Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-10-14

and when they do resort TO these extremi-
ties il Is seldom but they ind what they
seek fog About yeas since some 81, 600
worth Of uncut diamonds were found on
the person Of passenger from Europe.
and the seizure probably ruined him. And
vet. no doubt, il was indiscretion that was
| the real cause of his misfortune Had he
kent his OWE counsel be would have been
enabled to pass his Diamonds unscathed.
The informers In these cases are paid one
| third Of the value Of the seizures thus
| made, and il mss he well understood that
one little haul like the one mentioned
would SCI q steward up in pocket for some
| time.
Iaccs. diamonds, silks, satins. velyets
! and 81 manner Of clothing are the articles
most commonly smuggIed from Europe.
| Immense quantities Of laces arc annually
PASSED through without seizure, The
| writer knew Of one case last year where
two ladies succeeded in smuggling
| through some $1,000 worth Of Irish laces.
1 They were TO be sold for the benefit OF a
charitable institution down South, and
this made the thing Unsuitable in their
| minds, the poor getting the benefit before
/ the Government One Of the ladies had
| fully g.. 900 worth Of these lsces in a
/ isustIe And they served the purpose ex-
| eeeiingiy well. The method OF snug
| Cling from Havana hiss been resorted TO now
| tor many years-the throwing india-rub-
| Der bags into the bay, they being picked
90 by small boats. Nor Is this plan by
any means broken up: and the smuggiers
have actually taken The risks lately Of GO
| ing out ia surf boats from Long Branch
Z .t...,oarA sYz
| bags. A singular fraud, where the bitter
| was bit has come 10 light Of late in con-
neciion with the administration OF the
| customs on the steamship wharyes. Ii Is
| we'll known that officers are on the watch
| from the time vessel comes in until she
| goes out again. But of late there have
| been number Of swindlers who have
| personated Custom. House officers with
much success. Their usodus opsrdnds Is
10 wear an imitation inspectors badge be-
meath their clothing, which they only
show on convenient opportunity. They
lounge around the docks, watch unsns-
peciing passengers, and when they see
moment when no danger threatens they
demand the surrender of the parcel or
baggage the person carries.
Outside Of New York the most popular
and successful place for smugglers is the
neighborhood Of Niagara. 1t is particu-
larry in spirits and liquors that this is the
case Thousands Of barrels OF English,
Irish and Scotch spirits are annually
passed across the Niagara River in small
boats, GLIDING the vigilance Of the officers,
who are on the lookout at all times and
keep careful watch for these petty dealers
in smuggling. Some are caught, but the
many escape, the liquor in all cases being
taken TO Buffalo. Niagara has always
been IA fayOrite spot tor genteel SNUG
glers. Detroit is also one of the great
smuggling spots of the United States, and
the ladies Of Detroit have the name of be.
ing the most accomplished smugglers in
the land. They follow the calling almost
from pleasure, and il lends daily and al
ways possible excitement To the usual mo-
nOtOny Of a woman's life
Abroad smuggling is more Of trade
than IL Is here. or ever will be. Between
France and England ia the days Of the
Empire and before free trade became a
fixed fact the profession of smuggling, as
the statistics published show, was fol-
lowed by over 1000 persons. These were
known, and how manymore not known Is
AN open question All these succeeded in
making good living by passing too and
| fro between the regular channel ports.
| The living must have been pretty good,
as the fares backward and forward were
high and the dangers OF no uncommon
kind