Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-23
DIAMONDS IN HER TEETH.
THE INGENIOUS DEVICES RESoRTEo
TO BY sKILLFuI SMUGGLERS.
Brilliants in Observation-Disclosures Stones
Baked In Bread-Gems Concealed In
Wax Grapes.-Not One Professional
in . Hundred Ever Caught.

Wax Grapea-Not One Professional
in . Hundred Ever Caught.
Dealers In precious stones, custom-house
officials and detectives are all mysterious
beings They dislike to talk, but the word
muggle 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
gray-haired customs man, and then you'll
see both how easy and difficult IL is to
smuggle,
The story was told in o 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 81, 900 worth Of the finest
frst-water gems. In some way the heavy
purchase became known to . detective in
Paris who cabled TO the officers here to
watch for the smuggler. The purchase con
sisted Of 10. fine stones, and the detective
In Paris had a straight tip from a shoe-
maker that the Frenchnan's high heels con
tained the gems
He arrived and was politely conducted to
private examination room Oh came the
boots and the Frenchman grew pale as
pearl The heels were sounded and In q
minute later one THICKNESS Of leather was
taken Off Out rolled e piece Of tissue paper
and fifty eight fine white stones The
Frenchman appeared crazy. He fuaaed,
swore and almost wep: In the other heel
the remaining gems, forty-ni IN number.
were found The Frenchman put on his
boots, and seemingly dazed, walked away.
He was cute 'unr The gems were
the finest -Parisian,7 worth $40 peck, and
the real article was snugly encased in his
big box toes He paid his shoemaker
handsomsr price than the sharp detective.
Those gems are in Chicago now, and the
bogus ones adorn 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 eye How
many ladies' who go regularly abroad and
pay their expenses by struggling is not and
never will be known They are many,
nevertheless
SOME OF THE CUTE DoDGEs PLAYED.
One Of the cutest lodges ever played on
the tariff enforcers is related of a young and
pretty lady who lived and probably still
lives in Boston. She had gone TO Berlin on
a visit during her "trip abroad and while
there saw four beautiful diamonds Her
means would Just allow her to purchase
them and pay her way home In her di-
lemma she conceived plan. Four large
cavities were bored into her four largest
teeth, the gems covered over and she de
parted The duties would have cost her
$40, but she smiled on the officer who made
the examination and passed innocently from
the wharf
Large quantities of diamonds, pearls and
rubies are FIRE Iuently baked in bread, sold
with an understanding 10 the steward, who
sees that they are so dry and hard at the
end of the voyage that he must give it to a
'longshoreman who has large and hungry
family As 'iongshoremen don't feed their
families on precious stones the bread is
broken and its contents placed in little
channels skin bags and carried to the homes.
dealer in gems
When the gems are hidden IN trunks
false bottoms are never resorted to- The
dodge is too old and transparent A regu
lar line Of small auger-cells are made in the
sides and bottom. These are filed with the
gems and a new paper inside cover pasted
neatly over. Woe to the smuggler who hap
pens to have one of those cells cracked
open. The eagle eye of the law is always
looking.
"Only one professional smuggler in
hundred is ever caught. They make it q
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 EN- 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 as cute as the SNUG
glers sometime, and are frequently the
captors of big government hauls She
knows where in woman's apparel
is the most likely place 10 find
Struggled goods. They are sometimes mis-
taken, however, as well as the men Not
very long ago German woman was re-
ported to arrive ON certain steamer with
u fortune in jewels on her person. She
came and was duly examined. The scrutiny
she underwent was so severe that the lady
custom house officials apologized over and
over again.
The foreigner smiled and said that she did
not blam; them for doing their duty, and
supposed some malicious person had sent the
dispatch To annoy her She entered cab
and the hat she wore was decked with a
fortune in gems They were covered with
wax and represented bunch OF grapes.
These the Official ladies had admired when
they examined the hat lining and cover.
The ways and devices for smuggling are
almost as numerous as the stars, and the
Jewels brought to America without paying
tribute to Uncle Sam are frequently as
bright-New York Journal