The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-09-30
SMUGGLED DOPE
ON HALF-SHELL
The Police Invite BreCkons to
investigate Dead Mans
Opium Estate.

Detective Kellett, assisted by Apana
and others, last night raided the opium
den of Cheong Tuck Poi near the corner
Of Vineyard and Liliha streets, arrest
ing half dozen Chinese smokers be-
sides the principal and seizing three
tins of opium, one of which was CON
traband, being unstamped, and also
gathering number Of little shells OF
the dope prepared for smokers.
Opium on the half-shell, opium in
tiny jar and opium in tins constituted
a mixed though not a large haul.
Kellett headed the police automobile
for the residence of United States Dis
trict Attorney Breckons, knowing that
the latter gentleman would be interest
ed in the tin of Struggled opium, that
which was unstamped.
Breckons was in his kimono when.
aroused. but, ever scenting the opium
from afar, even as a warhorse shifts the
battle from long way Off the bright
attorney from Wyoming slipped into
his slippers, trousers and sweater and
throwing few boxes of cigarettes into
his coat pocket jammed on his lid and
joined the police party in the machine
Arrived at the police station, the pri-
vate Office of Chief of Detectives Me
Dutfie, which is richly furnished In
hatchets which have split skulls, re-
volvers which have shot souls over the
border of life and death, knives which
have tasted heart S blood, steel cuffs
and bracelets which have clasped wick
cd hands, fles which have cut through
barriers, and hundred other criminal
curios, preliminary investigation of
The situation was inaugurated
al I'M tired, but its Interesting
work" smiled Breckons, as he reclined
at fun length on the divan and lit
fresh cigarette
Cheung Tuck Poi, ancient Of days
and heavy with years and slyness,
looking like piece of oblong parch-
ment upon which had been inscribed
the idiosyncrasies of six.bits of cen
turH, set like dummy except when
addressed, than he spun yarn to the
effect that he was not responsible for,
the opium being found on his premises.
According to his weird tale. there had
died Chinese in the same house who
had left him as sort of an executor of
the opium. to sell and to account for
on account of the dead mans estate.
Defendant had not bought the dope,
he was merely holding it in trust for
the bones which now lie in Nuuanu
Breckons, naturally, wanted to know
where Tuck Poi got the struggled can.
but Poi merely repeated the story of
inheriting it in trust from defunet
celestial.
Kellett put Mr.. Cheong Tuck Poi be
low in a nice. clean, cool cell. free from
all demoraliziug surroundings and out
of the way of bad company. the dope.
fiend having first been deprived of
everything except his clothes. They
viii be dreary hours for Tuck Poi be
tween his Incarceration and the time
he is TO tread the carpet in Breckons'
Office today sometime, for poor Tuck
Poi viii have no dream stuff to lift him
from heaven to heaven of Supplied
ecstasy nor to sink his WEAKNESS to
oblivion. His dreams will be the nor.
rid hauntings of diseased imagina-
tion, living death. The four walls of
his cell will be "A veritable hell while
he is kept from his pipe. Perhaps he
may remember how he got the tin OF
smuggled opium, and where and from
whom. and If he decides to tell the
truth he may be allowed to smoke.