Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-01-29
DEFRAUD1NG THE CUSTOMS.
PEOPLE OF SOCIAL STANDING WHO
SMUGGLE DUTIABLE GOODS.
An Ex-Inspector Narrates some Queer
Experiences-The Use to Which a
Pug was Put.

An Ex-Inspector Narrates some Queer
Experiences-The Use to Which a
Pug was Put.
"a vast amount of smuggling goes on
at this port every day." said an ex-
/ inspector Of customs, 'and you'd be
astonished if 1 were to tell you the
names of the people who attempt to
bring in dutiable goods without paying
the charges. An inspector has many
queer experiences. | have known men
who are wealthy and would scorn to do
an act that they considered dishonorable
attempt to evade the customs duties on
articles which they knew were dutiable.
! The professional smuggler is easily de-
tected, and it is not often that one sue
cessfullv etades the inspectors scrutiny.
! The smuggling is done by people that
/ you would least expect to do that sort of
thing. One case in particular call to
mind.
GA gentleman we'll known in social
and financial circles arrived here on one
I of the American line steamers. He
cheerfully consented to the examination
of his baggage by the inspectors, and
was willing to pay the charges on every
thing that we pronounced dutiable. He
walked about while we were inspecting
his baggage and freely gave up his keys.
He had strapped over his shoulders a
small Russian leather bag, and, after we
had passed on his trunks, l requested
permission to look through this bag. He
flushed scarlet and explained that it only
contained toilet articles. l suspected
that there was something else in the bag
and he reluctantly allowed me to exam
inc it. There were toilet articles in it, it
is true, but it also contained a package
of jewelry, principally diamonds, which
the appraiser valued at $12, 900. The
gentleman excused himself by saying
that he did not know that articles in
tended for personal use were dutiable,
but l knew that this was all CANNON.
These cases are never heard of, because
when detected the amateur smnggler al
ways pays up.
'Ladies of the highest social position
make continental trips and return loaded
down with dutiable goods, which they
successfully smuggle ashore. They don't
consider it any disgrace to evade the Gus
toms-in fact, they rather pride them
selves on their cunning. They wrap ex-
pensive laces about their FORMS secrete
diamonds in their pockets, the hens of
their dresses and even in the heels of
their shoes and tell the barefaced false
hoods unblushingly to evade paying the
customs dues. We can't search them be-
cause of their high social position, but
we know that they are smugglers.
"a young lady whose father is one of
the wealthy men of the city, went abroad
last summer in company with two pela-
tives. They sailed from this port and
returned hither. They allowed their
general baggage to be inspected without
protest The young lady carried di-
minutive pug dog in her arms. The
animal was particularly ill-natured and
vicious, but the young lady appeared to
be very fond of the brute and carried him
in her arms all the time. He wore
blanket and had collar around his
neck.
'I;got close. enough to see that the
blanket was a mass of expensive lace
tackled OH to the blanket, to enable her
to evade duty on it, and that the collar
was literally studded with diamonds.
What could we do? If we had held the
dog there would have been great howl
over the indignity, and the girls father
had influence enough to have us all dis
charged. We consequently allowed the
$40 pug, with his $4,000 blanket and
.. his $40, 900 collar, to pass free of duty.
Ladies and gentlemen of wealth, refine
ment and high social position do not
scruple to evade the customs. They have
trunks made with false bottoms, and in
the reccptacles thus provided bring in
hundreds of dollars worth of dutiable
articles. =.
"All the sailors smuggle. They secrete
goods all over the ship and derive profit
able trade by bringing in dutiable goods
without submitting them to the appraiser.
False lockers are made in the cabins and
a thousand odd hooks and corners on a
ship are utilized to conceal smuggled
goods. They do not attempt to remove
these while the vessel is discharging her
cargo, because a great majority of the in
spectors are vigilant and honest and the
goods would be apt to be confiscated.
They wait until the cargo is discharged,
and after the inspector has gone over the
vessel and certified that no dutiable goods
remain on her they bring out their hidden
treasures and carry them ashore All
sorts Of goods are smuggled, and there
are lots of common sailors who are in
league with professional smugglers and
bring in contraband goods ON every trip.
Occasionally goods are smuggled in
through the connivance of a dishonest
inspector but these cases are rare, for
the majority of the customs officers are
honest and incorruptible. l have no
means of estimating just how much duti-
able goods annually escape appraisement
at this port, but l should judge it was
several hundred thousands of dollars
worth. Very often smuggling is done
unconsciously. Men and women buy
presents for their relatives and friends
abroad and bring them safely through
the customs under the apprehension that
they are not dutiable because they are
not intended to be sold. A man, for in
stance, will make a hurried business trip
to England and will bring home a couple
of thousand dollars worth of presents for
his family and friends. We know him
to be man of high character and don't
subject his baggage to rigid scrutiny.
He assures us that his trunks contain
nothing dutiablc, and we pass them
without examination. He honestly means
what he says, but the government is
cheated out of its dues all the same. ~
Br00klyB Union.
A storehouse belonging to the Mohave
! Tn1ianc -, Al lo.I- e Al i.