Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-15
SMUGGLING IN MAINE.
Thousands of Dollars Of Revenue
Lost to Uncle Sam.
Needs Of the Service on Froniier-how the
Smusslers Work.

! PORTLAND, May lI.-When the sands o
mans political life have almost run out
and when his successor has been appointe,
and confirmed he is not likely to sugges
that it would be well to aid to the numbe
of places to be filed by bis political enc
! mics, and yet that is just what Deputy Col
, lec,or W. +. jerks of Houlton is inclined
to do.
/ For some time past he has been trying t.
solve the problem of how to stop smuggin!
On the border from New Brunswick I,
| Maine, and has reached the conclusion tina
here must be more officers.
II suppose he said, that to actual,
stop ii the government would be compelled
to station an army on the frontier"
The Aroostook collection district extend,
for 200 miles along the border and te
watch that long line of territory the United
| States has but seven officers, and the dep
uty collector is inclined to believe tina
there is at least man on each side of The
| line for every mile of frontier who is en-.
gagged directly or indirectly in smuggling
| goods over the border into the United
States
Their district is not so located as to make
il paying business for the smugglers u
take many dry goods over the border, bu
| they do n land office business when il
comes to smuggling liquors. Mr.. Jones es
| Inmates that the government loses S2j day
every day in the year on liquors alone
The duty on proof spirits is about $3.50 8
gallon, and it pays for the smugglers to
take some risks, and as a matter of fact the
| risk is not so very great considering the
possible chance for profit.
A great many horses are taken over the
border, and it is hard for the officers tc
stop the practice, for horse not only
! assists in smuggling himself over, but he
frequently takes the smuggler out of theiI
reach.
Commencing at the lower end of oul
district" said Mr.. jerks, "for the first l0C
miles there is a road from the United States
into New Brunswick on an average every
three miles, or more than 30 in all, and il
is of course impossible for the officers to
watch them all.
above that point the st. John river is
the boundary, and the frequent ferries and
the numerous small boats enable the
smugglers to take over much valuable
property. A good deal of the liquor passes
over that way.
''Then there are the liquor stores on OF
near the line. We can't watch them all,
and it is easy to take over bottle or two
at a time
THE line stores also give the officers a
great deal of trouble. For example there
is store that is on the Maine side but with
an addition over the line.
"A New Brunswick man drives up to the
addition, and sells load of oats The
business is all done in New Brunswick, and
the oats are deposited on the New Bruins
wick side.
Then a few hours later Maine man
drives up to the same store, and buys a load
of oats. The business is all done on the
American side, and il is almost out of the
question to prove there has been any SNUG
Cling going on. The officers may believe
SO, but it would require Il constant watch to
show that they were right.
Then the crime of smuggling consists in
bringing something over the border. The
man who hires another to do it cannot be
convicted of smuggling. but may be of re-
ceiying.'
Grand lake, considerable body of water
in Orient township, is believed by Mr..
jerks to be the scene of u great deal of un-
detected smuggling. He does not take
much stock in the story that there are
places in the woods at various points fitted
up as depots for the smugvled goods.
The farmers who own farms partly in
Maine and partly in New Brunswick give
the officers world of trouble. Their farm
buildings are part on one side of the line
and part on the other, and it is very hard
to make a case against them.
.Are the smugglers as a rule desperate
men" was asked
Not at all, said Mr.. jerks. People
on the border do not look upon smuggling
as crime, and men who will not violate
any other law will that
.HOur force is entirely inadequate. From
ffoulton to the south end of our district we
have not single officer, and there is moth
ing to prevent goods being taken over til
line and shipped from Danforth, and | have
no doubt that many thousands of dollars
worth is sent over that way.
Our force is also badly scattered. We
have three men at Houlton. From Houl-
ton to Bri1gewater, where we have our
next officer, is - miles from there to Fort
Fairfield, 30 miles from there to Van Blu
ren 20 miles and the next officer is stationed
at Fort Kent.
"If we had three or four guarded sta
tions, well located it would help us greatly.
Perhaps that would he as well as it would
to add 25 men to the force
Mr.. jerks has a good deal of faith in
good detective work by officers who are
strangers to the people. All the local men
aye known, and when they atart out there
are plenty 10 pass the word.
Nothing could better illustrate the fac,
that the people along the line do not re-
gard smuggling as a crime than the state
ment of Mr.. jerks. that the most noted
alleged smuggler on the border, the man
| who once shot a [ nited states deputy mar
shal. wounding him badly. is not arrested
but goes out among his fellow citizens a,
will.
Mr., jerks is of the opinion that it would
be bad blow to the smueglers if the gov
ernments on both sides of the line would
agree to make the land, for say four rod.
from the line, public property forbiddine
the erection thereon of any buildings
That would do away with the stores on the
line itself.
The great port of entry of all that section
is in another district, at Vanceboro, where,
in the opinion of Mr.. jerks, there should
be very decided increase in the number
of L United States officers.