The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-27
SMUGGLING DIAMONDS.
The Various Devices used by the FAIR ScN
to Avoid the Import Duty or the Gems
1Sundav News. !

certain rich mans wife in this country
wore upon her neck at an evening party
precious stones of the value Of S2O0,00h
while several of her t;lirrivais displayed
Jewels of scarcely less amount, leads
Chambers Journal 10 remark that it is
well-known that an extensive SNUG
Cling trade in diamonds has long been
carried on in the United States, and
that women have proved themselves
to be particularly skilled in the busi-
ness and have given most trouble to
the customs officers.
During a recent Saratoga season one
lady was heard to boast that she had
brought over a suite of diamonds in the
heels Of several pairs Of slippers, which
she had made on purpose to contain
them. These dainty articles were os-
tentatiously y displayed, and taken notice
of by the searchers; but the heels were
not suspected to he hollow or to contain
diamonds. Hollow-hceled boots We're
at one Time greatly in Use Us Il part
of the smuggling machinery. That
mode of carrying on the Illicit traffic
was ultimately discovered by an under
steward of an American steamer, who,
for consideration communicated the
secret to the custom house authorities.
Then follow series of contrivances in
the shape Of double bottomed trunks,
valises with secret pockets, desks with
hidden draws, and guns and pistols
which were so contrived as to contain
a few Of the much coveted gems. All
these contrivances were in turn dis
covered; they were just the kind of
concealments which the officers had
their thoughts fixed upon, and the
use of so clumsy devices was soon
abandoned.
Just as the customs authorities con-
graduated themselves, however, that
they had suppressed the illicit traffic a
new era in gem-smuggling Was inau
gurated, and more diamonds reached
the United States duty free than before.
Smuggling, it may may be said, devcl-
oped into u tlue art; at all events, the
incidence of the trade for a brief period
became so simple as to seem like
child's play; and children, indeed, We're
made to play an important part i'll the
business. A story which lately be-
came public shows how well the mod
ern diamond smugglers had laid to
heart Poe's precepts; 'Please to hold
my baby whilst my husband helps
"me to open my trunks; he will be
"quite good if you will shake his rat
tle," said lady passenger to the officer
VINO was waiting to look over. her
travelling gear. The officer good hu-
moredly held the baby as he was re-
quested, and entertained it by shaking
| the rattle diligently while the mother
was engaged with the baggage. Per-
haps the mother was as much amused
by the performance rs the baby was.
! Al any rate The rattle, which was tied
! by a ribbon to the child's waist, was
| filled with gems of great value, which
escaped the payment OF duty because
the device employed ior their conceal
ment was then new and aroused no
suspicion.
Another instance, which is narrated,
shows that the fair smugglers are by
no means scrupulous as to the means
employed to accomplish their purpose.
A demure woman who presented her
self, attircd in the costume of Sister
| of Mercy, was passed over by the
officers because she had no luggage
worth examining. She possessed, =,
however, fine string Of beads which,
with downcast eyes, she kept telling.
| Safe on land, she Was atfccti0nately
welcomed by two persons dressed in
costumes similar to her own. The
sagacious reader, of course, does not
need 10 he told that the dcvout lady
was a Smugglcr, and that each Of the
beads was SO constructed that it held Il
diamond weighing seven or eight
carats.
Another ingenious person hit upon
the plan of placing a few precious stones
in a toy Kaleidoscope which was carried
ashore by the child to whom it belong
ed, in part. The number of such
schemes is, of course, almost as great
as the number of articles which tourists
bring to this country in their baggage.
1t is impossible for the customs officers
to explore every button and screw and
possible h. low space in every article
that passe before their eyes, and there
is no doul that many Il gem OF purest
ray, serene, or otherwise, passes liter
ally under their hoses, without attract,
ing the tlanking features, every week in
the year.
The smugglers do not continc them.
selves, however, to such more or lcss
risky schemes rs have been here inGi.
Gated. a number of homing pigeons
purchased at village IN Belgium, and
Drouy,.: to the United States by til,
way of Paris and Ilavrc, long played I:
profitable part i'll tn" smuggling trade,
each pigeon being IrciEhtcd with {:
cargo OF cXquiSit" gems concealed il
quilts and carefully fastened {" tho
mcssagc-hcnring dove. An cNtrusiv,
system of diamond smuggling was n
one time carried ON from tanadial
ground 10y the aid of such pigeons. The
discovery of this Illicit trade was mad,
accidcntly by farmer, who h"pprnct