Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-14
POLLING SMUGGLERS
MAILS FROM ABROAD EXAMINED sY
CUSTOMS OFFICERS.

CUSTOMS OFFICERS.
Suspicious Looking Packages Are Marked
and Watched Until Their Contents Are
Known-Opened in the Presence of the
Omcers-When Postmaster Collect.
The mails offer such an obvious tempta-
ton to would be smugglers that it is often
asked what steps the government authori-
ties take for preventing the use of them
for the Importation of goods free of DUTY
AS matter of fact, not few people have
an idea that they can get ahead of the Gus
toms officials by sending dutiable articles
from abroad through the mails, but when
they act on this belief they in virtually
every instance are disabused of this mis-
taken impression. To make this lesson
the more effective, the government, when
ever the intent to smug1le is clear. con-
hscates the articles, although, when the
goods are sent into this country through
an evident ignorance of the law, the simple
payment of the duty is all that is necessary
to secure possession of them.
To understand fully Uncle Sans plan
for getting his just dues one should follow
the mails from the time they leave the big
transatlantic liner to the time they reach
their destinations. When an incoming
vessel is first sighted word is sent to the
postoffice. If the ship reaches quarantine
before sunset, in time to be inspected by
the health officer or his assistants, the
mails are not landed until the ship reaches
her pier. Then the pouches, hundreds in
number, are hurried ashore. Those for in
land points are dispatched by the various
railroads, while letters, newspapers, par
GELS, etc, for New York city and its vicin-
ity are sent to the general postoffice.
GETTING THE MAILS ASHORE.
If, however, the ship reaches quarantine
at night and is compelled to remain there
until after sunrise, tugs in the service of
the poStoffice come up to it and take off
the mails. The pouches for other places
are forwarded by the earliest trains, while
those for this city, as in the other case, are
sent to the postoffice here as quickly as
possible. Nearly all the parcels that seem
to contain books or other dutiable goods
pass through the New York postoffice. even
If they are directed to distant points in
the United States. This is the only class
OF mail matter for places from this city
which suffers delay here
In the mean time three inspectors of the
postofhce customs bureau have been sent
for at their homes, that is, if the mails ar
rive when the men are not at their work.
and no matter what the hour or the wealth
er the three hasten TO the postofiice. When
the pouches arrive there they are opened
IN the presence of the customs inspectors.
Every letter or parcel that looks as if il
might contain books, etchings, Autographs,
Jewelry or other dutiable goods is picked
out OF the heaps OF mail matter and
stamped. II, for instance, the parcel is
made up of silk handkerchiefs which can
be seen through holes in the wrapping pa
per it is stamped Subject to duty" II
the package is securely wrapped so that
its contents are invisible, Supposed to
| contain goods subject to duty is stamped
on it. The employees of the postoffice who
handle the mails aid in picking out par
GELS likely to contain dutiable articles.
An idea of the task of the customs men
will be gained from few figures Of the
mail brought by the Servia from Liverpool
| few days before Christmas. She carried
| about 1850 pouches, containing in the
| neighborhood of 10000 letters. papers.
parcels, etc. This was the largest amount
ever brought to this port by vessel
CERTAIN PARCELS PICKED OUT.
Long practice has made the men skillful
in picking out the parcels with dispatch.
About 5000 suspicious looking letters. etc,
were taken in hand by the customs officers.
Of this number perhaps 90 per cent. con-
tanned books or printed matter which NAV
under the law be imported through the
mails. These, except the few which are
sealed and therefore subject to letter rates
are sent to the big room of the customs
bureau on the fifth floor of the postoffice
building, together with the other unsealed
parcels. y force of men at once sets ia
work examining these packages, every
one of which is opened.
If the books are more than twenty wears
old, or printed in Il foreign language OF
addressed TO institutions of learning, they
are admitted free of duty and at once for.
warded. Newer ones are appraised by men
who have become experts at it. If the
books are consigned to places outside OF
this city they are sent to the postmaster OF
the town or city, with statement and
entry. and he collects the duty on them.
A favorite trick of would be smugglers
is to cut out the heart of a book and pack
contraband goods in it. A number of such
books have been confiscated. Some con
tanned valuable laces, others silk handker
| chiefs, gloves, jewelry and the like 1t i.
sheer nonsense to attempt this form oil
smuggling, because all books are exam
ined and the detection is certain.
The customs officials have an apparent
difficulty to face in the case of sealed par
cells supposed to contain dutiable goods
The law that sealed matter shall be opened
by no one except the person to whom it i,
addressed must be obeyed by the govern
ment employees as well as by other persons
| In fact, an infraction of it is punishable b,
| term of imprisonment. The custom,
people, however, get past this stone wal
easily. While they cannot open the scales
| letter or parcel they can compel the person
to whom it is addressed to open it in thei,
presence. This is just what is done. Tn,
postmaster sends notice to the person Il
| whom parcels for this city are addressed t.
call on Mr.. Burke, whose Office is on tn,
mezzanine floor of the postoffice building
and open the suspected piece of mail mat
ter. AS soon as the man opens it Mr.
Burke examines its contents, and if the,
| are dutiable and of more than triflins
value he has them appraised, either by on,