Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-08-22

Use MAILS TO
CARRY OPIUM
Broken Wrapper illustrates a
Daring Attempt to Run
in Contraband
$4,000. WORTH OF DRUG
IN SEALED MAIL SACK
Clerk Makes Discovery Which
May Lead to Startling
Disclosures

A broken wrapper on a package of
fourth-class mail matter, which ex-
posed the words Prepared Opium"
upon the tin enclosed, was responsible
for the Illustration of an attempt to
ship fourteen packages of the contra
band drug into the Territory via the
steamship Manchuria, which arrived
in port August +. -: i
Each package contained, eight tins
of opium and was addressed to j..
kauison, the address on some of the
packages being typewriter, while on
the rest it was written in longhand.
Aside from the tag on the mail bag,
which reads Return to 'Nagasaki," the
postal authorities have no idea as to
the origin of the shipment.
1t was discovered by a mere chance,
torn wrapping on one of the pack
ages exposing the enclosed tins and
their labels, and as the postal aut:lori-
ties have the right to inspect all I'M
sealed mail, they tore open the wrap
pings of the thirteen other packages,
each of which contained twelve tins
of the drug, making a total shipment
of 112 tins, valued at approximately
$4,000 dollars.
Regular Mail Sack.
The bag which enclosed the ship
ment was dumped off the boat which
arrived from, the Orient last Thursday
afternoon along with the rest of the
mail shipment. The tag, For Homo
lulu, Return to Nagasaki," was the
only identification mark upon the bag
which held what seemed to be regu-
lation parcel fourth-class mali matter.
AS the clerk dumped the packages
out Of the bag, one of the wrappings
split open, and through the opening
could be seen the label, Prepared
Opium" He Immediately notified his
superiors, who tore open the wrap
pings on the other parcels, as they
are entitled to do under the postal
regulations which allow the inspection
of mail matter of the three lower
classes.
Four of the fourteen packages were
addressed in longhand to j. RaulSon;
the remainder were addressed on the
typewriter and bore the superScrip-
tions of J. Ranlson. The postal all
thorities believe that J. Raulson and
!. Ranlson are the same man, and
they have been holding the packages
in the expectation that RaulsOn or
Ranlson would call for them.
Opium UnmailabIe.
Under the regulations of both Japan
and the United States, opium is un-
mailable matter, and under this pro
vision the smugglers can he charged
with misuse of the mails besides at
tempting to smuggle opium.
1t is not known how long the mails
have been used for this purpose, but
it is possible that this bag of contra
band is but one discovered out of
many sent successfully. The postal
officials declared that it would have
been impossible for a smuggler on
board ship to open the mail sack and
destroy the original contents, as the
seal of the bag was unbroken when 1t
arrived here from Nagasaki.
The police have been notified to ar
rest a suspect on board the Manchu-
ria, which sailed from San Francisco
this afternoon, as it is believed that
he is the J. Raulson or Ranlson OF
the San Francisco opium ring who is
coming here to claim the shipment.
1t is feared that confederates of the
man in Honolulu have notified the
suspect in San Francisco of the dis
covery of the plot and that he will
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