The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-14
QUARANTINE SMUGGLING.
Midnight Expedition of Custom
House officials.
Capture Of One Of the Health
Officers Vessels.


Lupost become OF 30 extensive chhr6CtoT
during the present year, and particularly daring the
warm months that the customs authorities put forth
extra energy In the effort secure their detection,
with the successful result which the sequel will
show. The mercantile community doing business In
this article OF merchandise had long complained OF
the injury which the Illicit business OF smuggling
cigars was doing them, and Collector Smythe and Sur
veyOr Wakeman were pettioned to use their utmost
endeavors to put an end TO II. The quantity OF
Struggled cigars thrown upon the market at one
time frequently amounted to hundreds or thousands.
The consequence to legitimate dealers was of the
most runOus character.
SUSPICION.
The officers OF the revenue service in obedience
to these demands, were instructed TO thoroughly
examine all ships and steamers inward bound from
the West Indian ports, particularly from Havana;
but their search In almost all instances without
avail The discoveries Of contraband tobacco were
confined TO few hundred cigars 80 In excess of
the amount permitted regularly to passengers. 1t
was evident therefore, that the smugglers had got
out their cargoes long before the vessels reached
the anchorage at the Upper Quarantine, below which
port the orders of Health Offcer Swnburue forbade
them to be boarded. Under the Interpretation which
that officer placed upon the law he assumed the right
to prohibit the boarding Of any vessel by any person
until she had passed the inspection at Lower Quaran
tine and had gone to the upper bay. Even the
revenue officers referred to denied the priv-
lege. despite the high character Of their position
and the imperative nature Of their duties. Now,
from spies and other sources 1t was known,
without the shadow OF u doubt, that Illicit
cigars were shipped at Havana The strctest
search failed to discover them when the vessels
rived at Upper Quarantine The United States
authorities were, therefore, reluctantly forced to the
conclusion that the quarantine machinery cloaked
vast amount OF this contraDand traffic, especially
the greatest quantities Of cigars made their appear
once during the quarantine season. The attention
Of the Commissioners and OF Health Ohlcer Swim
burne had been directed to thus act but the evil con-
tinued without remedy or abatement.
AN EXPEDITION.
Accordingly Surveyor Wakeman decided TO take
steps upon his own responsibility and after his own
plan TO detect the frauds On Wednesday night the
revenue cutter UnO under command Of Lieutenant
I. W. Lay, Of the United States Revenue service,
took board Inspector Charles +. Kane one OF the
Surveyors aids, and Inspector W. II. Jones, OF
the customs service and in the darkness left her
moorings at the barge onice ana proceeded down
the bay. Pilot John NcMath and engineer II. A.
Green seconded every effort OF the authorities in
ryng out the project for the discovery OF the snug
glers II would be well TO preface. perhaps. by
explaining that the suspicious OF Messrs. Kane and
Jones had beeu drawn to the singular move
ments OF
THE stoop ForR BRorHEES.
n vessel Of some fourteen tons. belonging to the
state of New York, which was employed by the
Health 0ricer tender TO the hospital ship Falcon
Her duties the transferment OF the dead from
the hospital ship To their place Of interinent aud of
the sick from arriving vessels TO the Falcon she
was also used ia carrying packages to aud from the
city and under the entire control OF the Health
0flicer. Dr. SwInburne. suspicion directed to
her from the fact tina, she had been seen 10 visit the
vicinity OF Fort Hamilton, Red Hook and points on
staten Island ut unreasonable hours OF the night re-
until daylight and then return TO her anchorage
the Falcon and this particularly after the ART
val OF the Havana steamers
THE CRUISE.
II wa close on ten O'Clock "Wednesday nigh; when
the Uno cast or her lines and steamed away from
the Battery. Tie night was starllt. Everything
seemed favorable TO the OF the enterprise.
run OF than two hours away from the city which
bIinked and wnkcd In the distance until it dlsar
peared from view around the blufis at tile Narrows
brought the Uno TO the vicinity Of the feet anchor
in the lower bay looking, with its iuany lights like
another city.
Lights out" was tie order from Captain Law 10
his crew ~ the vessel passed Fort Hamilton and
every .gin was douset.' Even the shutters were
drawn and the door. closed about The cabin ana en-
zine room 50 that the vessel moved a dark mass on
the wafer
THE SEARCH FOR THE sNuGGLEg.
The party III revenue and customs Officers gath.
cred in the pilot house and kept y sharp lookout
for the suspected smuggirr, while the vessel surged
ahead IN the darkness. To pick oht one vessel by
her light from the myrads Of lights twinkng IN the
fleet and to and not he seen were undertakings
requiring unusual nautical skin aud the profoundest
strategy Inspector Kane gave his opinion about
This light and Inspector Jones about Thar. Cap.
tain Law was shrewi In locating the looked FOR an
tern near the red signal OF the Falcon. Engineer
Green contributed his share 10 the general stock NJ
know ledge on The subject. Pilot McNa,h gave "a
bopirjon a. was hopnon'' and liked the beacon
Al last Unanimous consen, given to III. views
and "A cautious. slow run nearer the suspected night
revealed the actual presence of the -loop siiii AZ
anchor under the hospital ship. So far. ~ good.
f. wa feared that the snugglcr might have goi her
cargo on board FROM the Havana steamer Columbia.
then living at anchor In the Quarantine ground and
started for shore Hence. whie the lights OF The dee
mad bcen -crutinized. strict watch had bceu kept
for anv Gran answering the soop's description which
might be- IN motion around IN" nay.
THE lose w,TCH. .
Every eye now fixed on the little ligit les
than malta mile distant. whcn bOhtei aud biinsed
on the water The professional eve "f pilot HcMaih
rund nake Uni the spars. rigging and hull. when 90
the landr.an's piercing gaze nOught was visible hut
the little lantern An hour passed on anl thc moon
rose large aud May Ascending The ~ky she Became
smaller and brighter and made The water between
tho yrssel ana the horizon hu,-sth her n sparkling
dancing pathway of light. The watchers. in the
milo, .hoise would well have spared her the visit. 4
-hin IN position became necessary. The bright water
would have soon betrayed the dark hull Of the
venue cutter mad not Captain Lay withdrawn and
gone around as 10 have the dark shore of staten
island fpf 4 bBc aground. The feet was the
wake 81 me moon. and every spar ana hun was
veilcd against Inc luminous horizon. Here. on the
shallow waters Of West Bank, the tho was allowed
10 drift at will Falling into the trough or ce sea.
with The stiT nOrtberly wiud whist ing around her
smokestack and rafting at the window p8ncs like
an October gale, The cutter rocked idv from,
side 10 side, while The kceneycd officers
in the pilot house KEEP; watch upon the fleet. Grow
ing law too. time passed and the sIiugger
moved no.. they took turns In tbe watch. smoked
cigars and told stories. one or two OF the more
wear, turned In for brief nap. Four, SIX aud eight
! be,s sounded from the hcct aud still no sign or
movement on the part OF the smugger Day was
near breaking. Had she received the contraband
goodsy No sign had sne given, save once during The