The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-06-03
0SKAL0OSA MAN
UNEARTHS CRIME
Effects Eight Arrests In Huge Snug
,slasb .aagling. Conspiracy,
'NEW FRIEND" REVEALS PLOT
Ephria,n Gideon hompkins Invited
to Join the Scheme Plays His
Part Well and Tells Fed.
sa erai Authorities. ~ aaA&


con Thompkins had not journeyed all
cago to see the sights of the metrop
oils and to search out thrilling ad
venture the chances are that the Unit
ed States government would not have
unearthed one of the most eXtraordin
airy smuggling plots known to the Sc
cret service.
If Ephraim Gideon had not for the
first time in his life seen real city
sport weaving his gorgeous course
through the throngs of State street
ii he had not stopped to wonder a.
the glorious spectacle, the government
sleuths might never have hit the trai
that led directly to the, spot where
more than 1000 Cinnamon and untold
quantities of diamonds, opium anC
,:whisky have been struggled into the
BniteduStates. = .o~" F., D..
But Ephraim did these things will
such surprising results that the feder
al government now mas in Jail eight
snen who are charged with engineering
the remarkable scheme of smuggling
"hiSh, W oOLhS dSSOuhto
has been carried on for years.
Seven of the prisoners-twO Amer
leans, two MeXicans and three Chin
ese-are now lodged in the Cook coun.
ty Jail awaiting trial on indictments
secured by District Attorney Edwin
w. Sims, and the elghth-another
American-is on his way to Chicago
under guard of a federal marshal.
$500 Paid For Each Man. aa.a
The accused men are charged with
running an underground railroad for
bringing Chinese laborers into this
country from Mexico by way of ri
Paso, whence. they were secreted in
Pullman dining cars and brought to
Chicago. For each Chinaman sc
struggled into the United States $500
was paid by Chinese organizations
and receipts for the safe delivery OF
each contraband oriental were given
at the Chicago headquarters in South
Clark street. 'si4
The plot, which was unearthed after
year of work under the direction OF
United States Attorney Sims, is be
lieved to have Deen stupendous in its
proportions There is evidence that
the smuggling was general along the
Mexican border, but it centered at Ell
Pasa, from which point the Cinnamon,
opium and diamonds were sent not
only to Chicago but to Los Angeles,
San Francisco, New Orleans, Kansas
City and several other large cities.
At least one of the Cinnamon Snug.
gled over the border was killed in the
process. His body was found in the
railroad yards at Kansas City, and 1t
is believed he was smothered in his
place of cOncealment in dining car,
The indications are that some high
railroad officials and some extremely
powerful Chinese both in this country
and abroad were behind the plot and
the investigation now is headed In
their direction
( First Batch, Of Prisoners.
The men under ARREST on theffederal
indictment are: 4
I Robert w. Stephenson, 80 years old
said to be son of Judge Archibald
Stephenson, Cripple Creek, Colo; a
railroad brakeman, and believed by
the government to have been the
eadvance agent" of the underground
railroad. Ig1DY1i toe. Ji,t .ul.H go Sc
III vs. H., Clark, 81, years old, railroad
brakeman, residing at Lincoln, .Neb.;
held as one of the alleged leaders IN
the handling of the smuggling at Ell
Paso.
John Heltzel, As years old, railroad
conductor; charged by the government
with harboring the Cinnamon and put
ting them aboard trains at Ell Paso.
Bob Leung, 80 years Old a rich Chi
nese saloon proprietor and political
boss in FL Paso; the alleged paymaster
of the smuggling system.
Sam Wah 345 South Clark street,
Chicago; declared to be the local
agent of the smuggling trust
Chin Yin Quai, $40 South Clark ST..
alleged associate of Sam Wan In re-
ceiving and receipting for contraband
Cinnamon in Chicago. @ ~
Jose PARA, Mexican, who is ac-
cused of receiving the Cinnamon and
other cotraband in Jaurez, Mexico,
and then conveying them across the
Rio Grande to Ell Pasog fll
~ Carlos Savedra, an associate 'ot
PARA in theds smuggling work on the
frontier. Is1a ea3 TOT ytEet - N,a 3l'
Heltzel will be Brought to Chicago
today, 1t is EXPECTED, and the entire
aggregation will be placed on trial be-
fore Judge lands on June 8. All
strenuously deny completely in the
smuggling and made bitter fight
against removal from Texas to Chi.
cago. Clark said he had retained for
his fight here the law firm of United
States Senator Elmer j. Burkett, OF
Nebraska. .br
Strange Part Played by Ephraim.
Mr. Sims refused yesterday TO re-
veal the story Of how he ran down
the alleged smugglers and the news
of the arrest leaked out only through
the arraignment Of the prisoners in
dourt and their consignment by Judge