Smashing The Smuggler King Of Honolulu

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 24, 29 January 1938, Page 9 (Supplement)

Smashing The Smuggler King Of Honolulu

By C S. VAN DRESSER — Copyright

IN emasfimg trie most gigantic smuggling ring in the history of the Hawaiian Islands a little more than a year ago, the fearless men of the United States Customs Service conceived and carried to a successful conclusion the most audacious and hazardous scheme ever recorded in the annals of the Federal Government For some years prior to tne smashing of the ring it was well known that a cnrtahi Joseph Kubey directed the manifold #perations of the smugglers of Honolulu. Nothing had been proved on the dope boss in spite of the efforts of Federal men, and the stream of deadly narcotic* continued U pour in from the Orient. Although several large dope-smuggling rings had been wiped out in Loe Angeles and San Francisco, the supply ef opium earning into the United States u a result of Joseph Kubtry's activities was scarcely checked. Accordingly, in early 1935, a special Customs force, consisting of J. P. Sheehan and D. 8. Conner, veteran Federal agents, experienced m running down opium traffickers, was dispatched from Washington. The «rnx of the whole daring scheme lay in the part played by Agent William Holt, who since 1933 had been Customs inspector at Honolulu. It was arranged that be was to be discharged from the perries and let K be knows thai he was

Indignant over the treatment and wished to retaliate against the Government. By so doing it was hoped that Holt would get into the confidence of the dope boss of Honolulu and thereby obtain the evidence to convict the wellorganised gang. It was a dangerous plan, for it was well known that Kubey would not hesitate to use a gun. How dangerous a game was proved when Holt nearly lost his life in getting his man. Proposition On a Patio And so it was that as he sat la the sun-drenched patio of his modest Hawaiian bungalow on a certain December afternoon in 1935, Holt hoped above all things that the news of his recent release from the Honolulu detail of the United States Customs Service would reach Joseph Kubey, drug king of Hawaii. The former Federal agent had let it be known publicly that he was plenty sore about being let out and wae through with the service for good. A heavy step disturbed Holt's musings as a large, solidly-built man walked toward him one day. It was Kubey. "Hello, Holt; or should I say Inspector Holt?" cryptically greeted the drug baron. '•Wen, well. If ft isnt Httte Joey Kubey in person. What brings you

here? Going to hold a post-mortem and gloat over the victim?" "Taking it rather hard, arent you?" said the opium boss, as he seated himself without invitation. "Hell, yes. Wouldn't you? I've served that lousy Customs outfit for years, and now they give me the gate. •Unfit for duty,' they said. Nuts!" "Did it ever occur to you, Holt, that there might be a real job for you right here in Honolulu?" "Now what?" challenged Hort. "First you tell me yon got me fired and them you say you can get me another joh. This must be my day for surprises." "Listen a minute, Holt," said the dope smuggler suavely. *T admit I didn't have anything to do with your discharge. But I also admit it is a break for me and, if you've got any sense, it will be a break for you, too." "All right; I'n* in the mood for fairy tales. Go ahead." "It's like this," continued Kubey. "Confidentially speaking, I got connections in Hongkong, Shanghai and Macao. I won't say exactly what those connections are, for what yon don't know you can't be hung for. But friends of mine, especially women friends, often take trips from China to Honolulu. They like Hawaii, see?" "What of it, Kubey; wfcere do I fit in?" "I'm eomin' to that. These friends of mine find it embarrassing sometimes to be searched by the Customs men. They're sensitive—especially the women

—and don't like to be pawed over. Now, you've been in the Customs service quite some time; you know the ropes, Couldn't you arrange to let these fnends of mine through the Customs without too much examination of themwortt Jvi " gSageT U m!ght be "SuUSSn-d o It* Wh.t A T t buppoPing Ido it? mat do I get m,ll l\ \ VU Te L g ? for^ u y e ,, that pU 2v ßt , nts ~ke that - y" u know." «fJ°" h r eVer if caught Holt. The hlvt. S« J t a i "7 USlne ' s b ? having coohes drop the stuff overboard m Honolulu Bay for the fish.ng boats to pick up. Im gonna let em keep on

thinking it, but 111 run the snow right through the Customs inspection at the dock. That is, if you'll play ball." The ex-inspector leaned back i. his c hair stared speculatively at the wavi ng palms, sharply etched against a sky ° f , ' rilliant blue - •*' AU right ' Kubey '" h * « M « * fter a mim ,te. "I'll string along with you. What do I get out of itT" "One hundred bucks every time a Dollar Line boat docks from China," Promptly replied the dope racketeer. "Make it 200" returned Holt, "and I'll see to it that anybody you don't want searched won't get searched."

