The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-08
DENY ARREST OF
OPIUM SMUGGLER
OFFICIALS AT THE u. s. MAR
sHALs OFFICE IN FARGO SAY
STORY or ARREST PUBLISHED
IN TWIN CITY PAPERS is AN
ERROR.
There is an error somewhere

There is an error somewhere"
This was the statement made this
morning by United States Marshal
Gilbert Stout in regard to q story pub
lished in three of the twin city papers
in which it was stated that one skinny
Martin had been arrested on a train
entering Fargo, on a charge of SNUG
Cling.
All the stories published in the twin
cities stated that Martin was arrested
for the specific crime of smuggling
opium into the United States at Penn
bina, N. ID.
"A the alleged crime was committed
in North Dakota the United States
marshal's office at Fargo is the only
office that could make the arrest" said
Mr.. Stout today, "and / am certain no
such arrest was made by any person
from this Office.
The story as it was published in The
st. Paul Pioneer Press yesterday is as
follows:
skinny Martin, known to federal
secret service men as the king OF
opium smugglers, was arrested by gov
eminent detectives on a train just be-
fore it entered Fargo. N. d., late Mon
day night, according to information re-
ceived at the office of the United States
district attorney in the postofflce
building yesterday morning.
although the special agents had
photographs of Martin and a very good
description, he successfully evaded ar
since August.
Passed Through st. Paul.
George E. Foulkes, special agent OF
the customs service, received a mes
sage from Chicago Monday that Mar
tin would pass through st. Paul on
his way west that night, it is said.
Mr.. Foulkes met the train at the de-
pot, found Martin, but owing to the
fact that the alleged smuggling of OPT.
UNI is said to have occurred in North
Dakota, he could not arrest him in this
jurisdiction and therefore telegTaphed
to Fargo for a United States officer to
meet the train.
1.-THE specific offense charged against
Martin is the smuggling across the
border at Pembina, N. D., Of the forty
sever cans of ~contraband smoking Opt
UNI which were found in the possession
of W. l. Harris in Chicago and which
Harris declared he had received in st.
Paul. Harris asserted the opium had
been smuggled across the border by
Martin and that it came by the Winni-
peg route. The forty seven cans were
valued at $1,000.
Method a Mystery.
THE manner in which the smuggling
was carried on is a mystery, but that
Martin was the ringleader of the clique
and The brains of the organization the
secret service men say they are GER
tain. Another matter which is puzzling
the authorities is whether the SNUG
Cling is done with Winnipeg as a base
or whether the drug is brought directly
from the Pacific coast to the line be-
tween Minnesota and North Dakots
and Canada and then Struggled across
Harris in his confession is said to have
declared the base of the traffic was
Winnipeg.
Martin will be tried at Fargo, n. d
Mr.. Foulkes will go to Fargo and an
effort will be made to get Harris, who
is now in Winnipeg, to come to Fargo
and give testimony against Martin.
1.-THE discovery Of the opium in the
possession of Harris in a Chicago hotel
was an accident. Harris was placed
under arrest on the charge of embez-
Element from a Winnipeg loan asso-
citation and the officers found the OPT
UNI in his possession. He made a par
tial confession at the time and later
when brought to St Paul a complete
confession to MT. Foulkes."