Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-04-05
DIAMONDS IN HER TEETH.
THE INGENIOUS DEVICES REsoRTeo
TO BY SkILLFUL SMUGGLERs.

TO BY SklClFUG SMUGGlERS,
Brilliant. in Boot stone.
Baked in Bread-Goms Concealed in
War Grapes. One Professional
in a Hundred Ever Caught.
Dealers in precious stones custom house
officials and detectives are all mysterious
beings They dislike to talk. but the word
smuggle often sets their tongues a wagging
Il will relate an experience myself and
three assistants once had with an expert
diamond Smuggler some time since, said a
gray haired customs msn and then you'll
see both how easy and difficult it IS TO
smuggle."
The story was told in a graphic manner,
as follows: Three large diamond dealers in
Chicago employed a young Frenchman, who
was considered an expert at smuggling, TO
procure for them S42 OOD worth Of the finest
tirst-watsr gems In somR way the heavy
purchase became known to II detective in
Paris who cabled to the officers here u
watch for the smuggler. The pury base con
sisted of l01 fine stones and the detective
in Paris had a straight tip from q shoe
maker that the treuchmans high heels con
tanned the gems
He arrived and was politely conducted to
q private examination room Oh came the
boots and the Frenchman grew pale as a
pearl The heels were sounded and in a
minute later one thickness of leather was
taken of. Out rolled piece Of tissue paper
and fifty eight fine white stones The
Frenchman appeared crazy He fumed,
swore and almost wep. In the other hee
the remaining gems, fUrty nine in number,
were found The Frenchman put on his
boots, and seemingly daDed, walked away.
He was a cute 'un." The gems were
the finest "Parisian," worth $40 peck and
the real article was snugly encssed in his
big box toes He paid his shoemaker
handsomer price than the sharp detective.
Those gems are in Chicago now, and the
bogus ones adorn a hundred shirt fronts in
the custom house.
Women Yes, they are the best smugglers
of all; any custom house officer will confirm
this fact They have more ingenuity than
men and more innocence wherewith to look
the examiner calmly in the eve How
many la lies who go regularly abroad and
pay their expenses by smuggling is not and
never will he known They are many,
nevertheless
SOME OF THE CUTE DODGEs PLAYED.
One OF the cutest dodges ever played on
the tariff enforcers is related of young and
pretty lady who lived and probably still
lives in Boston. Sh, had gone To Berlin or'
a visit during her trip abroad and willis
there saw four beautiful diamonds Her
means would Just allow her to purchase
them and pay her way home. In her di
emma she conceived plan Four large
;avities We're bored into her four largest
teeth, the gems covered over and she de
parted. The duties would have cost her
- but she smiled on the officer who made
he examination and passed innocently from
he wharf
Large quan les Of diamonds, pearls and
uJies are FIRE Iuently baked in bread. sold
with an understanding to the steward, who
,e-e, that they are 50 dry and hard at the
nj OF the voyage that he must give It to a
longshoreman who has a large and hungry
tamly As 'longshOremen don't feed their
families on precious stones the bread is
broken and its contents placed in little
chamoiS skin bags and carried to the honest
dealer in gems
When the gems are hidden in trunks
false bottoms are never resorted TO- The
dodge is too old and transparent regu,
lar line of small auger cells are made in the
sides and bottom. These are alled with the
gems and a new paper inside cover pa>ted
neatly or. Woe to the smuggler who hap
pans to have one Of those cells cracked
open The eagle eve OF the law is always
looking.
"Only one professional smuggler in q
hundred is ever caught They make it a
study, science and business They pass right
under our noses AMI in front of our eyes
with hidden fortunes. Accident or inform
alton from the other side are our only
means of hauling ,em in
So said an officer who considers himself
one OF the sharpest in the service
Lady examiners in the employ OF the Gus
tom house are equally cute as the smuy
glers sometime, and are frequently the
captors of big government hauls Sh,
knows where in wOman's appare
is the most likely place TO fin,
muggled good. They are sometimes mis-
taken, however, as well aS the men. No
very long ago German woman was re
ported to arrive on a certain steamer with
fortune in jewels on her person Sh,
came and was duly examined. The scrutiny
she underwent was 80 severe that the lady
custom house officials spologilei over anC
over again.
The foreigner smi'. al said that she did
not blam, them for y - their duty, and
supposed some malicious person had sent tn,
dispatch to annoy her. She entered cal
and the hat she ore was decked with
fortune in gems They were covered witt
wax and represented a bunch of grapes
These the official ladies had admired whe
they examined the hat-lining and cover
The ways and devices for smuggling ar,
almost as numerous a the stars, and tn,
jewels brought To America without paying
tribute TO Tn le Sam are frequently a
Nam Nnrl In,,,,aI