The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-06-11
INGENUITY OF SMUGGLERS
THEY KEEP THE SPECIAL TREAS
URY AGENTS BUSY.

secret or detective part Of it, and the
inspectors and agents who visit th,
steamship docks or stroll idly about the
Custom House or Apprliscr's stores in
cit1ms dress nrc all men Of determine
ton, kerancs and onoggy, The Sur.
vtyor ci the Pori, with his force Of so
inspectors, twelve in,pectresses and 10
night inspectors, is compelled 20 ne
knowledge that without the aid Of tho
Special Treasury Agent aud his efficient
corps Of assistants the Government would
be- dcfnudcd Of hundreds Of thousands
OF dollars yearly.
Smuggling as carried on to-day varies
little in its methods or subtcrfugcB from
that Of ten, twenty or fifty years ago
The ingenuity Of man Is constantly sup.
plying new means for cyading tho collcc.
ton Of lawful duties, but these newly IN.
vented methods follow along old lines 10
large extent, and the facilities for cap
turing a smuggler who operated in that
unknown epoch in history commonly
called "bcforo the war" arc much the
same as those in vogue at the present
day.
No one can appreciate the workings Of
The Department who docs not know that
II Is on intimate terms Of correspondence
with the consuls ut foreign cities, the
ministers nt foreign capitals, the Depart
ment Of State Mt Washington, the De-
partmeut Of tho Navy, the Secret Service
and all the branches Of the Customs De-
partment When this Is considered il Is
not strange that the inspectors Of the
special Treasury agents, or at least the
agents themselves, are pretty we'll in
formed of all that is going on In the ma
ture OF importations, and know Just
whore aud how 10 look for violations OF
the law
Oltentimes arrests are not made when
The evidence is such rs would convict
the tiansgressor indubitably, but there is
always n reason, and good one, why
this should not be done, even though the /
fact is not explained to the most interest
ed man Of the group, tho smuggler /
False bottoms in trunks, wonderful and |
varied appearances in anatomical lines in
connection with passengers landing from
the great ocean steamers, Jumps in cloth.
ing and cracking sounds between the
lining aud the cloth of a dress, the stick
ing together Of two leaves of book, an
almost imperccptiblo hole in a cake of
soap, ringing sound in a mans boot
heel, little knot in the corner of
pocket hondkorchief--all these the Gus
toms Inspector knows and investigates.
Not long ago passenger Of one of the
German steamships started TO walk off
the dock with a macintosh thrown over
his arm, after having his baggage ex-
amined. One of the inspectors thought
the macintosh rather heavy and iuvesti-
gated. Carefully sewn in, as lining,
was found silk dress, valued at over
$500. Repeatedly silk cloth has been
found inside OF the sleeve Innings of both
male aud female garments.
Women are especially susceptible TO
lie cnticoments of smuggling. II has
Deen said that no woman can resist the y
emptation to make an effort TO carry i
goods subject to duty past a Custom i
House officer, aud it is statement made J
BY certain officials in the Custom service !
that II every passenger ON board incom.
ng ocean steamers were thoroughly aud /
searched as he might be, it is ,
probable that not one out Of fifty would l
be found TO have resisted the allurements !
Of just triaing hit Of smuggling to add I
romance to the homecoming. Often {
times such carrying in of dutiable goods |
is merely inadyertence, lack OF Snowl-
edge or oversight Presents bought for
The "dear ones at home have been over
looked when an estimate was made of
the dutiabe goods and were only re.
called to memory when found by the
Customs officer.
Perhaps the most novel and popular
form of amusement for the smuggler
nowadays is to use Uncle Sans post bags
Tor his exciting trade. A number Of
books have lately been entered at the
sent from foreign countries,
which were not altogether intended for
'eading purposes. Several months ago !,
here was received at the New York
postotiice handsomely bound volume of
Italian poetry. The book was printed
IN a high grade of paper and bore the
late "Padua, 1888" Its title was ale
rregedie Di Giovanni Delfno." II was J.
probably supposed that the postofFice au-
horities would "pass" the book, on !,
ooking at its title, on its examination.
Unfortunately, in this, as in all cases !
where books are in the mail, the volume !,
vas opened and carefully examined. A :
ection of the centre OF 200 leaves was
ut out, through the book. aud in the :
avity thus formed was placsd green \
lble spread with cotton embroidery upon :,
hish en- extreme valuation of SO could !,
arely be placed. Buyers Of antique !,
ooks who have examined the volume, =,
hich IS now in the Customs seizure =,
,om, say that had il not been mutilated ],
would have readily been worth 500. Z
Lately this volume has been followed
: volume Of the Report Of the British
ational Fisheries Exposition. which
as not all q report, for quite collec-
On Of jewelry was placed in a neatly "a
oriicc in the centre OF its 81
AYES. Extremes met when Latin "a
ctionary was put in use for transport %
2 pipe, aud the "Odd Fellows Quar- "a
rly Magazine" did duty as a packing o.
Sc for two razors. Anovel called "The "
reat Tontine" held two diminutive and %