Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-12-05
Capture WOMEN
& MAN TRYING To
SMUGGLE THEM

SAN FRANCISCo-With the cap
ture late Monday night of Leons
Moon. interpreter on the Japanese
! liner Nippon Maru, and four Chinese
] Girls. the immigration authorities are
| confronted with one of the most bra
zen attempts at smuggling and brib-
cry they have ever had to deal with.
From admissions made by the girls
the Federal investigators believe they
: will be able to expose ring for the
smuggling of Chinese women and
! coolies into this country as extensive
as the opium conspiraeies with which
the customs authorities have been
confronted recently.
When questioned by the officials
the girls said that they had been
drugged at Hongkong and lured
| aboard the ship. They were placed
| in a compartment in the coal bunk
ers, and during the long voyage
across the Pacific food was lowered
to them. They suffered greatly, hay-
ing only a small quantity of rice to
eat and the exposure also told on
them. ~.
l. is apparent that the girls are
still Withholding information which
may involve those in the plot, but the
| investigators believe that they will
speak more freely when they find
| that they are not to be harmed. Prom
Uses of rich husbands and an easy life
mere are still sealing the lips of the
girls, in the opinion of those in charge
+ of the investigation.
Plans Went Wrong. -. ~.
The very assurance with which Lee
ong Moon walked ashore from the
Nippon accompanied by the Chinese
girls, who were disguised as men,
leads the officials to believe that
the way had been creased" and
that the only reason why the "Celes-
4. tial slaves" are not now occupying
dens in Chinatown is because the ar
rangements of the smugglers miscar-
ried.
| Cornered in his attempt to take the
girls away from pier "a, where tho
: Nippon Maru is lying, .Leong Moon,
who is an American born Chinese, at.
tempted. it is alleged, to bride Gus
toms Guard w. H. Deasy with sum
more than equal to. that which the
official derives from the Government
annually.
| Deasy was doing duty at the gang.
way of the Nippon when about III
o'clock he was surprised to see five
Chinese come down under the arc
lights. One he recognized as Moon,
| the other four were clad in long over
coats and wore soft hats pulled down
over their faces.
What's this" demanded the Gus,
toms guard.
That's all right, you know" said
Moon confidently.
| Evidently Deasy was the wrong
man, the authorities think, as Moon
seemed nonplussed for the moment.
Bride is Offered.
| Take $3.50 and let my friends &C"
the interpreter is alleged to have
said. .s..=-.
According to Deasy, Moon raised
the sum until he offered $1,000 for the
customs man to keep his eyes and
mouth closed.
! Deasy reported his surprising dis
CObcE9 III DcDuIg . Jul NCyOL VI VIC
Port Charles A. Stephens, who order
ed him to place the Chinese in Gus
! tody ON the Nippon over night.
To the surprise of Deasy and the
| Officers of the ship who were sum
moned, they found that the four sup
| posed Chinese youths were of the
opposite sex.
Girls Become Hysterical.
Yesterday morning Moon and the
girls were taken to the office of Dep
uty Surveyor Stephens. The girls,
who are but Is and 10 years of age,
became historical, believing that they
were to be executed or meet some
dire fate in their strange surround
ings. 1t was also evident that they
were exhausted from lack of sleep
and want of food. Confronted by
Deasy, Moon sullenly refuted all the
guards charges, denying that. he had
ever seen him, that he had offered a
| bride, or that he knew anything about
the girls.
! Moon and the girls, who gave the
names of Tai Moy, All Moy, Tai Vow
and All Yen, were taken to the immi-
grafton station at Angel island. Moon
will be charged in the United States
Court this morning with violations OF
| the immigration laws.
! Deasy, whose integrity was respon-
sible for the nipping of the plot, was
highly commended by Surveyor of the
Port Duncan Mckinlay.
w. H. Avery, assistant general
manager of the Togo kisen Kalsha,
is also conducting an investigation
into the smuggling conspiracy to as
certain who among the crew of the