Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-11
TRICKS oFFRENCH sMUGGnERs
Some Shrewd Devices Which Beat
Boston White Glass Eggs.

Some Shrewd Devices Which Beat
Boston White Glass Eggs.
From, It'd Bits.
At one of the Paris barriers there exists
museum of contrivances used for the
smuggling Of liquors into the city, which
have been captured on various occasions
by the employees OF the octroi. Here are
piles of common white plates. the top one
of which on being lifted off shows a CYL
inder of tin piercing the remainder of the
pile. Here are rolls OF linen which are
merely few yards of stuff wrapped
around tin box fashioned to the requI-
site shape, and with ends artisticaly
finished off with stripes of linen set on
end.
Here Is the bust of indiarubber OF
make-believe wet nurse, who used to take
her little charge out daily to breathe the
fresh air beyond the barriers. Here are
two great blocks of stone that, on closer
inspection, prove to be tin-lined boxes
with artistioally fitting ends. Here are
three stout folio volumes bound in calf,
and labeled "The Philosophy of Ma
tions." With these books under his arm
pale. interesting looking young student
used to wander forth into the suburbs to
pursue his studies.
One day an inquisitive custom house
officer, grown suspicious from the fact
that the youth always carried out the
same books to study, insisted on opening
one OF these volumes. He found that the
leaves had been nicely cut away with a
sharp knife to afford secret niohe for a
square case bottle, which was filled with
brandy-a similar cOntrivance existing
in each Of the other two books.
But the cleverest trick OF all was one
which was very complicated and costly
in it's details, but which must have paid
handsomely, as it was carried on for
months without detection. A lady and
gentleman seated in a plain. respectable
looking coupe, drawn by a good horse,
| and driven by coachman In livery, were
wont to drive out to the Bots de Boulogne
every afternoon, returning usually about
dusk. The gentleman was evidently
an invalid. He was always envel-
oped In a fur-llned cloak with the
collar raised around his throat, and
had fur cap pulled down over his
brows, while the little that could be seen
Of his countenance was OF a sickly pallor.
He was always reclining in a corner oil
the carriage, as if too feeble to sit erect
while his attentive wife sat beside bin
| evidently soiicitous for his welfare, being
especially careful to keep his cloak
wrapped around him. The guardians OF
| the octroi saw the vehicle and its inmates
| pass by them without suspicion.
One day, however, after making the
usual inquiry, "Have you anything to
discloseW the custom house officer, on
closing the door, struck the supposed in.
valid's foot. b. ..'...
81 beg your pardon, sir" said the
officer.
No response-not so much as an incli
nation of the head. Rather surprised, the
| officer repeated his remark in louder
tone, at the same time touching the sicb
mans shoulder. At that moment the
lady and goodman leaped from their re
spective places and fed away with sur
prising swiftness, leaving in the hands o
the officers the horses. the carriage, anC
the invalid, which last was found to b,
made of tin and filed with brandy-hII
face being most artistically constructed
in wax. The space under the seat OF thu
coupe and the coachman's box were alst
reservoirs of tin, so that the smuggling
transaction OF the party had been prac
| ticed on very extensive SCALE