The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-06-16
TIPS FROM THIS
PORT STRAIGHT
eRBAT FORTUNE IN OPIUM
SEIZED IN WATER TANKS OF
THE AMERICA MARU.


Honolulu supplied the information to
J. w. wilkie, chief Of the federal secret
service, which enabled him and his
special agents to locate nine hundred
tins of opium aboard the T. X. X. liner
Maru at San Francisco on June 2, just
after that vessel arrived there from
this port. The Call states that accord
ing to the eabled tip to willcie there
were thirteen cylinders containing 100
tins each and the message told exactly
where he could find the dope.
willie has been working on the prob.
lem for the past six months and there
is reason to believe there will be other
important seizures in the next few
weeks. Wilkie has had an agent in
Honolulu for some time and it is be-
lieved be supplied the information
which led to the seizure of opium
which at Honolulu figures would give a
value of nearly $4,000. In San Fran
cisco the value is given at $27 900. :
The Wilkie man now in Honolulu has
been aboard nearly all the transpacific
steamers here and was aboard the Per.
STA the afternoon she sailed for San
Francisco, and there lisa likelihood that
that vessel will be subjected to a,search
for opium as it was felt when she was
here that there was a fortune in poppy
Juice ON that vesselsg at
The San Francisco papers make ref
erence to the fact that Collector Stack
able searched the vessel at Honolulu
and missed a quarter of ton Of the
opium. Opportunities for searching a
steamer here are not so good as the
San Francisco authorities have. The
vessel is here for only eight or nine
hours is filed with merchandise, while
the cabins are occupied by travellers.
In San Francisco all travellers quit the
ship, taking bag and baggage, until
the staterooms are mere shells. The
cargo is removed and the vessel pre-
sents shell and the cubbyholes can be
looked into and pfobed. The local col
lector has done well, considering SO
many drawbacks to prevent big seiz
ures.
Knew Where to Look.
| The discovery of the opium was nc
accidental find, but the fruit of patient
detective work on the part of j. E.
Wilkie, head of the federal secret ser.
vice and superintendent of special
treasury agents, says the Call. 1t was
by Wilkes orders, telegraphed from
\ N ALoA &c
Tidwell and j. w. Smith boarded the
America Maru shortly after its arrival
and with Inspectors Benninger anC
Enlow of the customs searching force
to guide them, climbed down into the
forepeak fresh water tank and discov
cred the dope.
That it was the intention Of the
smugglers to throw the opium over
board, to be picked up and taken ashore
by confederates, was evident from the
manner in which it was packed. II
the way of packages this latest seizure
was a revelation to the customs in
spectors.
The opium was in nine metal cylin
ders, each one Of which contained 10t
five-tael tins of opium. At the top o.
each cylinder was round hole bill
enough to admit a mans hand. Owe
this hole was screwed metal cap, ant
by means of rubber gaskets and putt,
the opening had been rendered water
proof. There were two handles on eacl
cylinder, and to one handle on eacl
cylinder was a stout rope, to which
towline could be made fast.
Cylinders in Water Tank.
These cylinders were slowed away il
the forward fresh-water tank, which
far down in the nose of the ship, beloy
the water line. To reach the tank it
necessary to crawl through a succession
of manholes. One cylinder was foun
right against the ships stem. The 9th
ers were in the after part of the tanl
dashed together.
1t was with considerable difficult
that the inspectors carried the heav
packages from their hiding place to tn
main deck. There the caps were screwe
off and every cylinder was found to b
. filed to the brim with the best brand o
hop, which is now worth $50 a can i
Chinatown.
Guided by the rays of their electri
flashlights, the party crawled until
I and located a manhole set in til
! damp floor. This was jerked up an
/ another dark and gloomy depth was n
/ vealed. This was the tank holding th
fresh water supplied to the passenger
/. and crew during the trip across th
y Pacific.
4 A flash of light sent into the tan
showed that the water was low, an
Inspector Enlow lowered himself int
4 the tank. The rays Of his flashligf
darted hither and thither in I'll
gloomy place, and soon he yelled:
at is here, boys, it is herel" Dow
went the Others of the squad, and FL
: low pointed out the find. TANNED u
! in the very PROV Of the vessel was
that the use of the word "otherwise
did not mean for fertilization purpose