The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-24
OPIUM TRUST TRICKS
CUT RATE RIVALS
Two More Arrests Follow Tip to
Customs Authorities on
COntraband.
SEEK JAPANESE STUDENTS

There is little doub. now that the dis
closure OF the opium smuggling con-
spiracy revealed by the raid on the store
keepers quarters on the Adriatic was
due 10 che relentless warfare between
the opium trust In this city and the IN
dependent traf'ickers in contraband drugs.
The conspirators, 1t liz said. have H.
CURED the displeasure of the trust by
selling high grade opium at cut rates,
and the trust retaliated by giving the
customs authorities anonymous informa-
ton which led to the arrests Of Tues
day.
Customs Inspectors Murphy and Hop
kinson rounded up two more defendants
in the case yesterday. one of them,
Kasuji Toda "a bright eyed little Japa-
nese is said to be "A salesman Tor
London house exporting Chinese and
Japanese novelties. He is also credited
with being the leader In the conspiracy.
which has developed even greater pro-
portions than were first expected. The
$500 worth OF opium confiscated Nes-
terday is said to be only small part
of the importations made by the smug-
glers recently.
Toda was arrested in his room In a
boarding place at Az Lexington ave-
niue. The inspectors then visited the
! boarding house at 2O3 West l02d street.
where tney arrested kaido Mito. the Japa-
neae butler who the day before UNI
| suspectinglv handed to Inspector Murphy
| "A letter which revealed tho Whereabouts
| OF another conspif ator.
Toda and Mito were taken down 10
see Assistant United States Attorney Ed
win NJ. stanton. who got what informa-
| tlon he could from them. which was not
| much. and then arraigned them before
| tinted states Commissioner Houghton.
| The japanese unable to give $4,000 bail
| each. were sent TO the Tombs 20 JOIN
| their fellow defendants James Murphy.
| storekeeper OF the Adr.atic, and Toro
| Sata, the japanese magazine writer. who
| had been arrested the day before. The
| roundup will be complete. however. only
when the customs men have landed TWO
! Japanese students attending college IN
| this city.
| Toda. IL Is said, on one Of his frequent
business trips between England and this
country made the acquaintance OF store
| keeper Murphy on the Adriatic. The idea
| OF the smuggling conspiracy had been ger
minating In Toda's fertile brain Tor som,
time, 1t Is said. and when he cultivated
the acquaintance OF the storekeeper u
was with the knowledge that the la'te'
was in better position than any other mar
on the ship for carrying the plot 20
! successfui conclusion.
The high grade opium. u yuen as II II
called, was bought In London. Getting !
by the customs lines however, was only
the least part OF the difficulties encoun
tered by the conspira ors: for when they
| tried to peddle IL at less than the price
| fixed by the trust they found themselve
| bucking the combination.
In the past the trust resorted 10 v!oienc
as means OF throtuing free trade
! Sometimes the victim was killed, as II
| the case OF Hobson. the quartermaster o
| Panama liner, who was found murdered
| In Harlem hallway with several tins o
opium beside him. In that instance, as II
others % It's kind. there was a lack or WI:
ness.s 10 IDENTITY the murderer. II IN
victim escaped alive from the Nengeanc
OF the trust there was no redress 10
him unless he cared 10 expose his ow
Illicit business and run the risk or
substantial term in prison. Recent!
however. the trust seems to have cast asid
these crude methods OF warfare, and I
have adopted the more subtle method "
giving mysterious tips 20 the customs au
thorties.