The Opium Cipher That Cost a Customs Inspector His Job

TACOMA, April 3.—Special.—S. G. Glen Todd denies emphatically the story published in the Post-Intelligencer to the effect that he was dismissed from the police force of Port Townsend because Chief of Police Tom Delaney caught him asleep in an alley way.

'If Tom Delaney makes such a statement as that,' said Todd, 'he tells what is an absolute untruth. I was a Republican working on the force under a Democratic administration. Persistent work was done to oust me, seemingly because of my politics. Finally, Delaney filed charges against me, alleging that I had been seen standing under an electric light one morning at 4 o'clock reading the morning paper. It was for this, and this alone, that the Democratic council dismissed me. I then entered customs service in February, 1891, for Collector Bradshaw, and remained in the service through his administration and through part of Collector Wasson's, and went out June 15, 1893.

'The story that I was dismissed for not reporting shipments of opium and Chinese from Vancouver when I was stationed there is false. I was in the way of certain officials. Soon after Collector Wasson came in he attempted to get me out, but did not succeed. He then sent me to Vancouver January 1, hoping thus to lose me. I never have been able to get any satisfactory answer from the department or elsewhere as to whether or not charges were filed against me, and my demand for an investigation was denied. Here is my letter of dismissal. I will produce a letter which simply says:

'By telegraphic orders received from the department, you are hereby removed. To take effect at once.'

The letter is signed 'A. Wasson, collector,' and dated June 15, 1893.

'I telegraphed to the department asking for the charges and for an investigation,' continued Mr. Todd, 'and got no reply. I then wrote to the department a letter, of which the following is a copy:

'Port Townsend, June 23, 1893.

'Hon. John G. Carlisle, Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D. C.: Sir—On the 15th instant I received a communication from the collector of the port of this district removing me from office as inspector, on the pretended authority of telegraphic orders from your department. Since then the papers have published widespread statements that I was removed for complicity in smuggling in this district. As my reputation has never before been assailed, and is dear to me, I have the honor to inquire if the newspaper publications are correct and if so, upon what authority the charges are made. If formal charges have been preferred against me, I would respectfully ask for a copy of them. Respectfully yours, S. G. G. Todd.'

'This is the answer,' said Mr. Todd, producing the following letter:

'Washington, D. C., July 25, 1893.

'Mr. S. G. Glen Todd, Box 173, Port Townsend, Wash.: Sir—In reply to your letter of the 23d ultimo, in which you ask for a copy of the charges filed against you as inspector of customs for the district of Puget Sound, Wash., you are hereby informed that it is not the custom of the department to furnish information of this character, and your request is therefore denied. Respectfully yours, C. Hamlin, Acting Secretary.'

Mr. Todd produced a quantity of copies of telegrams sent from Vancouver by him, giving information of shipments of opium and Chinese, doing so to disprove the charge that he did not send out such notifications. One of the telegrams picked at random from the bunch is as follows:

'Vancouver, B. C., Oct. 5, 1892.

'A. Wasson, Collector of Customs, Port Townsend—Haytian Republic sailed for Astoria, 7 p.m. Fifteen cases, seven marked E. J. A., six marked E. J. A. in a block; two E. F. Cummings. See letter that Bradford has for further description. 900 cash gold. —S. G. G. Todd.'

'900' signifies 900 pounds, he explained, 'cash' opium, and 'gold' sure thing, they being words in the custom house cipher.

Mr. Todd also produced records showing the number of Chinese who arrived on each trip of the Empress steamers during the time he was at Vancouver, together with the points to which they were forwarded from Vancouver. Copies of records, he said, were sent regularly by him to Collector Wasson, the special treasury agent and the Portland custom house. He says further that much of the information he sent out of Vancouver was not acted on by the officials to whom it was sent.