New-York tribune., 1911-12-12
OPIUM TRIAL BEGINS
Letters Show "CharIey Boston
Has Police Officials as Friends.
THEY WILL EXPLAIN WHY
Government Tries to Prove New
York's Richest Chinaman
Is a Smuggler.

Ii Quong Jung better known rs Charley
Boston Chinatowns most Opuent ana
most mysterious denizen was placed on
trial Yesterday before Judge Holt and
jury i'm the United States Circuit Court
charged with "unlawfully receiving and
concealing a can containing smoking opium
which had been smuggled into the United
States"
Behind this innocent appearing charge
IT was intimated. there lay the desire OF
the government to connect Charley Boston
with the wholesale smuggling Of opium
now practically an excluded drug. through
some mysterious channels that keep all the
opium dens of the country at high tide
Of supply despite the vigilance Of the Gus
toms authorities
\ number of customs inspectors were
called 10 tell the story Of the raid on jan
uary %. 1911, when two "tea stores on
Seventh avenue. near 37th stret. were ran
sacked by the authorities Both places.
the inspectors said were owned by Charley
Boston but he was i'm Philadelphia at that
time. and only his clerks were arrested.
Boston denied that he owned the stores.
and all efforts 10 get an admission OF
ownership from him have proved useless
thus far. The defence intimated Yesterday
that the government would have hard
job to prove It.
on the table In the courtroom, I'm front OF
John T.. Walker. Assistant United States
Attorney I'm charge Of the case, were piled
stacks of letters addressed to Boston, and
many valuables admittedly belonging 10
him. found in his desk i'm one Of the raided
stores Big bundles # paper money. piles
Of gold coin. and mortgage papers show
ing Charley Boston possessed a fortune
running into the hundreds Of thousands,
all had been found I'm his desk.
Into the dulness Of the repeated descrip-
tions Of the raid came a spark Of real in
terest when Mr. Walker offered in evidence
letters written TO Boston by various high
police officials Of Pittsburgh and Phladcl-
phia. Counsel for the defence objected. say
ing he had not read the letters and did not
know whether their contents had a bear
ing on the case. Judge Holt permitted the
government to have the letters marked for
identification, and the question of having
them read to the jury will be argued to-day
All the letters are either introductions for
Charley Boston or acknowledgements Of
Ndiudble presents received lIOU MINI
Among the men whose letters are in the
possession Of tho government are Thomas
a McQuade. Superintendent of Police Of
Pittsburgh. who wrote a warm letter intro
ducing Charley Boston as a Celestial de
serving the highest consideration, To l.. T.
Stewart, General Superintendent of Police
Of Chicago, r.. r. Walters Director of the
Department Of Public Health. Of Pitts
burg. j VI. NORM. Director Of the Depart
ment OF Public Safety. Of Pittsburgh, and
Joseph p. Murray, captain of police. Of
Pittsburgh.
All Of these men have been subpfnaed by
the government. and were ready yesterday
to go on the stand TO explain their relations
with Charley Boston.
A translation of the Chinese books kept
in Boston's business showed that a consd-
cradle amount was charged every month as
having been paid 10 detectives" I'm this
citv and there is a letter i'm the govern
ment's possession showing that Charley
enioyed the favors and high good will of
a man in very good standing in Tammany
Hall
In a letter addressed to Charley by a
woman opium victim the name Of Elsie
Sigel was mentioned, but without throwing
any light on the case.