National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-02
SMUGGLING BYFEMALES.
HoH LADIES CHEAT UNCLE SAM A
THE CUSTOM-HoUSE

CURIOUS ANrCDofEs-FEMALE REVENUE
sEARCHERs AND DETECTIvEs-HoW
UNCLE SAM Is ROBBED By FLORA NC
FLlhIsEY.
tFrom the New York TeIegrsm.)
The custom-house has always been q "mys-
FERROUS" place, perYaded and controlled by
umysterious'' influences; and among the most
prominent of these mysterious Influences
has always been that subtle one known Is the
Gfemsle element" Woman has always had,
more or less-generally more-eo 90 WIN tne
New York eustom-house; and at this Gay every
custom-house official VIII ten you that
teladiesD are the most troublesome OF snug
giers. .i4,.
There must be something IN the mere fact Of
concealment, which is dear to the average
female heart; for the most extraFagans women
of fashion, ladies who do not hesitate to spend
any amount Of money for their own grastHca-
ton, take IS much pains to conceal all sorts Of
articles from the vigilance of the eustom-house
officials as II they had stolen them, instead Of
purchased them, although the charges or
duties on them amount to comparatively but
trihe.
And It must be q generally understood moral
axiom that there is and can be no harm IN
cheating the Government, for ladies who are
not only high In social position, but who are
bright and shining lights Of fAshionaole
churches, have been detected time and again
IN defraudfng Uncle Sam; nor do they appear
to have any particular shame In being de-
tected.
The young lady who has made the European
trip eight times has t'boasted" to an intimate
friend that she has "fooled Uncle Sam" out Of
his dues every time, and she has shown lady
friend of the writer a number of her trophies
which have escaped paying duties By being &C.
cured about her person. She exhibits these
trophies with as much pride as though they
were justifable achievements.
The wife Of leading New. York importer is
currently reported to have rendered herself
very useful, as well as ornamental, on several
occasions, by secreting about her person and
hiding in her trunks q large number Of val
liable articles in her husbands line of bust
ness. which have thus escaped the duty.
So far as female ingenuity has been carried
IN this line Of deirauding the revenue that the
services of emigrant women have been brought
into reIuisition, and small articles Of great
value have been intrusted to emigrants and
secreted about their persons, on the supposi-
tior-often q correct one-that their poverty
would prevent them from suspicion and pro-
tect them from examination.
To such IN extent has female smuggling
been carried in this port that some years ago
Mr.. Wakeman introduced into the ser
vice of the United States revenue the some
what novel element of female detectives. These
female detectives were stationed at various
points, especially at Castle Garden, pier 20,
pier As, pier 50, at Hobolzen and at Jersey City.
Their pay was fixed at 50 day, and they
were entitled to q certain percentage of the
value of any smuggled goods which were By
their Efforts brought to light. E-
These "female detectives" were regarded in
the light of unmitigated nuisances by the Gus
tom-house officials Of the sterner sex. There
is no politeoess in business, and there was not
the slightest courtesy shown by one male to
the female custom-house detective. Their
interests beng antagonistic their attitude was
hostile, and, instead of increasing the efficiency
OF the service, it was claimed that by these d.
versions they impaired It. The first being,
however, better paid than the majority of
female occupations and the work being slight"
there was . vast number of applications for the
6aludl4O0 "a lGIu1lC ECNCuuO 0CSCSbahOs "A
Southern aathoress of some ability filed this
roe satisfactorily-to herself, at least-for
some time and made several lucrative seizures.
At last, however, she was impairment" TO q
fashionable and influential lady, the wife Of q
lawyer, whom she insisted on examining, and
on whose person she found quantity Of dis-
mends and laees seereted. The Government
got its dues and the detective her share, but
she ultimately lost her place. Even Govern
nent official cannot afford to be s'impertinent"
to o woman Of ''high social position" with i'm
punitY.
Women never deal with women If they can
helpit. TBey "see enough" of each other too
readily; they cannot impose on each other as
they can upon men. Consequently, although
these female detectives were originally intended
to relieve such women as fell under suspicion
from the disagreeable necessity of being
searched by men, It has been found by expert
euce that ladies are bitterly opposed to these
female detectives. O. 3 r..
Some of these female detectives were really
persons of q very coarse exterior and Of very
vulgar manners. You cannot expect all the
cardinal virtues and all the graces for $3 q
day. Some of them drank, and one or two OF
them occasionally swore sometimes, too; they
badgered and bothered some innocent victim Of
suspicion half to death. In one instance fe-
male detective insisted upon examining a
French milliDer whom she suspected Of Snug
CLING laces and silks. The French milhner per
sisted in declaring her innocence, but IN vain
The female official forced her-absolutely and
physically "forced'' her-to undergo thorough
examination which resulted in finding nothing
but ia causing the French milliner to be con
fined to her room for several weeks afterward:
with a nervous fever. --T .-----
But, as is generally the case outside as well
as inside Of the custom house limits, while the
innocent are often grossly vexed and perse
outed, the really guilty are winked at and
escape scot free. A fashionable lady and heI
daughter recently brought eighteen trunks of
the steamer without an examination. Thest
trunks contained silks, velvets, jewelry, laces
and diamonds, hidden away in them, to ths
value of over CSC, 900. And 1t is now so well
known a fact as almost to create no particular
attention that the luggage Of any prominen
man or merchant, and the luggage Of his wifi
and daughters, are exempt from search BY thu
custom. house officers; or at the very most ;
few questions are asked by the polite officials
to which the ladies do not hesitate to return
answers which they know 10 be unqualified
false. Our ladies lie to cheat the Government
out of few dollars-not hattering, but liter
ally true.
Ladies are very expert in the hiding o
smuggied articles-sheir dress gives then
great facilities. They hide lace in thei
bosoms; they tie laees, velyets and silks roun
their waists; thirty-four yards of silk we've
had been found wound round the waist of
Park avenue belle. Then the panier Is foun
to be exceedingly useful-ani shawls, &c
have been found snugly concealed in col
Venicntly eapacious limits. Diamonds hay
been siezed hidden away in shoes, and watche
have been found in chignOns. Even gold an
silver plated knives and forks have been foun
concealed in female attire.
In addition 10 the facts already given, a rel
resen.ative OF the Telegram called upon sever
nd afH-n