The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-25
OCEAN BUNCO STEERERS
PEOPLE WHO ACT AS INFORMeha
UPON SMUoGLERs.

They Make n Good Thing Out OF u
Though the Calling Is Rather Con-
temptibic- Merchants who Put lily
In Their Rivals Coffee.
There arc scores Of men and women 1,
this city who mako largo income every
year by acting as informers upon SNUG
glcrs. Sometimes they take a trip 10
Europe themselves. They are generally
well supplied with money, and to the
majority Of their acquaintance their
source Of income is a mystery.
For years past it has been the policy Of
the government, through the secretary
Of the treasury, to award 2j per cent.
Of the value received from the sale O.
smugglcd articles to the party who die.
covered the smugglcr, or who gave in.
formation leading to such discovery.
1t is estimated that in this manner tbs
government pays out the sum Of 500, 900
year.
DETRAYNG FRIENDS.
In some cases the special deputy OH
GERS employed in the custom house are
given a percentage Of the seizures which
they make, and this is tho principal rea-
son for their vigilance toward incoming
passengers, which has in many cases
been very offensive.
Tho stewards and stewardcsses Of near
~ all the big steamships are among the
most active informcrs, and thoy fire.
quently make a lot of money through it,
"They have not the slightest compunc-
ton in betraying their best friends, said
q speci. agent "They make q practice
of finding ont which OF the passengers
have diamonds, or silks and satins, on
other valuable articles that they hope TO
smuggle through, and TO these they init
mate that smuggling is the easiest thing
in the world. As soon rs the vessel az
rvcs the informcr PUSHES to a special
agent with tho information, and the
would be smugglcr loses his or her goods
rs q result of listening TO the talk of the
tomptcr. There is not a trip made by
oncof the great steamships when this does
not occur An exception was noted the
other day when the stewardess Of one Of
the French line vessels was herself caught
smuggling, and goods valued at $1,000
were taken from her"
Nlllner5 and tailor5 do not hesitate to
turn informcrs in order to get n rival
into trouble, although they do not often
ask for share of the reward.
1--WE often receive q cable from Paris
reading Look out for milliner Miss
Smith On Ehuria, D." said tho special
agent, 'or some similar wording The
cable j. sent by some rival milliner who
knows that Miss Smith is TO sail on the
Etruria, and that the chances are ten TO
one that She will ondcavOr 10 smugglein
a tmnkful of gcwgaws with which TO
ornament her stock of headgear. Poor
Miss Smith seldom learns how the Gus
toms officers learned of her attempt,
while her stealthy rival probably comes
in on the following steamer and escapes
through the lines without suspicion being
attached to her"
American tailors and cloth importers
who visit England forgoods are inyeter-
ate iuf0rmcrs upon their rivals ia bust
ness. and most Of the tips upon which
the special agents act are cabled across
by some anonymous sender who does not
care for tho reward, but who wants to
ret rival into the mcshes Of the custom
house.
Jewellers stick together better than
any other class Of men who smugele,
said a customs official yesterday. 1T is
rare indeed that ono iowcler will inform
upon another and when one is caught
SMUGGLING the others flock around him
in sympathy. and sometimes combine 20
make good his losses
There are several professional inform
ers who make 1t their business to travel
almost constantly on the ocean steamers,
where they lure amateur smugglcrs into
their net
These men arc well dressed and pose
as business or professional men who
have been abroad on q vacation.
ON the voyage from Liverpool one OF
them makes himself agreeable to the
men on board, and as the steamer ncars
Ncw York be boasts of his ability TO
smucelo anything through the custom
house, from % diamond pin to an Gle
plant.
u always do it, he cxclaims, con
ndcnNy. II never mako a European
trip without bringing back several hun
drcd dollars worth Of goods free OF
duty"
Then me urges his friends TO mako the
attempt also, and ono or two at least
always do so.
OF course they are caught, while the
genucmanly inlormcr makes tho price
OF his passage and considerable spending
money as the result Of bis work.
such inlormcr5 are well known TO the
custom house people, who designate
them as ocean bunco stcorcrs.'
No attempt is made 10y the steamship
authorities TO prevent tho work Of The
mformors. some Of whom pick out q
good steamer upon which to employ
their talents, and practically live for
Years upon t.-Ncw York Journal.