The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-12-03
TRICKY NAVAL OFFICERS.
How They Get Havana Cigars Without
Paying Duty.

Paying Duty.
''The officers of the United States
navy, said a leading Treasury official
recently, ''are the greatest smugglers
among American citizens. Go into
their homes here in Washington and
you will find them filled with objects of
vertu, fine pictures, bronzes and Turk
ish rugs which they have picked up in
foreign countries and smuggled past
the custom-houses. Their cellars are
stocked with choice wines which they
have gotten in the same way, and the
fine cigars they smoke cost them about
half price when they come in. as they
often do, ON our naval vessels from
Cuba. 1t used to be, and not long ago
either, that naval officers sold cigars to
their friends here, and curious case
of smuggling cigars happened year or
so ago. A merchant vessel was sent by
the navy to Havana to bring back to
the United States some shipwrecked
sailors. While there they obta ned hold
of lot of cheap cigars. which they
bought in such quantities that they
corded them up in great pile on the
deck. Over this pile, which looked
threw a lot of old sailcloth, and wheil
the customs officers asked them if they
had any dutiable goods 04l board they
pointed to this pile and said it contained
cigars. The customs officers thought
they were being guyed, and did not
look at them.
Twenty-Five years ago" the Treas
ury officer went on, ''the Trenton ap-
peared off the coast near Norfolk. It
stopped at Fortress Monroe and landed
wagon load of goods. One of the
ofncers of the Customs Department saw
the landing, but he was unseen by the
naval officers. He suspected that the
boxes and trunks contained dutiable
goods, and he determined to be on hand
when trey arrived at the express Office.
Fearing The advent of Customs officer,
they hurried the goods on to wagon
that afternoon and rushed them over to
the nearest express oflice-I think it
was at Newport News. Here they
found the officer ready to receive them.
He seized the goods and found them
addressed to leading naval officials of
Washington and elsewhere. Upon exc
animation the goods were found duti
able. and the United States was paid
five hundred dollars in duties before
they were released.
.'At the time of the Yorktown cele.
bration it was the Trenton, you will re-
member, which was sent over to the
old country to bring the foreign guests.
While over there the officers in charge
of her picked up a great amount of
dutiable goods. and it is said that a
well-known Lieutenant of Washington
stocked his cellar from the trip with
enough fine wine TO last for years.
81 was in Canada not long ago, "
continued this officer, ''on bus ness con-
nected with the United States Govern
ment, and while there / sailed in rev.
enue cutter from Toronto down to Que
bee and landed at Halifax. Here some
of the officers of the cutter wanted q
few c gars for present use We were
directed to very nice establ shment.
AS soon as the owner knew we were
connected with the Government, he
asked us into very nicely furnished
back parlor and brought us many SAM
Piles of fine cigars, which be offered at
a much lower rate than they would cost
in the United States. He showed us
also samples of fine wines, liquors and
brandies These l sampled, and
know they were very fine. The prices
| of his old Scotch whisky and Hennessy
were, remember, about half what
they would cost in the United States.
He said: OF course you viii want to
load up here. You can get these goods
for half what they will cost you in the
| United States, and we are doing big
trade with the navy. Four ships of the
United States navy have been here this
season, and have sold the officers of
all of them large orders. He then
mentioned the names of the ships, but
can not give you these. | remember
only that one was the Alliance, and
think another was the Tennessee, We
told him we were Government officers,
and it was against the law. Cor.
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