The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-02-10
TWENTY CHINKS AND TWO
WHITES CAUGHT IN RAID
Police Make Big Round Up of "Hop''
Joints and Make Big Haul on
Underground Dives.

In a raid of the opium dens in the
lower part of the city early Sunday
morning 20 Cinnamon and two white
men, giving the names of Fred Blu-
menthal and G. A. Smith, were ar
rested. charged with smoking opium.
All the Cinnamon and the two white
men were caught in opium dens.
Opium, opium pipes and scales were
confiscated by the officers as evidence.
The rail-. was the most success :ul of
its kind in the history of the city
and was engineered by Chief of po-
lice Storey, assisted by members of
the police force and Sheriff Lancas-
ter and Deputies Kaufman and Gray
son.
The five Joints" raided were heavy
with The fumes of opium and in C.any
cases the Cinnamon we're caught rei
handed smoking The news spread
like wild fire through the Chinese
quarter. In some places the pipes
were stu hot. Each of the suspected
places we're guarded and the chances
for '"tipting Off the raid 'spotted.
In 'onc "joint" II cans''5f oyium
were found, with pipes and lamps
burning This was at the store of
Cling sin, said to be a@supply p;ade
fc: the cp-rfn trade OF this CITY The
place was heavy With the fumes of
lopouni, and in three of the roor,s
lamps were' burning. Human cure.
licts, men and women of the undel =
world, come to this "joint" to smoke
In the upper part of a building, nu,st
of the rooms were occupied by Chi
namen wbc work nights in the res
taurants of the city.
Dirty, filthy, ill-ventilated caves
in the ground were raided by the Off
GERS. Two of these caves, in whi5h
old Cinnamon lived, were on the list,
and the chatterng inmates were fore
ed 10 dress and go to the city Jail.
Their pipes and opium were takejn
as evidence. These underground
abodes were in every case provided
with two means of exit, heavily
barred. The conditions in these were
beyond belief.
In the Chinese lodging houses the
real unsanitary conditions were
found. Dirt and filth abounded. In
one place raided long. narrow, dark
| hallway led to the room where the
orientals were smoking. A gaunt,
gray-haired Chinaman slept in the
| first room and gave warning with a
yell. In room so thick with smoke
that objects were not distinguisha-
| BILE, seven Cinnamon were found
smoking. On three narrow cots sew
en- Cinnamon were inhaling the
fumes. They had reached the stage
in opium smoking which is known
as the Suffering" stage, being una
BILE to speak. In this den the two
white men were caught.
The raid laid Chinatown bare, with
its filth, depravity and unsanitary
conditions. There are many citizens
who never knew North Yakima's
Chinatown had underground passa-
ges and caves. No light, no venti-
lation, nothing but dirt and dark
ness. Space does not bother the Chi
namen. White men living in the
same conditions would be arrested
as menaces to the health of the COM
munity. A woman of the under
world sunk away from Joint"
cursing and singing just ahead CT
the raiding squad. The Cinnamon
made no resistance, but in all cases
reluctantly opened the door at the
officers knock. Chattering in their
tongue they were lined up in the
alley and marched single file to the
police station. One "Chink" made
a dash for liberty and was brought
back. The trial of the opium smok-
ers will take place Monday. Efforts
to secure bail were made by all of
the prisoners, and they may succeed.
If they fail, few of the Chinese res
taurants will be short of cooks and
helpers.