The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-09-03

Hongkong. The machinery arrived
from the China coast port on Saturday
by the British steamer Team. II had
been unloaded from the steamer and
was brought to the customs wharf.
where il was unloaded and was passed
upon last Tuesday by the Insular Gus.
toms appraisers.
Yesterday one of the cleverest
schemes 90 fool the customs officials
was unearthed through what is said to
have been a "tip' from the China
coast. The four pillars and the four
shafts were loaded upon bullock carts
and were soon to be taken from the
customs house, when Chief of Customs
Secret Service j. Il. Lawler and Assist
ant Chief Keith swooped down upon
the loaded vehicle and ordered the iron.
work to be unloaded.
The pillars are about twelve feet in
length, roughly moulded, and painted
red. They appeared to be made of cast
iron. At each end there is foot
square base, and as in. case of all such
structural ironwork, it has all the APP
pearanee of being solid. Chief Lawler,
however, possessed different opinion
concerning the matter. After scraping
off thick layer of paint from the end
of one of the pillars there was dis
closed circle plainly marked where a
screw cap some three or four inches in
diameter was neatly fitted. This, was
finally removed, and a sealed tin tube
was brought to light. This was remov-
ed from within the hollow pillar, and
when the long tube was opened there
was found to be a large number of
small tins of prepared opium.
The Secret Service officials then gave
their attention to the remaining three
pillars, and the same results followed.
Then the four large shafts, each sur.
mounted with large screw flange, were
taken in hand. After some effort the
end of each of those shafts were re-
moved. Inside each of the shafts were
larger tin tubes of greater bulk than
those found in the pillars. The tubes
upon being opened brought to light
much more opium.
In all some four hundred kilos of the
dope was taken from the eight pieces
OF machinery yesterday morning.
The Chinese upon whose cart the ma.
terial was found had been sent there
by an American, who claimed to be q
representative of the dredging com
pany. The person declared to a Gus
toms broker that the four holes in the
base of the pillars and shafts were
found to be too small and it was the
intention to have the material taken
to local machine shop before the min
ing machinery was loaded upon the
steamer n. S. de Begona.
| When Chief Lawler and Assistant
Of
of the customs wharf last evening, their
curiosity was excited by the peculiar
appearance of a cylinder of a small en-.
gine belonging to the dredge machinery.
| After rummaging about the machine for
while they unearthed large guam.
! tity of morphine, cocaine and other
drugs. The collection of drugs is con,
sidered as extremely valuable.
The dredging machinery was to have
been shipped to Paracale by the n. s.
de Begona on Saturday. Since the re.
cent disclosures of dope estimated to be
worth $4,000 Mexican in Hongkong
the customs officials are inclined to
make most rigid investigation of all
the machinery that arrived from the
| China coast. 1t is expected that the
| dredging company will be extremely
| lucky II they secure some of the parts
within several months time, as it il
believed that investigation will result
IN some prosecutions and that q por
ton of the machinery will be held as
evidence or an exhibit.
The loss occasioned by the delay in
the receipt of the dredging machinery
will fall heavily upon the Philippine
Gold Dredging Company, the officials OF
which company have been extremely
anxious to get their dredge into opera
ton upon the rich beds of the river!
and streams in that district.
Their loss occasioned by wholesal,
attempt at smuggling will tally up int
ten thousand pesos each week that tn,
company fail to operate their dredge
The matter has been brought to tn,
attention of the prosecuting attorne,
by Acting Collector Mccoy, and Attor
ney Southworth was closeted with tn
customs officials last evening, and boz
refused to make statement concern
ing the greatest smuggling scheme un
earthed in the Philippines in years.
1t is predicted that before the cas-
has finished its course through tn
courts some startling disclosures vii
result, which may involve some promi
nent people.