Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-06-10
GANG WORKS FROM Ell PAsO
Government Says $500 Per Head Was
Paid for Contrabands.
TELLS STORY OF THE CAPTURE
District Attorney Relates How In
spectors Robbed Two MexicRns
ON the Border Last
winter.

CHICAGO, June s.-Defendants IN one OF
the greatest conspiracies to smuggle Chi
nese into this country with which the gov
ernment ever has dealt were placed on
trial here today before United states Dis
trlct Judge Lands. Eight men we're In
dicted as the result OF the activity OF gov
ernment agents. Three recently pleaded
guilty, sentence being deferred; one is a
fugitive; the bonds Of another were de-
clared forfeited .oday. and the remaining
three entered pleas of not guilty.
Robert w. Stephenson, said to be the son
OF a Cripple Creek (Colo) Judge; w. Fl.
Clark and John Heltzell, all brskemen, re-
Gently admitted their part in the alleged
conspiracy and agreed to give testimony for
the government. They assisted in bringing
the Cinnamon from FL Paso to Chicago.
Sam wah. a wealthy Chicago Chinaman,
and alleged to have been one of the local
agents who cared for the consignments Of
ineligible aliens, disappeared some time
ago, and his bonds were declared forfeited
to the government Chin Yen Quia, another
Chicagoan, and said TO have been the chief
conspirator, was to have been brought to
trial today. but he could not be found, and
his bonds likewise we're forfeited.
Those actually brought before the bar
were Bob Leung q well-to-do Chinese mer-
chant OF El Paso, and Jose PARA and
Carlos sevedra, Mexicans. John NJ. Yanner,
a dining car cook, who assisted in trans
porting the aliens, will be a witness for the
prosecution.
Are Paid $500 Per Head.
Assistant United States District Attorney
Seward S. Shirer in outlining the govern
ment's case following the selection of a
jury, declared that the alleged conspiracy
had embraced many men besides those In
dicted and that they had brought hundreds
Of Chinese into this country across the
Mexican border. For each celestial SNUG
gled in the conspirators received $500, he
said.
The largest consignment about which
evidence will be introduced, said Mr..
Shirer. took place on October 10, 1905.
Arrangements were carefully made and
five Cinnamon were sent to Chicago with
the help OF Yanner and the dining car
crew. The five men were concealed in the
ice box Of the dining car Even the blank
cts given them could not keep them warm,
and they took turns in visiting the linen
closet, which was smaller than the ice box.
to get thawed out
Arriving at Chicago. the Cinnamon were
taken in charge by Clark, Stephenson and
Heltzel, who later delivered them to Chin
Yen Quia, Moy Jong and Sam Wsh. Bob
Leung looked after the El Paso end OF
the scheme as that was his home.
! Chin Yen Quai was in charge at Chicago"
Capture of the Mexicans.
Attorney Shirer then proceeded to tell
Jf the capture last November of the two
! Mexoans, Sevedra and PARA.
Two customs inspector working on the
case and mounted on horses were slowly
patrolling along the Rio Grande in the
vicinity OF Stanton street, Ell Paso," said
the attorney. They heard voices and then
saw Sevedra and PARA with two Cinnamon
start to walk across the dry bed of the
river. The inspectors concealed them
selves and when the quartet reached the
American side made the arrests at the
point of their revolvers. The Cinnamon
were submissive enough. but the Mexicans
offered fight. The other arrests followed y