The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-02-11
OPIUM DEAL HAS
RAMIF|CAT|ONS
Prisoners and Witnesses Come
Here from HiIo - Police
Officer Involved.

Twenty-Five tins of frst-grade opium
brought ashore at Hilo from the Amer
lean Hawaiian steamship Columbian,
January l6, have brought Hiloites in
terested in its disposal into the clutches
OF the federal authorities, for Deputy
United States Marshal Sherwood return
ed Saturday on the Kilauea from Hilo
with seventeen men and two of the
twenty-five tins originally seized by the
Hilo police officer
The seizure of the contraband stuff
proved one of the most interesting
stories of graft in which any of the
liilo police officers are said to have par
ticipated, for Que of them is believed
to be implicated in the deal.
On the night of January 16, Kaimi,
a police officer, was tipped off by boat.
man that an oiler of the Columbian
would come ashore with opium. Kaimi
was on the wharf when Hartung, the
oiler, left the launch. Kaimi followed
Hartung and finally stopped him and
asked what he had in the gunnysack.
| Hartung said he did not know; that he
had been given the bag to carry up
| town. A Chinaman named Tai Nam
stepped in at this time and took part
in the conversation. The three finally
left the road and talked about the
bags contents, which was twenty two
tins of first-grade opium and quantity
of yensi.
According to the statement made by
Tai Nam, who was brought to Homo
| lulu Saturday, Kaimi took him aside
and offered to sell him the opium, Civ
ing him a share for $3.50. Tai Nam had
only $40, which he gave to Kaimi, and
then went uptown to gather the rest.
Tai Nam made the rounds of places
where he expected to get money and
came across An Sing, who was told of
the opium and also made the rounds to
collect money. A shoemaker loaned
All Sing 800 in return for four tins.
| Tie two Cinnamon returned to Kaimi
and his prisoner.
All Sing started to decker for share
of the dope. In the end All Sing turn
ed over his 500 to Kaimi. The Chinese
thought Hartung should be let loose,
but Kaimi considered it his duty to
take him to the police station. After
leaving his prisoner at the station,
Kaimi and the two Chinese went to a
room back of a Chinese restaurant to
divide the spoils.
Four tins went to All Sing for his
800, and Tai Nam got one tin and
some yensi for his $40. There remained
seventeen tins and five tins went to
each Chinaman, Kaimi keeping the
Others and promising to sell the remain
der for 800 that night, or $3.50 in the
morning.
The next morning the trio came to-
gether again, when Kaimi informed
the Chinese he had sold four tins. Fin
ally they paid him $S4 for what re-
manned. receipt for the money pass
ed and later the opium was passed over,
transaction which was observed by a
Japanese woman, now held as a wit
ness. She remembered the transaction
because Tai Nam attempted to get
away with bottle of sodawater.
Lau Chong later returned from Ha'
makua with the statement that he had
sold the opium for $2lo. On going to
his room he accused Tai Nam with hav-
ing broken into an iron box and stolen
a tin of opium and an antique coin
He demanded this back before making
return on the disposition of the opium
This led to a fight and resulted in Lau
/ Chong swearing to complaint against
Tai Nam, charging him with burglary
a charge ON which he is held by the
grand jury.
Tai Nam turned the tables by in
forming on Lau Chong, All Sing and
everybody else concerned in the opium
transaction. All Sing denied having