The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-02-01
ALLY Of SMUGGLERs
OUTLAWS ON CANADIAN LINE
PLAY ON LOYALTY OF DOGS.
Government Officials in Northwest
Find II Hard TO Stop the Pas
sage Of Contraband Goods
Over the Frontier.

Spokane. Wash-Smuggling costly
wines. silks. opium and Japanese from
British Columbia into Washington
state has been reduced TO such sci
ence by organized bands working
along the boundary that immigration
off GERS and secret service men admit
they are bahied Until they can OBJ
tain more tangible proof to fix the
identity Of the persons implicated the
passing OF the contraband is likely to
continue indefinitely.
Thousands Of dollars worth of i'm
ports and several hundred japanese
have been brought into the country in
the last few months by men working
in the foothills along the international
line. Trained dogs are used by the
opium and silk smugglers. while those
handling liquors employ wood wag-
ons. The aliens are pilOted across the
border by armed men, who would not
hesitate to shoot if interrupted in their
work. Most OF the coutraband is dis
posed OF in eastern and southern
states.
The rush of Japanese across the
border is giving the immigration Of
ficers the most concern. \ dozen have
been caught in western Washington
in the last ten days. but so far the
authorities have not been able TO fix
the responsibility. The officers ad-
nit that band of clever smugglers
Is at work. guiding the undesirable
aliens into Washington. ard then leav-
ing them to take care of themselves.
There is now a larger force of i'm
migration officers stationed along the
boundary line than ever before. but
in spite of their efforts the majority
OF the aliens have been apprehended
only after they have reached points
a hundred or more miles on the United
States side of the line.
The smugglers have hiding places
In various parts Of British Columbia
~hence the japanese are sent into
This country. the cost to the aliens
ranging from $3.50 to 81 900, accord
ing to the circumstances OF the per
sons to be brought into the United
States
Smuggling opium and fine silks into
this country from British Columbia by
the use of trained dogs. believed to be
imported from France. was discovered
at Blaine. Wash. west of Spokane, and
as result Thomas Smith is in Gus
:ody awaiting trial in the federal
court.
The discovery was accidental and
came about when officer Lane. con-
nected with the station at Belling
ham. shot dog running through the
thick timber near Blaine. The dog
carried a leather saddle in which
were found three pounds of opium
and package of silk Where the dog
came from and where he was going
We're mysteries which the officials at
once began to ferret out.
They took a coon dog with them to
the boundary line where the first dog
was seen They waited three days
before another dog came along with
a pack saddle on its back This time
there We're three dogs loaded 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 officers after
ward arrested Smith on a charge of
The leather saddles We're fashioned
after those used by the hospital dogs
in the Austrian army. 1t is not
known where the smugglers obtained
the saddles, but it is likely that
Smiths confederates are well versed
il the training of dogs