Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-05
How Opium is Struggled Into This
Country.
OTHER CONTRABAND GOODS
And How They Arc Got Into the United
states-Trageiies Of Chinese Importation
How New York Dressmakers Make For
tunes-Growth Of the Opium Vice.
Written for The Evening Star.

York the other day. The customs detective
service, controlled from Washington, cannot
possibly keep under guard the entire frontiers
and coasts of SO vast a country as the United
States. 1t is only now and then that they can
strike blow at the traffic by exercising not
merely vigilance. but devices Of the utmost in
genuity.
For example, about two months ago three
revenue inspectors in Puget Sound dressed
themselves up as fishermen and started out
after herring with an equipment Of nets. Their
purpose was assisted unexpectedly by a tre-
mendous storm that came up. capsized their
boat and cast them upon the shore Of San Juan
Island They were taken care OF by the resi-
dent fisher folk and lived with them for some
time, partaking of their occupations and amuse-
ments incidentally they discovered that the
hospitable inhabitants were engaged in SNUG
Cling opium and liquor from Canada the
whisky being sold to the workmen in the great
lime factories there located. As a result eleven
persons have been arrested, and it is to be sur
missed that In future the people of that locality
Will be on their guard against rescuing ship
wrecked strangers.
OPIUM IN STICKS OF TIMBER.
Not long ago novel and very interesting
method of smuggling opium was discovered by
officers of the revenue marine in Puget Sound.
Aai 10 stiCAS OI llmD6r were Sawn In TWO length
wise and followed out, tho halves being after
ward fastened together with wooden pins, SO
that no one would have supposed for a mo-
ment that the big logs were filed with contra
band material. The scheme was only found
out by the chance of coming across some of
the empty logs floating about on the water.
After their contents had been removed of
course the followed timbers weie OF no use
Tor any purpose, and so they were carelessly
thrown away instead of being cut up and
burned. which would have been more prudent
Doubtless however, the same ingenious plan ia
still being pursued Two or three good-sized
logs win hold many thousands Of dollars worth
OF opium. and they are not likely to be picked
out OF vessels cargo Of timber by the most
vigilant inspector.
The firemen and stokers on board Of the
transatlantic steamers do great deal of smug-
gllng, because they have many convenient
hiding places at their disposal. They hide
opium in the COAL where it is almost impossible
to find it. The customs officers cannot very
well shovel over hundreds of tons Of coal on
board OF ship in order to discover whether
there Is anything contraband concealed among
1t. Hollow iron masts frequently afford places
OF concealment for cans OF opium, as do also
the pumps of vessels, down which the stuff is
lowered with strings. Between the walls of
state rooms and the Skin of a steamship ex-
ceiient hiding places are found.
DROPPING CANS OF OPIUM ovERBoAnD
ways of getting the opium ashore A favorite
method is to drop the cans overheard with
sinker attached to them, SO as to keep them
from drifting far, and floats Of cork or wood to
mark them. Then small bosts come along and
pick them up unostentatiously. For q long
time before the dodge was found out the drug
was carried off the steamers in buckets by the
sailors. jolly tar would come along with a
wooden pail full of odds and ends, and the in
sPector would empty them ont only to find
that the receptacle contained nothing besides.
In reality. however, the ordinary looking
bucket had double shell. and between the i'm,
side and the outside opium WAS concealed.
Some OF the most remarkable incidents
which have come under the observation Of the
revenue marine have to do with the smuggling
OF Chinese into the United States. Certain
instances came to the knowledge Of the gov
eminent not SO very long ago, where the crews
OF vessels engaged in affording assistance to
this sort of surreptitious immigration from
the orient actually killed and threw overheard
many unfortunate pig-tailed passengers when
In danger Of capture in order to destroy all
evidence against themselves. Some most ex-
getting these people from the fowery land
through On one occasion several of them
were hidden under the boilers of q steamer
en- route from Vancouver. On the way thew
literally roasted, and their cries Of agony at
tracted the attention OF the inspectors who
dragged out and some Of them died from their
burns. Another time q Chinaman climbed
into the space in q steamboats, paddle box.
where he had just room to cuddle up and hold
on, secretsng himself before the vessel started
from Vancouver. 1t was o cold dav in Feb
ruary and every revolution of the wheel
deinged him with icy water, 30 that he was
soon rendered insensible and was taken out
more dead than alive. After spending some
months In the hospital he was sent back.
SMUGGLING TOBACCO.
new game for smuggling tobacco has grown
up since the adoption of the Mckinley tariff law.
which imposes duty of g pound on wrap
per tobacco and IS cents pound on filler to-
bacco. The surroptitious importers conceal
wrapper material Us bales Of filler and so get il
through cheap. A great quantity prepared in
that way was recently captured at Tampa.
With cigars method is frequently practiced
similar to that followed in the case OF opium:
they are thrown overheard at quarantine in
rubber bags with floats attached, and men in
boats pick them up. A revenue tug on the
watch for such lodges captured 5000 in sim
gle batch one day last summer The duty on
cigars is 80. so pound with IS per cent of their
value additional, SO that it pays well to get them
In free Opinions differ so much as to the value
OF cigars that the customs officers would find
it very hard to set accurate valuations upon
them. were it not that the Cuban nianufac-
turers have lists giving the names and prices
Of all their goods. Customs inspectors have
copies Of these lists. but persons who desire to
swindle the revenue have n way of getting
around the difficulty. A dealer will 60 to
Havana and say to q manufacturer: 81 want 30
many thousands Of certain brand of your
cigars, but must stipulate that you put upon
them the name of a cheaper brand" This the
manufacturer does and the goods pass the Gus
tom house for fraction of The duty they ought
to pay. Not long ago it was learned that a
cigar merchant in Denver was undertaking the
trade largely. Complaints reached the author
tiles on the subject, and, suspicion being
aroused, the next lot imported by him was sub
jected to an examination by experts. 1t was
found that the cigars were invoiced at one
fourth Of their value. 1t il usually by under
selling their competitors that fraudulent i'm
porters attract attention to their doingy.
DEVICES OF DnEssMAKERs.
Quito recently there has been an exposure of
smuggling on large scale by fashionable
dressmakers in New York city. These enter
prising persons have been accustomed to en-
ploy women to travel to and from Paris, who
would come back as fine ladies' with many
trunks containing elaborate wardrobes, which
they claimed as private property and merely
wearing apparel suitable to their condition in
life. These agents would 60 to the Fifth Ave-
nue. or some other hotel with their baggage,
subsequently delivering the trunks to the
dressmakers In this manner many Of tho lat
ter have Accumulated large fortunes.
Queer ways Of smuggling are only limited by
the resources Of human ingenuity. People
have been known to carry diamonds beneath