The Portland daily press., 1872-03-16

SMUGGLING ON THE EASTERN FRONTIER
The low prices of silks, laces, yelvets, kid
gloves and alpaccas in some of our large cities
during the past year have occasoned considera-
BILE surprise among leading importers, who have
been at a loss to discover the sources from
which goods were obtained at such apparently
ruinous rates. Kid gloves have been retailed at
81 pair which generally cost at wholesale
$1.50. Silks were retailed at 80 which leading
importers could not place in stock at that figure
The rumor that band of smugglers has been
carrying on business upon large scale has
been circulated, but the men engaged in the
traffic and their plan of operation have hither-
to eluded detection. 1t is now alleged that
wealthy clique has been engaged for year in
running goods into the United States from the
British Provinces Their mode of operation is
said to be as follows: ''g ~ i[ uIE
The goods bought in Europe are shipped to
Halifax, N. s, st. John, N. B., or Montreal
goods released from bond. The merchandise is
then divided into small lots and taken to ST.
Stephen, N. B., in trunks. st. Stephen is d.
rectly opposite Calais, Me-, and separated by
the St Croix river. Two bridges afford COM
munication between the towns. Between
country, across which stage conveys passen-
gers and baggage for about forty miles. United
States customs officers are stationed upon the
route and occasionally overhaul the stage and
examine the baggage. AS the chances of get
ting away with Struggled goods out OF Calais
are small, the United States customs authori-
ties do not examine baggage coming across the
bridges from st. Stephen into Calais; but should
the parties owning it continue their trip into
the United States by stage via Bangor, OF by
steamer via Portland the baggage is examined
and if no dutiable goods are found pass is
pasted upon the trunk and the customs officers
at Portland or Bangor do not again examine it.
The band of smugglers, it is said, taking adj
vantage of this system, bring a trunk filled
with ordinary baggage into Calais, and, having
had it examined and pass pasted upon it, sub
stitute another trunk, filled with costly dutiable
goods, and having transferred the pass, con-
tinue the journey into the States without fear
of detection. A different person is employed
each time so as not to awaken suspicion ON the
part of the examining officers. When the
goods are safely in the United States they are
sent to different cities and sold at figure con-
siderably below the ruling prices. Large guam
Springfield, Hartford, New Haven and Chica-
go. New York has been left out to certain
extent, on account of the danger arising from
the great number of customs detectives there.
1t is estimated that several hundred thousand
dollars worth of goods have been brought in
through this channel during the last year.
These goods are nearly all bought in Europe by
different men in business in Montreal, St.
John and Halifax, and the smugglers have
thus covered their tracks in an adroit manner
Howard in Halifax and Duffres, it is asserted,
have thus contributed to the kid glove, silk and
velvet trade Many other Dominion dealers
might be mentioned connected with this
business. Richard Story, well knewn in Glou-
cester and Boston, is alleged to be at the head
Of this smuggling scheme, and as he has been
in the Provinces rather extensively for the past
year, and sometimes it is further alleged, IN
der assumed names, the theory seems plausible.
An enormous profit must have been realized by
the men engaged in this gigantic smuggling
scheme, eAen at the low prices which they have
sold many of their wares