Smuggling Ring Exposed at Port Townsend
A customs inspector is accused of taking bribes to let opium cross the border, revealing a deeper scandal within the agency.
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.
The arrest of C. H. Kane, late baggage master on the steamer City of Kingston, for smuggling opium has unearthed the information that customs inspectors have been soliciting smugglers in Victoria to bring opium into the United States. F. P. Loftus, a customs inspector, admitted that he was approached by smugglers to 'stand in' and pass trunks containing contraband. Collector Saunders was reportedly aware of the proposition. Following this arrangement, forty pounds of opium were shipped from Victoria. Kane was arrested after Loftus allowed the trunks through. Loftus may now be dismissed and indicted by a federal grand jury for aiding and abetting smuggling.
“The arrest of C. H. Kane... has unearthed the astonishing information that Collector Saunders' 'reform' inspectors have been soliciting smugglers in Victoria to bring opium into the United States.”
Port Townsend's history as a hub for smuggling and graft is legendary, mirroring the perennial concerns over border security and the corruption of officials tasked with enforcing trade laws. The intersection of maritime travel, addiction to contraband, and local law enforcement remains a constant, if shifting, civic struggle.
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