Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-20
CAPTURE
SMUGGLERS
EXCITING CHASE TAKES PLACE
AT cALExlco
CUSTOMS OFFICERS LAND THE
OFFENDERS
Wild Ride Through Road for More
Than Half an Hour Before the
Pursued Are Finally
Overtakekn

As the result of one of the most dar-
ing and exciting arrests made in the
latter history of the southwest there
was handed over to Deputy United
States Marshal Bert Franklin yester-
day Howard Wade, accused of having
smuggled liquor across the Mexican
border into the United States.
Franklin took him to the jail, Wnere
he will be held until today, when tuf-
ther action will be taken on his case
by the local federal authorizes,
To r. L. Conklin and D. 5. Packard
the two United States customs ofhcers
at Calexico, is due the credit of land
ing this man. -.
The arrest occurred, or rather the
pursuit of the smugglers started ABOUT
1890 Yesterday morning, just after mld-
night. officer Packards suspicious had
been aroused at the customs house
right near the bridge at CaleXlco-a
town situated, as its name indicates
on the line between Mexico ana can
fornia. He accordingly had saddled
both the horses, his own and Cohklll s.
and had everything in readiness When
they heard a two-horse carriage rattle
over the bridge.
Instantly they grabbed their weapons
Conklin a sawed-off shotgun and Pack
ard a 3S-caliber revolver Vaulted into
the saddle and were in pursuit.
Smugaers Hit Up the Speed
1--WE were pretty sure they were
smugglers from the way they went
over that bridge so fast" said Othcer
Conklin yesterday, describing the at-
fair. 1--WE were sure of 1t When they
pulled her out a notch upon hearing US
coming.
"They were going some already, now
I tell you. But they went little fast-
hpi
Well, we did, too. And we had to ride
some 1t was over half an hour after
we started when we finally got almost
ND to them Dark? You could hardly
see anything. I told Packard to go on
one side and I'd go on the other. Iheh
we told 'em to stop. They did recog--
nized Curley-that's what they all
know him by down there-drlVlng the
horse. Wade was with him.
"As l brought my old sawed-off
'pump gun to bear on them the hands
went up. Curly said he had no gun. l
said: What's that? and pulled one out
of his coat.
1T was a Texas holster in which the
other one carried his gun" explained
officer Packard. HE tried to get at II
hut we persuaded him not to. If they q
tried to let go at us coming up ii
would have been pretty bad for them.
We had them covered. It's lucky for
them they didn't shoot, or try to DO So
Believed to Be Going to Imperial
Il believe they were trying to SNUG
gle the stuff to what is known as Jake
place, a blind pig at Imperial" con-
tinued Conklin.
Wade told me the team belonged to
Bondes' livery at CaleXico. doh
know that, however.
TT was funny. After we got them
we started to see What they were SNUG
Cling. Plenty of whisky in the rig, ano
beer bottles in every pocket those
two fellows, believe. They were lined
with them Both Wade and Curly had
weapons, but neither had tried to use
them, although Wade made shift
with his hand toward his holster when
we were starting to search him. He
never reached the sun.
"Wel, after we'd piled the beer into
the rig with the whisky they asked me,
Which way now?' Turn right round,
I said. And back we went Take care
of the rig, that isn't mine Curly told
me as we started away with them from
the carriage Never you mind 1 told
him. The government will take care
of that"
The officers We're up the rest of the
night, bringing their prisoners to Los
Angeles yesterday afternoon. Warrants
will be sworn out for the arrest of the
men today.