Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-07
THE KEEN hAWKEYES
a CUSTOMS HOUSE INSPECTOR
TALKS or sMueclERs.

Qssss rssps- whs Cs.stAss Ev.disg tie
Duty shs Cssrs-4 Thi.e-A Man Wss
maA s=os.s u DtAassAs Stuck 10 uis
Bssh ey . Psrsus Plaster.
A decade or more has o. B Curtis kept .
vtgiIant eye on Iaaengers landing at night
from the win.isr ferry, NOT 80 snxiou.ly
scanning their faces their general appear
ance.
Mr. Curtis b the oldest inspector In point
Of service in the city and has observed many
amusing and novel ights during mis- long
term Of Office, which he was chartiiy dl--uss-
ing u be loang-d on his seat in the United
States customs s,fiiee last evening
If were known how easily such fraud
Is detecte<i,s said Mr.. Curtis mighty few,
even among the professionals, would take the
risks. Not ali persons regard this evasion Of
the Law a. a moral offense, and in the eyes Of
many n certain glssnor appears TO surround
every article tina. has run the blekade.
DIAMOND sxUsGLKaa
What anuggiers chiefly engage your At
tentionf'
We'll. you may divide smugglers into
several grours. Those who illegally attempt
10 import diamonds cigars, opium, articles
OIL clOtlluR AMI ftI-d-Dfdt Ah TIC uldlASf
Of diamonds you would be surprised at the
ingenuity displayed La order 10 avoid dis
covery 1t is often the case that we are In
dcbte.i TO honest dealers for the Information
upon which we proceed This is specially
true WHERE the gems arc muggled in con-
siderable quantities for sale Being staple
article their price Is well known, and any at
tempt 70 undersell the market at once srouses
suspicGn-
several years ago we suspected . man
Was smuggling diamonds from Canada We
called him into the Office a. soon Is he left
the ferry boat, examined the Innings Of his
clothing and his person. from the rim Of his
hat to his toe nails, every place Of conceal
ment We could think Of, but to no purpose.
We therefore came to the conclusion that We
were misinformed and on the wrong scent.
He went out Of the Office nonchalantly suck
Ing an orange, which he bad laid down while
being inspected A keen eyed lady detective
attached To the depar iment whispered to one
Of our officers: Suppose you try that orange.
1t was done, and the man turned white with
rage and disappointment when in It was
found a small handful Of the precious gems.
In five minutes more we would have lost him
''Another time handsomely dressed man
got of Ii ferry boat who seemed To be un-
usually nervous A moment more and he
was struggling in the hands of the officers
and DESPERATELY clutching at the lapes Of his
coat Its no USE the officers remarked;
we know what you have and where it Is.
Better give it up and save trouble. Appar-
emily crushed by the discovery, the man
quietly assisted in opening seams and pro-
duced the diamonds from various portions Of
his clothing. Your shoes, please This
rather staggered him, but he submitted with
good grace and one Of the heels being un-
screwed another lot, though smaller and less
valuable than the first, were found there.
The diamonds were examined, and pro-
nounced to be splendid article of paste
worth about twenty-five cents each. This
did not satisfy us, and the man was stripped
to the skin 4 huge piece of sticking plaster
was on his back, which was removed, and
under it WAS concealed Of genuine
diamonds. 1t is not often that russ is 50
adroitly planned and practiced"
woMAy's INGENUITY.
DO IL find women smuggers as adroit us
th. mem
On YES, even more SO; but it is rare that
they escape the vigilance of the searchers Of
their own sex, who, if they suspect wrong,
are merciless in their examination Queer
stories are told OF the places in which contra
band goods have been found, and you would
be astonished at the number and bulk of arti-
Giles IL woman can stow away about her She
will conceal things in cakes of soap. in her
back hair, in the belt or necktie she wears, in
tucks and bands, in the hollow Of bracelets,
IN balls of worsted with which she seems to
By on familiar terms; and as for her clothes,
great heavens! Some of them have held
enough contraband goods to stock shop.
Size will leave Detroit petite and graceful
a body as one would want to see, and when
she arrives back again from Windsor be as
biz as a 800 FOUNDER. She emphaticaly trav-
els Oh her shape and if it were not for our fe-
male inspectors might also travel on her face
for no man dares to doubt or argue with
pretty woman, especially II she resorts to her
usual weapon-tears.
AS rule the fair sex with their winning
ways obtain many favors. but when you rec
ognize one of the number who goes back and
forth from Canada three or four times q
month. always returning with several trunks
filled with glncracks half made up and only
waiting to he ripped apart in some miliners
establishment to become worth many thou
sands If dollars, you know that she is some
bodys agent, who is employed to evade the
Law and share the spols that belong to Uncle
Sam"
Sometimes you make mistakes in examin-
ing persons. don't yous'
"Of course it doesn't do to suspect every
one Of being a smugsler and a man must lie
careful lest he make serious mistake. l re-
member case in which belt around gem
tleman's waist appeared As il it were stuffed
with gold watches, although the contrary
was disclosed. When an examination was
made they turned out to be so gold pieces
and other coins. and the officer got laughed
at for his pains. Detroit News.