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Show FIND OPIUM ON STEAMER San Francisco, Sept. 2 Customs officials engaged in a search of the Pacific Mall steamer Manchuria discovered dis-covered fifty-nine tins of opium valued val-ued at $4425 in the forepeak of the 'ran) luuay ana me worn OI the searchers Is still In progress. In connection with the discovery federal officials said that a warrant would be Issued for he arrest of the ship's officer In whose department the opium was discovered. The officials suld today that confessions laying bare the methods of opium smugglers who have operated In San Francisco for months had been obtained from three of the fifteen customs guards now under arrest charged with the: conspiracy to Invade customs law and It was stated these three would bo sent before the federal grand jury. According to the confessions of the three, caches for the smuggled drug were arranced at Piers N'o ?.4 nnd 4? and after the opium was brought a-shore by guards and iccretod in the hiding places It was conveyed by automobile Into Chinatown The government names A J Taylor, now under arrest In Los Angeles, in connection con-nection with the Investigation as the receiving acent and tho federal officers offi-cers who outlined the details of the confessions say that the guard who made them also name Taylor as the receiving agent. Wealthy Chinese across the Pacific agents who traveled on Oriental liners, lin-ers, officers of the San Francisco customs service and others here were all In close association In conducting the unlawful traffic, say federal officers of-ficers Warrants charging conspiracy to smuggle have been Issued for nine guards, besides those already arrested. arrest-ed. The investigation has been in progress prog-ress for months and was conducted by Harry Tidwell, special agent of the treasury department. It Is stated that the evidence that has been gathered gath-ered came into the hands of the In-veslgators In-veslgators when members of the ring quarreled over the question of raising rais-ing money for a bond for Max Muller. who was Indicted on charges of smuggling opium last July. F Heral officers say that the usual premium earned by those who smuggled smug-gled opium ashore was $5 a tin and it Is stated that Instances have come Into their knowledge In which as much at 150 tines of the drug would be carried ashore by one man. Since the disclosures concerning the ring became public the price of opium In Chinatown has advanced from $45 to $75 a tin. |