"It's a deal • it was at th* «<> m » t; m « ?„ l ♦ io« " Z the Same t,mC> ln late 1935 > that SpeC '*! Agent " Shec £ an * nd Cobner were dl9 P* tcl »ed from Washington, th « United Statee Coast Guard eo-oper-ated in the drive against Kuber by Sendin « thc three cutters - th « WiHiam J. Duane, the Tiger and the Hilo. One of the most prevalent methods of run ning the drug was to wrap tins of it in burlap bags filled with Tooksalt and! as the steamship neared Honolulu, pitch it overboard. The salt would cause the bag to sink, but 24 hours or so later, owing to the salts dissolving.-it

would rise to the surface to be picked up by fishing boats waiting for that purpose. Often inflated balloona were inserted in the bags to make detection easier. The now augmented Coast Guard force stuck to incoming steamships from the Orient like a minora to a shark, and made life miserable for the members of the fishing fleet who were believed to be in Kubey's employ. However, narcotics were still coming through the port of Honolulu in alarming amounts. Holt worked fast. Within a> month he learned that a wealthy Chinese of Honolulu, W. 8. Chee, supplied Kubey with his female runners. The Chinese trained attractive Oriental pirls who were educated and spoke good English in the wiles of getting by Customs inspectors with a load of opium and heroin concealed in their clothing. The principal runners were Helen Young and Mrs. Won SaL Holt, acting under orders from Sheekan, allowed Mrs. Won Sai to run a load of cons.derably more than IOOOoz ,of opium through the Honolulu Customs on February 6, 1936. The drug was concealed in two suitcases, 120 tins in one and 80 in the other. Later this dope was seized and used as evidence against her. In rapid fashion the Federal aan built ep his ease against Kubey and his ring. The Chinese procurer, *Y. S. Chee, was hopelessly entangled in a net of evidence, although he did not know it. Likewise, Helen Young, Mrs. Won Sai and another Oriental member of the gang, Lawrence Loo, were deeply enmeshed in the toils of the Federal law, but were unaware of it.

Written with iKe approval and aid of the United States Customs Service.

Holt planned to emnpleie ¥k 4ain" ing case against Kubey by baring th drug baron call at hi* boose for * "business" conference that wonkt b;recorded on a dictaphone. Ho erne will ever know how Kubey learned that Holt was on the lerel with Uncle Saaa, but find it out he did. On the sight of Che earis! mum tiny. h* early April ef 1936, Kwbey "phenyl Holt and asked him to «fcang» the Meet - ing place from Holt's residence to hiown. Disgruntled ttat bin afea ri recording the eonvereation would net h" oarried out, but totally nua—pectin?. Holt agreed. Ik alsaosi eeet bini hi* life. Kubey greeted the Federal awn with drawn pistol when be apparel at tindrug racketeer's borne. Holt, making a desperate Mβ far hi? life, dived at Kubey. The drug boss me: the charge of the lighter man with a vicious blow which left Holt reeling. Then, calmly and deliberately, be *hoi the officer through the neck. The Fed eral man slumped to the floor, bloo.l welling from his bullet-torn throat. Kubey looked at the inert body at feet. '•Murder!" he breathed to him self. "I'm guilty of murder! Bui they'll never hang me!" The killer fled his bnme, got hrto fcicar, drove up to Nuuana Pahi, a hiph cliff overlooking the sea, then jumepd u> his doom. They breed towgn men in TJnde SbtiiV Cue tome Service, for Holt, ehot throu-:. th neck, still lives to tell the tale. ATI Kubey's gang were rounded u;< and indicted, thus smashing- Hawangreatest drug-smuggling jranir since todays of the old monarchist ic regime whoi. the opium concession in the islands w.ssold openly te the highest biddec