The San Francisco call., 1913-08-31


A million dollar opium ring that
FOR more than three years has oper-
ated openly met its Waterloo yester-
day. when upon information obtained
by Surveyor Of the Port Wardell and
Special Agent Tidwen. one customs
Inspector was suspended. pending
further investigation; nine customs
guards were stripped of their badges
and uniforms and arrested on charges
of eonspiring to smuggle opium into
the country, and several other per-
sons were arrested in connection with
the affair.
The guards arrested were Manuel
Joseph. C G. Resy. Walter B. Bren-
nan. Peter w. Craigie. G. B. Balk. E.
z. Vargas. John McGeough, James ].
Brolan and Elmer E. Gallagher.
Warrants were issued for Elias
Ellison. a former customs guard who
recently resigned from the service:
Max Miller. customs watchman who
IS already under suspension and in
dictment for opium smuggling: James
McKenna, a watchman at the Pacific
Mail pier ~; a man known to the Of
ficials as Butch" a roustabout at
pier S4- OF these. McKenna and Mil
Ter were arrested last night. as were
also Charles J. Ray, Miles McGrath
and young Tai.
PORT MASTER ACCUSED
Another man accused of completely
in the conspiracy is A. J. Taylor,
formerly port master for the Pacific
Mail Steamship company. Taylor is
already in custody in Los Angeles on
a charge Of smuggling so tins OF
opium across the Mexican border. If
the southern California officials viii
release him to San Francisco he will
be brought here and charged formally
with conspiracy.
1t is probable that one or two more
white men will be shared in the net
of the law Warrants have also
been issued for the arrest of two or
three other Chinese said to be opium
dealers, whose names, however, the
ohicials VIII not divulge until the ar
rests are made.
The customs inspector suspended
pending further Investigation is E. Fl.
MonteH. Guard H. l. Halliday has
also been suspended by Collector
Davis.
Surveyor Wardell said that the con-
Fpiracy has been OF gigantic propor-
tons One man alone, he said, has in
the three years Of the conspiracy.
drought in no less than 100000
worth OF opium. a1e is said to have
proated between $4,000 and 1000
out OF the business. Others have
made moderate fortunes. According
to confessions that have been made,
one Of the customs guards has car
ried off OF the ships opiun worth. at
the usual price of s44 tin. no less
than 500. 900.
WOEFUL INEFFICIENCY CHARGED
The exposure of the operations of
the biggest opium ring that ever
worked IN San Francisco comes after
Surveyor Wardell has been in office
only two weeks. WardeH does not
hesitate to say that its ability to
operate so long. SO boldly and so sue
cessfully was due to woeful inem-
cheney on the part Of somebody con-
nected with the office before he took
charge.
There has been a woeful lack of
efficiency somewhere along the line"
he said This thing has been going
on with most wonderful effrontery and
brazenness for three years. One man
connected with the conspiracy oper-
ated openly and without regard for
anybody. TO hell with them, he was
accustomed to say of the officials.
.'As to Inspector Montell and Guard
Halliday, who have not yet been ar
rested. but who are under suspen-
sion" continued the surveyor OF the
port, they have been guilty either
OF fnemciency or Of more serious Of