The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-05-19
SMUGGLER CAME
into THE TRAP
WATER TENDER or THE CHINA
CARRIED BHLr PULL
OF DoPB.
tFfom wedns.aayl. AdrerlIsot.l

(Ffom Wednesdays Advcrtinor)
Unaware that the customb inspectors
had received instructions to search Ger.
tain persons leaving transpaeihe steam
ers, John Kohler, water-tender of the
Pacific Mail steamship China yesterday
walked direct into a trap, and from his
clothing ten tins Of opium rewarded
the vigilance Of the inspector, who
thought Kohler looked suspicious. Koh-
ler is now a prisoner of the United
States, in the custody of the United
States marshal, and this morning he
will be arraigned before Federal Judge
Clemons.
When Kohler prepared himself for his
trip to town about one o'clOek yester-
day afternoon, he thought he bad ad-
iusted the tins of opium so that they
wouldn't show. They were arranged
around his waist where the belt of his
trousers held them from slipping down.
His underwear also aided him when he
essayed to make his legs act as helps
to get the valuable drug ashore. The
entire ten tins were placed to his salts
faction and he walked about a bit to
assure himself that his movements
would not be suspicious
He came up on deck and luck seemed
to be with him as he followed two men
down the plank At the bottom of the
gangway the two men in front were
stopped by the customs inspector who
ran his hands quickly over their cloth
ing. Kohler was evidently an amateur
at the business Of smuggling, for in
stead of turning and walking quietly
back to the ship, as if he had forgotten
something and returned for it, he
seemed frozen to the spot. Before he
had had time to change his mind about
going ashore he had timidly stepped
forward and the first movement of the
hands of the inspector over his clothing
revealed the lumpiness of his person.
The inspector knew this to be a catch
and in second he had tin of opium
and others were rapidly brought to the
light, until finally ten tins, each worth
500 or SO, were in the possession of the
vigilant native inspector.
Kohler made little effort to justify
himself. In fact, he made things a
little worse when he said he had found
the tins of opium in a water tank over
a boiler. 1t was lucky find, he
thought, and having come across some
thing he never expected to see, it oc-
Cured to him that he might dispose of
it, and the money would be a nice little
nest egg, and only because of that rea-
son did he essay to take the stuff ashore.
81 thought l might find Chinaman
or salOonkeeper who might take the
off Hg
But / was caught, and here am
The Manchuria 3 water tender, Wis
sig, now in custody here, thought the
same thing. He and the second stew.
ard, Howard, smnggled opium off the
ship without being discovered, but left
a suspicious trail behind and were ar.
rested. Howard has pleaded guilty and
was fined $500. Wissig pleaded not
guilty and will fight his ease.
BY a strange coincidence, three
Cinnamon were placed aboard the
China by Marshal Hendry, all of whom
had been taken off of various Pacific
Mail liners in connection with opium
cases. They had been held as witnesses
and were released yesterday. They
were happy to be going aboard a liner
again, and looked it, as they passed
Kohler, solemn as an owl, being march.
ed off in charge of the marshal.
The result of the seizures, in which
the Manchuria and the China have be-
come involved. may cause more dras-
tic system to be adopted with members
of the crew who are given the priv
ilege to come ashore here, and there
is possibility of each one being held
up and searched by customs officers, ir.
respective of rank below that of com.
mander.
The United States officials here are
on the search for "higherups" and
it is understood they have certain in.
formation which may lead to sensation.
al disclosures, particularly with refer
enee to certain packages received here
by express and baggage.