Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1886-12-21
TALK ON SMUGGLING.
NO MORE PlRATIcAL SHIPS AND
CREWS AS OF YoRE.

When Least Expected-ways OF In
fcrmers-smuggIing Diamonds.
The day of genuine smuggling is gone.
The smuggler of the boys romance of the
sea, who sailed in @dark, suspicious looking
craft" and had a cave hid somewhere far
away, where he stored his goods and held
dark conclaves at night, has passed away
and there are those who believe he never
existed at all. But smuggling has not
stopped. Only now they do not 20 in gangs
and sail their own ships. They do not wear
red shirts and cutlas~es nowadays They
are entirely respectable people, and go in thu
best society. They wear fine clothes and
diamonds, and are very friendly with the
customs officers. The smuggling is now
done mostly by fashionable people who
travel and by business men.
ave can never tell how much is done, y
said special agent Of the government to a
reporter. Il have no doubt an immense
number of things are landed without duty.
There is no such thing as band Of Snug
glers, but nearly every steamer brings over
some contraband goods.
"They are generally fine laces, millinery,
expensive tailor trimmings, and the like. A
great many business men go abroad with
trunks and bring them back full Of these
things. They are very expensive, and many
thousand dollars worth can be brought over
in a very small space. Expensive feathers,
fine velvets and ribbons, laces, silk braid
and trimmings Of all sorts take up but little
space and are subject to high duty. Some
times smugglers get caught We can't tell
how often they don't Jewelry is Struggled
in to great extent, particularly diamonds.
Nearly all the diamonds brought 10 this
country are struggled. We know that a
great quantity Of these gems are imported,
but we have never collected duty on many
Such an immense valuo can be carried In 50
small a place that il is easy to evade the
customs officers Ten thousand dollars
worth Of diamonds might be carried in a
mans vest pocket. Who would think to
search him unless he was suspected OF snug
.glingl The customs officers can't search
everybody.
"But then" he added, rs IL he feared he
was Offering too much encouragement TO vio-
lations of the customs, "you must not think il
altogether a safe business. You might get
caught when you least expected. Men who
think they are perfectly safe often fall into a
trap. There are people who are always
ready to give information that will lead to
the uncovering Of smuggler. The govern
ment was warned by an anonymous letter
not long since that q certain party would sail
from Europe on q certain steamer, and that
IL we would search him we would find dia-
monds We were on the watch. He was a
very gentlemanly man Of fine appearance and
good address. He had only the ordinary lug
gage; was perfectly willing that it should be
searched, but was amused at the idea OF being
suspected Of smuggling. The officers felt
rather cheap after q fruitless search, and
were apologizing for the trouble they had
given him, when one OF them picked up a
cake of soap out of his dressing case There
was nothing peculiar in the appearance of the
soap, but when the officer handled it too
roughly it broke open and out rolled the little
sparkling gems. The inside of the cake had
been followed out and $4,000 worth Of Ola
monds slowed away In the cavity. Had we
not been notified he would have been per
fectly safe and got through as the others have
done. But no man can be sure that he viii
not be the one 10 be caught. Our informers
are everywhere. The government can give a
reward Of as much as half the value Of the
goods seized to the informer. This is an in
ducement to many people 10 report any cases
that come under their notice. There are
people constantly on the lookout on the other
side, and we are notified when TO look for
smugglers. a great many patriotic citizens
have an antipathy for smugglers, and do, as
a matter Of principle, report every one they
find. Preachers are particularly apt to do
this. The cloth is our best source Of informa-
ton. People generally brag, on going
abroad, that when they return they will
bring so and so without duty. We generally
hear Of this and are on the lookout. Only
the other day gentleman came to the office
and informed me Of parties who were going
to bring over a lot Of valuable things He
did il merely because he hated smuggling
GIVE THEM AWAY.
"Their fellow passengers frequently give
them away. In coming over that way, all
crowded in close quarters, and away out at
sea, people become more confidential than
they would under ordinary circumstances,
and they tell each other what they have In
their trunks that will escape duty. Some
times a man will give confidence in order to
get it He viii tell how he Is going to fool
the customs officers, and like the man with
the moist eye,' get the confidence OF others
who want TO do the same thing. or course
he never has any contraband goods himself,
and he sees that the rest don't get through the
custom house. Sometimes passengers get
mad with each other and turn informer out
of spite. Women frequently do this. have
heard, too, OF information being given as a
practical joke which afterward turned out
seriously.
"But experienced smugglers," continued
the special agent, rdo not get caught thus
They arc generally known as dealers, and
their baggage is very closely watched, but
they never make a confidant of any one
Tourists do much smuggling. They bring
presents TO their friends and collect orna-
ments and all sorts Of things they can get
cheap abroad, and try to slip them through
without duty. Many people do this without
knowing that they arc violating the law.
They think that anything they do not intend
to sell is not dutiabe. With thousands Of
dollars worth of things in their trunk, they
will swear that they have no dutiable goods.
Their surprise Is genuine when the goods are
seized The question what constitutes a lady's
or gentleman's wardrobe is one that bothers
US much. In former years the station Of the
person was taken into consideration. II a
very wealthy man had dozen suits OF
clothes, a lot of jewelry, and all sorts OF ex-
pensive toggery, il was considered nothing
more than his right But for man Of less
means TO have so much made him an object
OF suspicion, and he was liable to arrest for