Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-08-06
New York star.]

vi OuC OCCdSlOu uc lOuu0 ACnuOA VI
valuable dogs secreted in the coal hold,
and his vigilance was also rewarded by
the capture of silks, gloves and other ar
ticles of merchandise, which aggregated
in value hundreds of thousands of COL
lars. Acting upon advices from the au-
thorities at Washington, he seized one of
the steamships and arrested over dozen
of the petty officers engaged in the un-
lawful traffic. The steamer was bonded
in the sum of $3.50, 900, indictments were
found, and two of the officers wore sem
fenced to the Kings county penltentia
The other officers gave bond, jumped
their bail, and fled from the country.
Captain Bracket wove a web of evidence
about the officers which not only would
have convicted every one of them, but
would have confscated the vessel and Sc
cured it's sale, when District Attorney
Woodford entered into correspondence
with the attorney general and treasury
officials at Washington, looking to dis
missal of tie case. Captain Bracket re-
monstrated against such q disposition of
the case, and submitted evidence enough
to fully justify his action; but the mat
ter was finally disposed of by the steam
ship company paying over to the district
attorney SIC, 200, not enough to carry the
costs, and the steamer Egypt was released
and the prosecution withdrawn.
The most successful smugglers were
those engaged in the the Havana trade,
and the devices resorted to to avoid de-
lection were most ingenious The snug
glers, who always had their allies on the
vessels, would frequently visit them in
the lower bay, under cover of darkness,
where thousands of the choicest brands
of cigars would be thrown over
board in rubber bags. These the snug
glers would gather up, place in their
boats and, with muff1ed oars, they would
pull away and land in safety on the Jer-
sey shore, delivering the cigars to the
importers in due season, who thus saved
a high rate of duty and were able to dis
pose of them far below the market value.
Getting on the trail Of these scoundrels,
inspectors set watch, and frequently
they made hall which paid the govern
ment Handsomely in duties, besides yield
ing fair meiety to the officers. The
largest seizure of cigars was made by
Charles Kane, who was on duty IN Brook
lyn, when he secured SO. 900 cigars of the
well known brands of Upmann, Espan-
ola, and such choice grades On another
occasion he saw that extra caution was
being observed in raking some sugar bar
rels off the brig John Griffin, and he set a
watch. After the cargo was all OF he
made a seizure of nine of the barrels
and had them removed to the seizure
room. Here an examination showed that
each sugar barrel was zinc-lined, and
full of choice cigars. The result of this
hall was SC, 900 choice Havanas. On an
other occasion he found a large consIgn-
ment of cigars in flour barrels. which
were enclosed in oil barrels and lying
carelessly packed on the Alexandra. dock.
The seizure room then presented the
appearance of vast bazar. One room
was devoted exclusively to cigars, where
thousands of boxes were constantly
stored. Wine and other choice liquors
were ranged in files along the sides OF
the room, while in other portions were
oil paintings, statuary, live stock, su-
gars, bay oil, silks, satins, millinery, and
even boats and tackle. Now the room is
empty, and there is no difficulty in find
ing space in single corner for all the
merchandise that is seized. Inspec-
tors in the good old days were compelled
to 20 heavily armed, and their seizures
were not made without severe struggles.
Inspector Donoghue on one occasion
traced nine bags of cigars from the fsot
of Morris street into aneighborlng beer
saloon. To show himself there would
have cost his life, so he crept along the
gutter on his hands and knees, and as the
last of the smugglers Was entering pri-
vate door that led to the plunder, Dom
oghue knocked him down by we'll
directed blow from the butt-end of his
revolver, rushed IN upon the rest OF the
gang, an6 threatened instant death if
they resisted. Deeming discretion the
better part of valor, they fled over the
fence, and Donoghue bagged the plum
der.
Not long afterward he came upon q
gang of smugglers, who made the "House
of Blazes" in Rector street their rendeZ-
vous. The plunder was piled along the
chimneys on the roof, TO secure which
Donoghue broke open the scuttle with q
ladder. Upon his return he was set up
on by the women in the house, who beat
him with saucepans, pokers and broom
handles. He was severely cut about the
head and face, but he carried off his
seized goods in triumph.
When Surveyor Graham took hold, he
determined to break up the smuggling
practices of American tourists, and a
close inspection of baggage was made,
resulting in frequent seizures OF valuable
merchandise Gentlemen and ladies of
wealth, and who were the least suspected,
often proved the most dangerous Gus
toners.
Mr.. Draper, the government auctioneer,
was the most indignant passenger on one
of the returning European steamers when
his baggage was seized. He had declared
;.no dutiable merchandise, and yet his
trunks contained crosses of white neck
ties. dozen silk umbrellas, dozens Of
pairs Of kid gloves, jewelry and other