The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-04
THE SCIENCE OF SMUGGLING.

THE SCIENCE OF SMUGGLING.
The Boston Commercial Bulletin, in an ar
ticle On smuggling, relates the following story
''The re is a very important traffic carried Oh
in diamonds over the various European lines
to this country, and as the duty upon them i.
ten per cent ad valorem the sharpest watch j.
kept upon those suspected to be engaged in it.
| BY means of agents abroad the Collectors
office has often information by cable Of the
departure from the various ports of S lspected
diamond smugglers, and is prepared to inter
cept them. In nine cases out of ten the
stones are concealed upon the persons of the
passengers. When this becomes certainty,
or what is supposed to be certainty, the pas
senger is arrested and taken to the Searcher's
Bureau in the Custom-House. Here, if found
necessary, the party is stripped to the skin,
| and his clothes examined inch Cy inch and
and seam by seam; the heels are taken from
mis- boos, his hair and beard are combed and
every means taken to discover the hiding
place of the secreted treasures. Once this
mode of search used to be tolerably success
full, bat now it rarely serves any purpose ex-
cept in the case of raw recruits to the SNUG
Cling ranks. An old bird is caught with chatf
but once.
"a New York man, who was reputed to be
in the business of smuggling diamonds used
to cross the water on the Cunard Line from
three to four times q season. Two years ago.
IN the early part Of the season, he was seized
upon his arrival and taken to the searcher's
room. Nearly thousand dollars worth Of
precious stones were found secreted in the
lining of his boots. He returned to Liver
pool by the same steamer, and four weeks
afterward again landed upon the company's
wharf on North River. He was seized and
subjected to the same rigorous search, but
with no success. The son Of York took it
smilingly and philosophically. When he took
his leave he said Better luck next time,
gentlemen l shall go back by the same
steamer on business, and when l return you
can try it again
THE officers mentally determined = lie
did they would try it again. Upon inquiry it
Was found that he really had engaged return
passage, having held his stateroom for that
purpose. Two hours before the smiling of the
steamer he was driven down to the pier in his
carriage, his wife and daughter with him to
see him OIL. When they returned they carried
with them over ten thousand dollars worth OF
diamonds which had lain secreted in his state
room during the whole time the steamer bad
remained in port. Before his returned to New
York the collector was notified by one of the
revenue agents abroad that Max Fischer
would return by the ---, which would leave
Liverpool October %, with several thousand
dollars worth Of diamonds In due time the
New Yorker arrived, and for the third time
was escorted before the searcher. He wasev-
IDENTITY not prepared for such persi stent atten-
ton He seemed nervous and asitated,
and finally attempted to compromise
He was politely informed that that
was out of the question. He Was again put
through the searching promaster. His pocket
book, which was first investigated, revealed
showing the purchase of eight
cen diamonds of various sizes and prices.
amounting in all to about Sl2, goo. When the
this came to light, the Yorker begged, with
tears in his eyes; to be allowed to compromise
A deaf ear was turned to his ent. eaties. His !
coat was removed and the lining examined |
Nothing there. Then the waistcoat As the
iearcher passed his practical fingers along the
lining his heart gave a tremendous thump as
re recognized the 'feel" of something pebly, |
ike little rows of buttons The garment was |
hastily ripped, a strip of chamois skin with
wo, three-eighteen All there.
"You can put on yout coat and waistcoat
gain, Mr.. Fischer, SAID the searcher blandly.
io,d day"
"Without wori the New York man de-
'arted, took horse-car home kissed his
amily, ate q rousing dinner, repaired to the
ath-room, and after soaking rather capa-
ious paster across the small of his back for
few minutes in warm water, peeled it of,
nd with it eighteen diamonds of various
osts and prices What the searcher and
ollec or may have said or thought when they
'und their seizure to be nothing but clever
lass limitations, worth from ten to thirty
ents eaeh, nobody kfsows; for although the
eizure was loudly heralGed, the finale was
ever made public A lady in this city, NOV
,g in fashionables circles, wears valuable
iamcnd which was imported in the cavity CT
double tooth, said tooth being in the mouth
a gentleman of New York 1t was placed
| its rather unromantic hiding place in Lon
on, and safely covered with hone filling,
hich was displaced after the arrival in New /;
ork." /