soldier
in the Confederate army. At the
close of the war he took an oath that
he would compel Uncle Sam to give
him a livelihood, and he has lived up
to that self-imposed obligation.
While passing from British Column
bia to Washington on the Seattle &
International Railroad in 1905 he was
arrested. He jumped from the train
travelling at full speed, sustaining a
broken shoulder and recapture was
easy. He was indicted at Blaine,
Wash, and being released on bail he
left his bondsmen in the lurch, after-
ward reimbursing them with interest.
! Two months later he was arrested
off Anderson's Island while attempt
ing to smuggle into the Puget Sound
country a cargo of opium. He was
indicted the second time, and, be-
lieving by pleading guilty he would
escape with a small sentence and not
be held to answer Tor other crimes,
he threw himself on the mercy OF
the court. He was disappointed, for
! on his release from McNeilFs Island
he was Immediately rearested on the
old charge and sent to McNeill's ISL
and, where he is now prisoner.
! The rush of Japanese across the
border is giving the immigration Of
ficers the most concern. A dozen
have been caught in Western Wash
ington in the last ten days, but so far
the authorities have not been able to
fix the responsibility. However, the
officers admit that a band of clever
smugglers is at work, guiding the
undesirable aliens into Washington,
and then leaving them to take care
of themselves.
migration officers stationed along the
boundary line than there has ever
been before. These inspectors are
armed and are closely guarding the
roads and trails coming into this
state, but in spite of their efforts the
majority of the Celestials have been
aDnrehended only after they have
reached points a hundred or more
miles on the United States side Of the
line. The smugelers have hiding
places in various parts of British Co
lumbia. whence the Orientals are
sent into this country.
Smuggling Of opium ana fine silks
into this country from British Column
bia by the use Of trained dogs. be-
lieved to be imported from France,
was discovered at Blaine, and as re-
suit Thomas Smith is in custody
awaiting trial in the fedral court.
The discovery was accidental and
came about when Officer Lane, con-
nected with the station at Belling-
ham, shot a dog running through the
thick timber near Blaine. The can
inc carried a leather saddle in which
was found three pounus of opium
and a package of silk. Where the
dog came from and where he was go
ing were mysteries which the Off
Gals at once began to ferret out.
The officers took coon dog with
them to the boundary line where the
first canine was seen. They waited
three days before another dog came
along with pack saddle on it's back.
This time there were three dogs load
ed with the drug. The men let them
pass, and then with the aid of the
coon dog they traced the animals to
a shack near Blaine, where the Off