Show II SMUGGLING OF CHINESE 1 Y 1f 1 f Ill 5 Officials f I at Nogales I 1 Arizona Under Arrest THE COLLECTOR IS INCLUDED Whole Customs and Immigration Administrations Ad-ministrations in tho Arizona Town With One or Two Exceptions Involved In-volved in the Conspiracy Chinese Easily Got Through the Official Cordon by the Payment of From 50 to 200 Collector Hocy Is Prom Muncie Ind I < J I Washington Aug 24Probably the tiiost Important arrests ever made In connection with the smuggling of Chinese Chi-nese across the Mexican border into the United States were made yesterday in Arizona when William A Hoey collector col-lector of customs at Nogales B F Jos fey an Immigrant Inspector Frank How a Chinaman living in Nogales antI another Chinaman living at Clifton i Clif-ton Mexico Just across the border from I Nogales were taken into custody by 1 special agents of the Treasury and secret service operatives Other arrests are expected to follow within a day or two It is stated that with two or three exceptions the whole customs and im hj riiion aamlrustiations at isogiues ore Involved UNDER SUSPICION Some time ago an official of the Treasury Treas-ury having Nogales as his headquarters wrote to the department I that he had reason to believe that the official force at that point was corrupt and that Chinese in large numbers were being smuggled across the border for a consideration A secret service operative oper-ative was sent there at once and plans laid to secure evidence against the persons per-sons under suspicion BOUGHT THEIR WAY THROUGH Several Chinamen were furnished wIth money and seht on to buy their way through the ofllcial cordon This was accomplished without difficulty the price demanded being from 550 to 1 J200 The secrel service men also arranged ar-ranged with one or two employees whose honesty hnd been tested to go Into the collectors office at a certain time and demand a share of the money being received from the Chinamen and to be admitted Into the combination so that they might get their share of the proceeds of future deals This was reluctantly agreed to and considerable sums of money were handed over In the presence and full hearing a secret I service man who had previously secreted himself in a nearby ofllcc I STORY TOLD BY LETTER The officials soon found that China men who presented a certillcate marked with the letter A were allowed to proceed without question while those having certificates that did not bear thin cabalistic mark were turned back without ceremony Later on It was developed that the letter A on a cer tificate indicated that the amount demanded I de-manded had been paid Several Chbja I men were sent through with the requisite re-quisite A mark on their certificates i made by one of the secret sen ice men The utmost care and secrecy was maintained from the first to secure positive proof against each man under suspicion A special United States at tWney will be detailed to prosecute the persons arrested t FROM NEELEYS TOWN Hoey was appointed Collector about a year and a half ago Ills home Is In Muncie Ind Jossey came from the State of Washington When Iloey received re-ceived his appointment he came lo Washington to receive instructions as to his duties and at that time Secre tary Gage took occasion to talk with him on the subject of public officials He was cautioned to avoid every temp tation to wrong doing and that to a > certain limited extent the honor of the Government was placed in his hands Secretary Gage explained that his pre decessor at Nogales had been displaced because of certain alleged violations of the civil service laws and regulations and warned him that his admlnlstra1 tlon of the office must at all times be cletn and above suspicion for his own honor and that of the country The number of Chinamen who have bought their way Into the United States through the alleged connivance ot the Nogales officials Is not known nut It Is believed to be large A special agent has been ordered to Nogales to take charge of the office If he finds It necessary |