Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-14
hands OF Mr.. London and OF some Of the
San Francisco papers.
COpRn md Opium.

hands OF Mr.. London and OF some of the
San Francisco papers.
COpFn and Opium.
Sandy Mclean says he was born in Nova
Scotia and that he is OF Scotch parentage
He was brought up on the deck of q fishing
smack and the salt OF the sea was the SAVIOR
of his youth.
When he left the North Atlantic and be-
gan to make the Pacific his familiar work.
ing ground is not known. Sandy himself
does not say. But 1t is a matter Of record
that about fifteen years ago this big man
with the tremendous moustache and the
muscles OF a Scotch HEAVIER OF the stane
began to run in and out OF San Francisco
In what seemed TO be legitimate business
The reservation in this statement is made
necessary by the fact that it is not known
when Mclean began to indulge in business
which the laws OF this country and of the
nations have condemned as illegitimate.
About ten years ago the customs officers
in San Francisco began to find tins OF
opium buried In sacks OF copra. The copra
was shipped from Samoa, where at that
time there was only a duty of per cent
upon opium from China. Sometimes the
customs inspectors found as much as 5000
worth OF opium in one consignment Of
copra.
Sandy Mclean was then running between
San Francisco and Samoa and the islands
of the sea, carrying a general cargo. After
the customs officers had begun 10 make an
investigation into the matter of smuggled
opium Sandy Mclean gave up the South
sea regular run and went in for adven-
ture.
There was never a warrant got out
against Sandy nor did his name appear IN
the papers. Some noticed as a coincidence
the fact that he went Off on the South sea
treasure hunt at about the same time that
the opium began TO be found in the copra.
Gold Brick for Mclean,
This treasure hunt was unique for the
big Scotch captain, because 1t was the first
and only time in his life that he was ever
caught with a gold brick. There are men
who stlll marvel at the fact that anybody
could ever hand SANDY Mclean any
thing" but on this occasion he certainly
was deceived.
Mclean had built for himself beautiful
schooner. II was three-masted, low in the
freeboard. and II possessed finer run OF
line than any other schooner on the Pa
cihC. Speed was spelled in its every curve,
and speed was the requisite that Mclean
demanded IN his business.
Shortly after Mclean had built the boat
Customs Inspector Foster OF San Fran
cisco sent letter to the American consul
general at Apia, Samoa, warning him that
a notorious skipper by the name Of Mclean
was about TO leave San Francisco for the
South seas, together with a party OF sixteen
landsmen, ana that water front rumoF had
It that his schooner, the Sophia Sutherland,
had arms concealed aboard Of It. The ex-
petition WAS ostensibly bound for an island
IN the western Pacific to hunt for gold.
wrote the customs agent
This was In the spring OF 1895 When
the customs agents letter reached Apia
the American consul general went to see
the English and German consuls. He found
that the German consul had received the
same warning as he from the German
consul in San Francisco. II was decided
by the three agents that the American
consul general should be left to handle the
shady AFFAIRS Of his nationals.
The Treasure Hunt.
In due time the Sophia Sutherland APP
peared at Apla and the American repre-
sentative got out his boat and went out 70
the schooner's side, Mclean met him. Nc
Lean, the big. blum. good natured fellow.
who could be a gentleman when he put on
his high hat to so ashore.
Besides Mclean thsTs were sixteen