New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-01-26
CUSTOMS MEN DRAW
GUNS IN OPIUM RAIDS
Drug Valued at $4,000 and Lot
of Smoking ParaphernaIla
Seized in Two OenS.
ACT WITHOUT AID OF POLICE
Letters Found Are Said to In
dicate Headquarters Here
for a Widespread
Trade.

United States customs inspectors mace
spectacular raids yesterday afternoon
on two opium dens in Seventh avenue
near 39th street. in which they seized
a quantity Of raw and prepared OPIUM
valued at about $4,000, besides a large
quantity of opium smoking parapher-
MALTA.
The most unexpected result of the raid
was the seizure Of letters In the place or
Tuck Lung & Co. at No. 496 seventh
avenue. said to be owned by CHINA
man known as Charlie Boston, which
showed that Boston had letters Of intro
duction to chiefs Of police Of many large
cities. in which he was recommended as
a son Of the Celestial Empire fully
worthy Of all consideration
Charlie Boston is not in New York
now. II was said yesterday that he had
found it advisable TO change his domi-
cile within the last few weeks. and 1t
was intimated that he moved 10 Phila-
delphis.
These letters, with the other corre-
spondence seized. were turned over to
the United States attorneys as evidence
The hour was too late TO permit a read
ing OF the letters, and &. II. Dorr, AS
sistant United States Attorney, decided
that no information concerning the cor
respondence could be given out at that
time
They were said TO indicate that COM
merce in opium was carried on through
out the country. and that the mep en-
gagged in it did not feel any compulsion
10 secrecy, despite the fact that not only
the federal laws, but also the statutes
Illicit trade I'm this drug A telegram
seized yesterday with the other matters
shows this message without any attempt
at Disgusting il purport: Present price
of opium is 495 hundred"
No Police in the Raids.
The raids were made al the instance OF
customs officials and conducted by GUS
toms inspectors and acting deputy sur
veyors entirely without the aid OF the
local police. The raiders even took the
precaution to instruct the men who were
left TO guard the front entrances that
no policeman should be admitted.
The two places raided had been under
the surveillance OF customs inspectors
for some time. They say that Of the
persons who went in and out there were
many with unmstakable signs OF the
drug habit The officers declare they
found no difficulty in buying the drug at
both places. All they had 10 do. they
say. was to demand a hop shell, and the
behind the counter handed out
a Chinese nut shell that contained
small quantity OF opium prepared for
smoking The price was fifty cents and
the quantity Of the dark brown drug
contained in the shell was about the size
OF dime.
II was shortly after 2 o'clock In the
afternoon when Customs Inspectors Muir
ply. Roberts. Manly. Nicholas. O'Keefe
Collins, Lewis, Kyle and Hakanson and
acting Deputy Surveyors Norwood and
Harris descended upon the place with
the business sign Sam Lee" at No
554h Seventh avenue.
Upon entering the store the inspectors
found themselves barred from the in
terror by partition made up by coun-
ter. on top OF which there was a strong
iron grating that descended TO the floor
at the end Of the counter. separating the
front Of the store entirely from its rear.
A demand Of the inspectors to open the
cage was ignored by the Cinnamon. who
began to wall and cry. With the aid OF
pickaxes the inspectors broke an open
ing through the counter and crawled into
the interior. The three Cinnamon caught
I'm the place made a move toward their
weapons, but the inspectors had them
covered and the prisoners were taken
without a struggle.
Beneath the counter were found large
Continued on ffth page.