The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-10-30
PLOT IS
Seen in
ARRESTS
OF JAPS
Systematic Ring Working to
SmuggIe Nipponese In
From. Orient

The workings Of an organized ring
for smuggling Japs into the United
States thru Pacific ports. ring
whose members include agents In
Japan and Seattle. and members Of
the crews Of japanese liners ON orr
entail runs. WAS barred Saturday by
immigration officials. following two
weeks investigation.
As result OF the probe OF nino
stowaways who were apprehended
ON the Alabama Maru on October 20.
complaint was filed Saturday with
United States District ATTORNEY
Saunders against 10 japanese, who
are held In arrest as members OF tho
smuggling ring. Two other Japo
are held as witnesses.
The men are charged with conspir-
acy TO attempt the mnding in the
United states ~ aliens who are not
entitled To admission.
The men under arrest are T. Yosh.
iia. rancher Of South Park: shotaro
famane, the proprietor OF Z resr
taurant at eo5iz Main street:
7. saito, T. Maxusawa. T. Sakai
Fujiwara. carpenter on the Alahama
Maru; T. Mazekawa, n Mainamidc,
Y Matsushita. X. Mlnaido. Y. Yan1a-
gaia, X. Nakamura and T. Yamnna.
Witnesses held are X. Hamano an
T. Nakamura-
SMUGGLING ORGANIZATION
HIGHLY PERFECTED
The system. as outlined by im1m2.
grafton officials. based on the con
fessIons Of the men arrested. Il very
complete IN its workings.
Eight Of the nine stowaways that
were found on the Alabama Maru
come from the province Of ken oe
Wakizama- They relate that a u,an
named Hirata. who is the procuree
In Japan. arranged to trnnspore
them TO America for 200 yen down
and 400 yen more a head 70 be pal6
on their safe arrival.
Hirata said they met first u
Kobe and then in Yokahama. thru
the guidance OF T. Yoshita. tho
South Park farmer, who went TO
Japan for the purpose OF arranging
to import some Japs. Having paid
their deposit OF 200 yen each, the
eight men were slowed away a
the liner with the aid OF Yoshitn.
who returned to the United gtat6o
as a first-class passenger. and +.
saito. who was responsible to HI.
rata for the mems care while en-
route. A contract drawn up b.
Hirata. binding all parties. was
duly signed before the ship left.
SHIP CARPENTERS
AID ENLISTED
might be fed and kept under cover.
the aid of Fujiwara. the ships car
penter. was enlisted. as well as that
OF several other members OF the
crew.
Yoshita- the first.class passenger.
was TO attend to getting the men
off the boat once they arrived
here.
When the Alabama Maru docked
in Seattle. Shotaro Yamana. the
restaurant proprietor. appeared. He
told Yoshita that the ninth mem
Der of the crew OF stowaways was
his uncle. and that all had better
stay aboard until the boat went ia
Tacoma. as II would be much easier
to land them there. But in thu
meantime immigration and customs
officials had discovered the Japs.
sealed In under the steering gear
housing OF the boat. and had placed
them in the immigration detention
station.
PAID WE'LL FOR
SMUGGLING HIS UNCLE
Shotaro Yamana. whose story u
corroborated by his uncle. T. va.
mana, says that he paid a man
named Handa. another man in ths
business In Japan. 200 yen to SEM
his uncle over. and was to pay
1.S0o yen more upon the safe A.
rival of the stowaway.
This transaction was made thru
the services OF one Wataneba~ A
written agreement was drawn up
and signed In this case also. Others
implicated were katsumi. donkey
man on the Alabama Maru, and the
quartermaster. Kondo, who was paid
to turn his back TO what was going
on.
Wataneha and Katsumi werc Al
lowed to return TO Japan. under sur
veillance OF the officers of tho boat
upon the condition that they will a.
sist in rounding up the rest Of the
gang. especially tho agents Hirata
and Handa.
| RcJ Mc,r.