The Opium Smuggling Ring of Pike Street
A failed nurseryman and a former grocer are arrested in a desperate scheme to smuggle opium in Seattle, orchestrated by a local 'fast young man.'
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Hawkins and R. P. Stewart were arrested yesterday afternoon by Deputy Collector McKenzie and Chinese Inspector Gleason on the charge of smuggling. Hawkins was arrested just as he was entering a paint shop on Pike street with a satchel containing ten pounds of the stuff. Stewart, who is an accomplice, was taken a short time afterward in the Plum boarding house, at Third and Union streets. It is supposed by the officers that this is the first offense of these two men. Both of them have families, and both have been in business in Seattle. They were led into the illicit business by a fast young man named McDonald.
Young McDonald had in some way come into the secret of the manner of smuggling. He was out of funds, however, and he appealed for aid to Hawkins and Stewart, painting the profits of opium smuggling to them in glowing colors. The result was that they advanced him small sums with which he made trips to Victoria and turned over the profits to his backers. They increased their interest in the scheme and about six weeks ago the young man absconded with $500 with the 'stuff.' A few days later he told a thrilling tale of how he had to throw the case overboard to escape arrest. As he was not heard from by McDonald's victims, they concluded to go into the business for themselves. A couple of days ago Hawkins went to Victoria and brought back seven pounds in his clothes. Then Stewart went up and returned with three pounds. The ten pounds were put in a satchel and Hawkins was going to a place where he could sell it for $12 a pound, when arrested. Customs officers have been shadowing the two men for some time. Hawkins is an old gray-bearded man and is a nurseryman. Stewart is middle aged and his family lives at Sixth and Pike streets, where he formerly ran a grocery store.
“Young McDonald had in some way come into the secret of the manner of smuggling... painting the profits of opium smuggling to them in glowing colors.”
This 1892 report highlights the desperation of the local working class during economic downturns, showing how individuals were drawn into underground economies like the opium trade. Today, the corner of Third and Union remains a high-traffic area, serving as a reminder of the historical layers of illicit enterprise that have existed alongside Seattle's formal economy for over a century.
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