Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-09-28
IN THE SECRET SERVICE.
A 1. DRuMMoND, TILL RECENTLY
HEAD OF THAT DEPARTMENT..

Some Of His Experiences Have Been
Thrilling, and One Of Them. Which Il
Here Related, viii He Found Interesting
to Most Readers.
Probably no prominent person in the United
States has had wider or more varied ex-
perience with the more intellectual class Of
lawbreakers than A. L. Drummond, who for
many years was the head Of the secret SER
vice Of the treasury department. His pro
fess;onal experiences were in many cases
stranger than fiction, and If published would
make volume Of the most interesting sort.
One Of his oldest stories is as follows:
About 1888 opium smuggling became so
systematized and successful that the treasury
receipts showed heavy falling off. The at
tention of the customs officials was called to
the matter from headquarters, and every
precaution imaginable was taken to prevent
the fraud upon the revenue. As fast though
as one trick was exposed the smugglers in
vented another. Their expedients were re.
markably ingenious, especially when 1t is
remembered that nearly all the opium in the
market is brought in vessels from China and
the British possessions in Hindostan. In one
case they filed lot of fine bamboo canes
with the drug. In another they hid cans Of
the prepared article in Jars of sweetmeats,
boxes OF dried fish and barrels of oriental
liquors. In a third instance they filed sau-
sage skins and mixed these in q lot Of Chinese
sausages. The temptation to smuggle was very
great. The duty was high-something like
6l5 pound So strict watch was kept by
the authorities and SO many were the seizures
and confscations that at length it seemed q
u the smugglers had been routed foot and
horse. The arrests grew fewer in number,
the convictions rapidly diminished, and the
treasury returns rose until they were about
normal Satisfied with the success which
had accompanied their endeavors, the viri-
lance of the officials became somewhat
relaxed. The enemy nevertheless were
on the watch, and Immediately took
advantage Of the confidence Of the in.
spectors. Only the shrewdest or most reck-
less again endeavored to evade the law, but
these were the very men who realized the
largest profits from their dishonest ventures.
In how many different ways they succeeded
in eluding the representatives Of the treasury
will never be known. In one instance they
played a trick with absolute success, which
was accidentally discovered few days the.e-
after. A ship had arrived from the east and
was moored to one Of the New York wharves.
A custom house inspector was on guard, who
suspecting that some one on board might at
tempt smuggling silk, opium, MANILA cigars
or other dutiable articles, was keeping sharp
watch upon vessel, crew and all visitors.
About II o'clock in the morning, on the day
after the arrival, a decent looking Chinaman,
about 80 years of age, who carried large
open grocer's basket, came upon the wharf,
and was about to go on board, when
he was called back by the inspector. The
Mongolian explained in broken English
to the best Of his ability, and it must
be said to the extreme bewilderment Of
the official, that he wished to peddle