The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-02-08
INSPECTORS HUNCH
POINTED TO OPIUM
Man Arrested In HID On Dope
Smuggling Charge Came Un-
der Suspicion Here Recently

ing sucCcPded in smuggling into the
Territory Of over $500 worth of opium.
narrowly escaped being landed in the
federal net Lv. the "hunch" of a cus
toms inspector last November was re-
vcaled in Honolulu yesterday by AZ.
sNrtions of different members Of the
customs staff
The arrest Of Ignacio and the seizure.
OF III" hg quantity of opium was made
by HI" police and federal officer at
the home of William s. Cnnariu, a line
man in the employee of the Hilo Elec-
trio Light Company. CanariO was alao
arrested, ms he was alleged to have
been caught in the act of passing one
Of the tins Of opium to a Chinese.
The strategy employed by Ignacio in
evadihg the customs officers upon his
arrival IN Honolulu from the Coast
three months ago on n Matson steamer
was recalled yesterday by waterfront
| workers, the customs inspectors and
newspapcrmPn, who remember that
portion of his baggage was given
thorough searching and that he was
closely questioned at the customs house
Because no opium could be found he
was released
Inspector Had Hunch
The search Of Ignacio's baggage and
his invest CATION was made as the re.
cult Of the hunrh' of Inspector John
| ii. O'ivCira, because he strongly sus
pcctrd that the HiIO man had gotten
n portion of his baggage off Pier 10
by a suhtPrfugr before it could all be
searched.
1t was the movement and action Of
steward Of the Matson boat which
set Inspector Oliveira' g "hunch to
working as he explained at the time
Tho steward came ashore carving
three big suitcases. The inspecto
stopped the steward at the Pier IS
gate, and told him to wait there until
the owner of the baggage returned for
it, as at the time he believed the stew
ara might be attempting to smuggle
OPIUM ashore by pretending the suit
cases belonged to passenger
In few minutes Ignacio came back
and demanded the reason for the DELAY
CT his baggage. Inspector Oliveira ex.
planned the reason for this and ordered
the ltilO man to go outside and get
some other suitcases which had been
carried by lgnacio himself.
lgnacio started as though to do so,
but it was fully half an hour before
he came back, all efforts of the inspec
'or to locate him in the meantime prov
ing of no avail
Igracio Explains
However. Ignncio finally did return
with a couple of suitcases, but a search
revealed that they contained no Opium.
lgnaeiO explained that while he was in
side the wharf the automobile had
driven of with his baggage and he had
rot found it until he went to a local
hotel.
OF course Ignacio could not remem,
Der the name Of the driver or the mum,
Der Of the machine which had carried
away his baggage during his few mo.
n,rntS absence. The inspector was con,
tident IgnaciO had carried out three
Su'tcases himself, but this the HiIo
man denied
The deduction is simply that Ignacio,
If he had opium at that time, as it is
strongly believed by the customs force.
disposed of the contraband drug during
dis half hour 9 absence Gin search of
lis baggage.
All Efforts to locate the mrchino he
used proved fruitless, but it is possible
that the suspicion first directed at
lgnacio by InSneetor Oliveira WIS com
inundated to the HilO officers, who con.
tlnued surveillance of his movements
which finally led to the seizure of nine
tins Of opium at the Canario home last
Friday night.
Inspector OHveira's "hunch" re.
"nrding Ignacio was strengthened on
this day in November by the apparent
fear exhibited bv lgnacio He turned
white and thought q long time before
answering quest ions,' it IL said Of h,
"ctionS when he was questioned at the
customs house before being released. =
To Be Tried Here
lgnacio and Cnnario are to he
Brought to Honolulu for trial at the
ext term of the federal court, but
have sec ured their liberty in HilO Nv
giving bond. Ignncio was required t,
"nt uP bond Of $1,000 while only half
that amount was required Of Cannrio.
It il estimated here that nine tins of
opium containing about five taels, or a
half pound of the drug, is worth from
$50 to &l75 tin, due to it's scarcity
in the Islands.
The raid Of the Canario home in Hilo
was conducted by Customs Inspector
k"lb and Chief of Detectives Richard
son.
Federal officials express the belief
that lgnaciO was the agent Of higher
ups in the opium traffic, and Canario i,
believed to have actNl merely AS Ignu
clO 5 agent. The head of the traffic j,
suspected of being someone located on
the mainland There is also suspir,o
that the drug may have been sent t,
lgnacio in monographs, after he hal
established his alleged connections with
the opium dealers in San Francisco fnl
towing his trip there Inst fall.
Until late last summer Ipnario VIA,
employed by A. NJ. Cuhrinhn, IL Nh,
r"rchant, as Il bOokkrrprr but sine,
his return from HilO has been srlliul
nhon0EraphS.
Did Work Well
The Post Herald quotes CnhIlnhn II,
s"'lLg that lgnario did his work wet
while with him and seemed honest
- I" his having had money enough
+. curry on the nrfnrlnus husiur,s fuD
Wh,h he has been arrested Nr On
hrnha says this in not impossible X"
N"ItE have been current that Igunri,
had m"rtga ed some Of th" land Mhir'
he owned at Pnpnikou, and thut he hn,
fl,