The Detroit times., 1911-12-30
|HEHI RIDERS SMUGGLE
gH|HAMAN AND HOP OVER
THE CANADIAN BORDER
)dlciaIs Wage Fight Against
IOutIaws Who Ride Swiftly
by Night.
STRANGE TALES TOLD.
Federal Officer Spends Night in
Cabin of Prospector to
Watch for Suspects.

Although stringent federal laws TOT
ma opium Importation In both the
United States and Canada ~ mas
conc evident that there stil - .riss
Chinese raids In the northwest uur
.fnx the last year have In almost every
in4 ance resulted IN the dlscoRery, ga
quantities OF opium. MANY 800 all
well supplied with the poppy aIus hu,
smugg Cling continues
SEATTLE, Dec. 2s.-When Carter
!. his 10 other names need not De men
tioned--walked out OF McNeiis islahu
federal prison a few months ago, .he
prison guards predicted sometnlns
better OF him than return TO MS oiu
business--opium smuggling.
But conditions had changed mlght-
ilv while Carter was in prison.
idle box Of the drug that formerly
hah brought $12 to the smuggler now
sold for sac. or even $50.
Carter disappeared.
Less than a year later rumors be-
gan TO drift into United States reve-
nue Offices that night. riders were
rushing quantities of opium over the
international boundary from Canada
bv> means OF the aid Pend OReille
river Indian trail that meets the rail-
way at Metaline Falls, Wash.
A revenue officer dropped from the
train at the little wilderness village,
and, after hard ride, spent the night
Sin the lonely cabin OF prospector
close TO the frontier. The hospitable
old miner willingly related to him the
details OF the operations OF the sup
a posed smugglers.
Frequently during the summer, he
said. the nights had been broken by
hufrying party of six horsemen gal
Joining across the border All carried
small packs strapped to the saddles.
Their leader was a long, raw-boned
man, with attenuated neck. high
chick bones, and remarkably long
note They always returned to Can
udA by day, riding leisurely-without
Cir packs.
Another peculiar incident. related
the prospector. was the periodical ,ap-
Detrance of mysterious woman, who
cafried a revolver, small high-power
rife and always light pack sack
rfrapped about her shoulders. Just
below the cabin she invariably met
man. transferred the sack and re-
tnrned across the boundary into
Once she had stopped to talk with
ne old miner. She told him Of a small
rustic domicile In which she lived on
The shore of tiny lake just over the
10. Investigation proved that the
rome was myth, but the woman had
disappeared. So, too, had the six
hofsemen. for that mater. some weeks
before.
Days and nights of patient work
avkiled nothing, though miles OF ter
ritDry were covered, and, finally, the
officer returned TO the cabin TO spend
his last night with the old man be-
fore returning, empty-handed, to civ
ilization. He had decided the story
told by his amiable friend was a fab
ricption. or that the old fellow had
dreamed the tale so long that he had
cone 10 believe it himself
At Metaline Falls, however, he had
fopnd Chinese laundry, sufficiently
small TO have been run wiz. ease by
two men. II was a matter OF COM
mon occurrence, he was told, for the
population Of the little city to awaken
in THE mornings TO find half dozen
nCN OIlcubdi races III lnelT mlOSI. On
ont occasion ~ slant-eyed gentlemen
With long queues-all laundrymen-
had sprung up like mushrooms during
the night. Such unheralded parties
never we're of more than one days
pcrmanence in the place.
The officer was greeted with the
usual western heartiness at the cabin
that night. Had he found anything?
Who had he seen And what-not, un-
tll he wearied and went to bed.
Next morning when he put on his
coat, package OF letters and a photo
graph slid to the floor The old miner
stopped to pick them up. The picture
caught his eye.
why, know that fellow" he said.
looking IL over. That's the leader
OF the six horsemen."
The revenue officer stood with
mouth agape. The photo was that or
Carter.