Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-05-28
ACTIVE SMUGGLERS.
THEY KEEP THE SPECIAL TREASURY
AGENTS VERY BUSY.

Part 81 the Customs Department Of
the Government Of which mt Little
Ia Known-sfen whose sharp Eycs
Save unoie sam Thousands 81 Dolinrs.
In the extrome northwest corner Of The
basement floor OF the New York custom
house Is the headquarters Of the United
States special treasury ~ mt for this dis
trict Il il an unostoniatous suit n of.
fces, plainly furnished. the easements
painted a VIRGIN white. The casual visitor
who strolls in l. amazed chiefly ut one
thing. that j. at the order aud noatnc1
which prevails
lie ~, number Of fat top desks NJ
which sit clerical looking men figuring
aud writing An air Of sleepy qulctudr
porvadcs the place, ~ n II were some
counting room whore the most ordinary
transactions In hides or wheat were tho
subject u consideration Yet the quiet
ollcc j. the fountain bead Of what mny be
termed the United States Treasury detect
i've work Tor this district.
Tho spccial treasury agent Il stationed
here. A special treasury agents mission
h an anomaly aud paradox. lie Is nt
once watch dog and IN certain lines ma
auditor lie Il q prevention and cure
lie watches alike the Just aud the unjust,
The righteous and the shining. the customs
officer and the smugglcr
The thirty local agents report directly 20
the department NJ Washington, with a
lesser consumption Of rcd tape aud a more
frequent use Of the telegraph aud the Iron
bound packet than almost any other depart.
mont In our great governmental system
unless II b. that Of the secret soryice
PrEFEcr rarioSAoE
The detective work Of The inspectors and
agents Is always interesting The treasury
agents throughout the country work sy,.
tematlcally and into each Others hands,
aud by means Of ihl. wonderful unity In
tho department the most perfect system Of
espl0nago aud care has been built ~. Tho
special treasury agents department save.
10 the United States annually many hun.
drrdH az Thousands Ut dollars over and
above expenses " IT, maintenance Prob
ably no bureau under any u the cabinet
departments hns been proved 10 be NOM
thoroughly useful and paying Institution.
The treasury agent Tor the local district
has alwny. had his hands full. The local
Office has had In charge such nation. a.
tho investigation attendant on the finding
Of the body of the murdered Dane In q bur.
fc OF plaster on board tho steamship
Thingvalln. from Copenhagen, which
aroused so much interest, the pushing OF
eases In tho discovery Of criminal, con.
ncctcd with the Illegal Importation Of
opium, both by way OF water and over tho
Canadian line. nocumulniiyo discoveric,
connected with the wholesale smuggling
Of clgars, and the seizures and str.,t avs.
TEN OF espionage which have decreased tho
percentage Of this Illicit trade, and many
other opcn.and above board varirtle. Of
fraudulent dealings with the government
The most romantic aud Interesting Dor.
ton Of tho work Of tho Inspectors i tho
secret or detective part Of IL, and the In.
tpectors and agents who visit the steam.
ship docks or stroll idly about the custom
house OF appraisers stores In citizens drrs.
ART all men Of determination, kecnne.s aud
energy. The surveyor Of the port, with his
force OF $40 inspectors, twelve inspectrcsses
and llp hisSt inspectors, Il compelled TO
acknowledge that without tho aid OF tho
special treasury agent aud hi. efloiunt
corps OF assistants tho government would
bc defraudod Of hundreds Of thousands Of
dollarA yearly.
Smuggling ~ carried on today ynrie.
little In IL methods or subtorfuFcs from
that OF ton. twenty or iiity years ago. The
Ingenuity OF man Is constantly supplying
new means for oyading the collection OF
lawful duties, but those newly Invented
methods follow along old lines TO large
extent, aud tho facilities for capturing a
smuggler who operated Ia that unknown
epoch ia history commonly called before
the war arp much tho same N those la
vogue at The present day.
0LtrfSo TfrA
No one eau appreciate tho working. Of
the department who docs not know that n
l. on intimate terms Of correspondence
with oonSuls az foreign cities. the minister.
at foreign capitals, the department OF state
at Washington, the department OF tho
navy, the secret service and AL the branches
Of the customs department. when this 4
considered IL Il not strange that the In,
spcctou u the special treasury agents, or
AZ least the agents themselves are protty
well Informed Of all that IL going on la tho
nniurp Of impoHations and know iust
where and how to look for violations Of
the law.
They tell many curious stories Of meth.
DDS In vogue, aud many events which seem
10 b. colncldcntal with certain facts, but
which are In truth an outgrowth Of those
facts. One Of the special agents under.
stands that there Il n quantity Of Snug.
gled cigars on board Cuban brig. Under
cover OF darkness ho IA rowed out, and
calls roughly TO tho sailors on board tho
.lhp that ''hc has come for the cignrs.n
Quietly and deftly u box containing sew
erul hundred Of tho smuggled article, Is
passed down over the ships side, aud away
rows the Inspector, seeming To disappear
like mist OF tho sea
Probably the captain Of tho brig has
never 70 this day, iathome1 thcdlnppear.
Anoc OF those cigars. There were clgnn,
aud they were handed 10 living hands, and
a noiioo Of their receipt was given by voices
which WEIR not Of tho spirit, and yet with.
w very lew minutes there were no clgars,
and 10 tho last, unless tho seizure room
gives M many Of tho secrets which il
holds padlocked Ia its depths, tho smug,
slen VIII never DO able 10 fathum such DC.
earreneca ~ these-Now York World.