The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-05-15

from Hong Kong. | assured him
that there would be no difficulty in
securing the necessary permits. which
| would issue as soon as the papers
came TO me from the entry clerk.
CONTRABAND
THE information from Hong Kong
was not sufficiently definite as to the
pieces of casting which contained
the opium. bat in reading the invoice
| noted a hand winch was included
in the items, also several large cast
iron pipes OF ten-inch diameter. I'm
der pretense of facilitating the. deli
very | took personal charge when
the vessel arrived and the import
entry had arrived in my office and
after the shipment had been loaded
on barge gave instructions to the
customs secret service agents.
THE barge was towed by a launch
to the inter-island steamer, all the
machinery properly belonging 10 the
dredge was placed on board. Then
charge Of Grant, with all the suspect
ed pipe and winch on board. My
agents then took 4 hand and
ordered the barge to the customs
house, where il was unloaded and the
merchandise placed in one of the in
terror yards for my personal inspec-
ton.
THE several pieces Of pipe were
TO all intent solid castings. About
ten inches in diameter. ten or twelve
feet long with heavy inch fianges sol
idly closing the ends and apparently
part of the solid castings. | first
thought that the information from
Hong Kong was incorrect ! then
gave attention to the winch. II was
a big heavy concern with barrel
drum about ~ inches In diameter, as
| remember.
I'VE pried off one end of the drum
and found it stuffed full of tins Of
opium packet in waste paper. Turn
ing attention again to the pipes, |
finally noticed that thread had been
turned on the ends and the Ranges
screwed on. Like the winch they
were all stuffed with opium, making
total of over 400 tins, the largest
seizure of this contraband that
had ever made, either in Cuba or the
Philippines.
Grant was arrested and in due
course of time, was tried and found
guilty. He was given a prison SEN
tence and fined either $4,000 or 5000
pesos, have forgotten which.
LEAVES ISLANDS
CAS- in some other cases, which |
could mention and have vivid re-
membrance, a certain class of Ameri
cans rallied to Grants support. He
was popular with those who knew
nothing of his former career, and he
reckoned among his intimates some of
the best known American civilians
and high officials, both civil and mill
tary, who were loath to believe him
guilty. Moreover it was the custom
in those days of low standards of
morality in Manila to condone the Of
lenses of guilty Americans of high
social standing, and although Grant
never figured much socially, never
theless he was well regarded in frat
ernal circles. was well liked by all
who knew him, and once convicted he
had no lack of friends to ask the gov
ernor- general to pardon him.
81 am quite certain that he never
was actually confined in Bilibid pri-
son. and through the opportunities
of his friends, the governor general
finally RENTED the prison sentence,
conditional upon his leaving the Phi
liDpines forever and the payment OF
the fine. The prison sentence was
suspended to he in effect If he ever
returned.
"The fine was paid and he left the
islands. From that time | lost track
of him until ] saw his name, few
years ago, as Major Louis II Grant,
in charge of the veterans bureau on
this coast An acquaintance once
asked me, in San Francisco, to write
the bureau a letter revealing what
have related in this report, stating
that he had done his best to convince
Director Forbes that Grant was un-
worthy and criminal but without
avail.
"In my years Of service ii has been
my privilege to have unearthed sew
era criminals and ex-criminals high
in official aud social standing, and
not only have they gone unpublished
after conviction, but have never lost
social prestige nor official position
either in Cuba or the Philippines.
"ln matters such as treated herein,
however, 1t has been my policy to
never knock, or to reveal my know
ledge to those in command, unless
specially called upon or because of
exceptional circumstances. In the
present case | was shocked to learn
through the enclosed cutting from the
San Francisco Call that you believed
him an honest man, also that he was
given an unconditional pardon, hence
my telegram yesterday.
II am always ready to give a crook
the benefit of the doubt and to be-
lieve him capable of reform If given
a responsible position where he can
make good, But, | am also a be-
lever in the principle enunciated by
Mr.. Taft, once in my presence in
Manila to a prominent American off,
cial, who was seeking the re-estab-