The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-19
ARTFUL SMUGGLERS.
Dcvices to Escape the Duty On
Precious Stones.
How the 'Lynx-Eyed Officers
Detect Them.

prevent smuggling, says the New York |
Telegram, they are confident that large |
quantities of diamonds and other |
precious stones are brought into the
country without payment Of duty.
The veteran, Captain Isaac Trimblc,
who spent twenty-five years of his life
in the Custom House, and was during
great portion of the time a custodian OF
the seizure room. relates many ms tances
of the ingenuity of the ugglers. On
one occasion Captain Trimble exhibited
/ a copy of the bible to a visitor.
''Do you see anything peculiar about
the book?" the Captain asked.
The visitor examined the covers on
both sides, as we'll as the back and
edges, and then replied
'WclI, can't say that do"
'But it is a smuggler's bible" the
officer rejoined, land if you will un-
clasp it, you will know how the rascals
made use of it for smuggling dia-
monds."
The visitor did as directed and was
surprised to find that the bible had been
converted into a box. An obIong cavity
had been cut through all the leaves of
the volume the person who did the
work being careful to leave the covers,
back and edges in the same condition as
they were when they came from the
binder. The box was about five inches
long, three wide and two deep. In this
oddly contrived box had been concealed
about $4,000 worth of smuggled
diamonds.
The person who brought these dia-
monds to New York was passenger on
one of the German steamers from Ham
burg. He had no idea that the customs
inspectors would take the pains to
examine an old and we'll worn copy of
the bible. Had he left the bible in his
trunk the probability is that it would
have attracted no special attention from
the officials, but the owner took the
book under his arm and was seemingly
so Jealous for its safety that he raised
the suspicious of an Inspector, who i'm
mediately stepped up and relieved him
of it in short order.
With tears in his eyes the owner ex-
claimed;
ooh, don't rob me of my bible. 1t
was given me by my mother when l left
my home in the old country"
But the inspector was inexorable. The
book was retained and examined and
the officer congratulated himself that he
had done a pretty good days work for
Uncle Sam.
Onc of the tricks most frequently re-
: sorted to by smugglcrs is to conceal dia-
monds and other precious stones in the
Innings of garments. An Overcoat which
: was worn by foreigner who landed on
these shores about ten years ago had no
less than ten thousand dollars worth of
gems quilted iato the padded lining. 1t
is probable that for every one of this
kind of garment that is detected by the
inspectors there are a score which are
never discovered. Among the curiosi-
ties which were preserved in the seizure
room for long time was coat of this
t description, the lining and padding ot
D which contained over two hundred
i Quilted squares, and IN each was a gem.
l Some of the gems were very small not
being worth moro than five dollars each,
4 but the aggregate amounted to q pretty
9 large sum.
Whenever the inspectors see q newly
arrived passenger of suspicious appear
l ance on a foreign steam hip they look
= at his or her shoes or boots to see if the
soles are of extra thickness. many
thousands of dollars worth of smugglec
stones have been found in these extrt
I thick soles. There are shoemakers il
Z Switzerland who make a speciality o
4 m anufacturing smugglers' foot gear
l Trunks with false bottoms have Ion!
L been so common that they excite n
i surprise Oh the part of the customs Of
Z fccrs. 1t is customary with an inspec
. tor when he examines baggageto thrus
L a cane down into the trunk and ther
measure on the outside. By this mean
J q false bottom can be easily detected.
9 Several years ago a smuggler carriel
u on successful smuggling business b,
{ hiding diamonds il the handles 0
o palm-leaf fans. The duty on the fan
!, was so low that he could we'll affort
|, to pay it in view of the valuable con
d tents of the handles. Finally tn
n game was spoiled by an inspector VIII
l. discovered that the end of each handl
a was plugged. The inspector extracte
'' the plugs and out rolled the diamonds
Men and women have defrauded tn
customs by hiding gems in their hair
In fact, there are so many ingeniou
" methods adopted by smugglers that th
= officers are often in despair.
Sunlight is as essential to animal
81 liFo