THE SYDNEY ABSCONDERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1868, 3 February 1892, Page 6

THE SYDNEY ABSCONDERS.

EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENTS. The ' San Francisco Chronicle ' states that Bloom and Douglass, otherwise Bell and Davis, the Sydney defaulters who escaped from Australia in the yacht Beagle, have joined an organised band of opium smugglers, whose operations extend to all parts of the Pacific. The discovery of tbia band is said to be the result of the visit of Bloom and Douglasß to Honolulu. The organisation is known to be headed by the notorious Tom Whaley. Whaley has associated with him men of means and standing in Australia, Canada, China, Hawaii,. and the United States. They supply the means to carry on a contraband traffic in opium, and a small squadron of calling craft is engaged in the traffic, officered and manned by the cleverest men. The Hawaiian Islands and neighboring atolls offer secure and secluded harbors, where these vessels unload their cargoes of the costly drug. The opium is safely hidden from official discovery until opportunity arrives when it can be reshipped to be smuggled into the ports of Australia, Canada, and the United States. The Beagle is said to have been added to the list of opium smuggling ships. It is understood that Inspector-General Fosbery, of Sydney, received a letter by the last American mail regarding the doings of Bloom and Douglass in Honolulu, but this adds little to the details already given. The ' Chronicle ' further states that the Hawaiian officials were mystified by the strange conduct of "Douglasß" and "Bloom," and vainly attempted to legally hold their yacht. The action of the Island Government, which was prompted by the request of a man named H. Levy, gave rise to innumerable rumors as to the character of the strange yacht and her still stranger owners. Levy claimed to be an agent for the Government of New South Wales, where " Douglass " and " Bloom " were wanted for absconding with L 30.000. After acting upon his advice, the Hawaiian officials were chagrined to find that Levy had no papers to show that he was a duly accredited agent of the New South Wales Government. " Douglass " and " Bloom " were consequently released from custody. They immediately disposed of the furnishings of the house which they had rented, and sailed away on their yacht Beagle. Previous to Levy's denunciation and exposure they had posed as tourists. They spent money lavishly, and exhibited wealth galore. Levy is the son of a Sydney capitalist, who was duped by the clever adventurers. He came to this city (San Francisco) for the purpose of discovering the whereabouts of the wives of the two alleged defaulters. John Brackett, who shipped at Melbourne as boatswain, was afterwards promoted to be first mate at Hilo, and discharged at Honolulu. He was a passenger from that port on the Mariposa. His story throws considerable light on the future movements of the yacht. He says he shipped in Melbourne last July, and that not a man on board the boat knew that she was going on anything but a legitimate cruise until Hilo was reached, although the suspicions of the the crew were aroused. "At Hilo," he said, "Bloom got mad at the first mate, Thomas Perry, and made his life so miserable that he deserted, I was given the vacancy. It was at this place that Jas. Leonard, the newspaper man, became acquainted with Bell and Davis, and they took him on board as their guest, and carried him to Honolulu. They made a great splash at Hilo and Honolulu, and carried things with a high hand. A large house was rented, and the yacht's cabin was stripped of everything. They gave out that they had come to stay at Honolulu. The residents did not know what to make of them. Money is scarce down there, and they were hailed with joy. The crew slept on board the yacht, but ate at a restaurant. We were informed that only two men would be needed, as the yacht was to be laid up for the winter. I was discharged, but remained in Honolulu. Then came tbe arrests, and the yacht was immediately put into commission again, The Louie, which had been leased for six months, was given up, and as soon as the charge of having brought 30,000 English sovereigns illegally into Hawaii was dismissed Bell and Davis were ready to sail away in their yacht. The British barque Velocity, which had arrived at Honolulu from Hong Kong a few weeks previous, was also in the harbor. She sailed on the 15th November for Hongkong, and most of those 30,000 sovereigns went in* her, in charge of Captain Gill. I was watching Bell and Davis and the Beagle very closely, and I am sure lam not mistaken. The trio saw tbe captain off, and had long conversations with him. I heard Bell say < Hong Eong ' as he waved his hand good-bye to Captain Gill." A Sydney cablegram states that the local police have received information respecting Bell and Davis which will probably result in some decisive action,

Bret Harte is always hard up, though he gets something out of American publishers, and received from English publishers L 3.000 last year. He is an improvident child of genius. House Hunter : "I may be wrong, of course, but it looks to me as if there was something the matter with the roof— as if it leaked." Builder: "Leak! that roof leak ! — so'thing wrong with that roof ! Why, it's warranted, and I guarantee if the 'ole 'orise I come daown, that roof 'd be none the wus ? '