Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1893-08-01
TRICKS or SMUGGLERS.
How Thoy Como It Over tha
Watchfel Customs Officers.
Precious stones Concealed In All Sorts OF
PInccs-Womcn Arc tho Host Dex-
trous In Escaping tho Pay
ment OF Eutics.


New York Recorder. 81 don't believe
the government gets tho duty on one
quarter of them that arc sold in this
country, after all the expense it goes
to in trying to suppress the business.
We have agents all over Europe. and
pay employees in the brokers' offices,
who give information of all sales to
people they do not know and those
smugglers whom they do know. Some
of the ships officers on every steamer
coming to this pert arc constantly on
the watch, and all that. But what's
the use if you can't find the goods on
them when they arc searched. Many's
the time I've been dead sure of ray man
and could swear he had the spar,llers
somewhere about hi1a when I Gcarchcd
him, but I've gone through everything
and cursed the rat to his face. bat it
was no use. Then other officers take
him up and keep their eyes On him as
long rs lie stays IL port, and they
really have a. better chance of finding
something, but they seldom do. Wo1n-
eli are generally the wort and most
dc-ltrou3 smugglcr5 of stones, on ac-
count OF having SO much UphOl3tcring,
but there arc not many women III the
business now. l don't know why, but
they seem to be leaving it. Diamonds
have been found al over women
scwed Up in seams, in hens and tuc!1s
and III corGct3, waists. wraps and lnutfs,
and 5ccrctcd in their hair. Eylich is q
fayoritC place. We have found them
il E2raSol5 and on the baby. in hats
and bOnil"tG. tied up in the corners of
handI5crc::i2f3 and wells, and even
woven into their carriers, besides in
everything you can thinl: OF il their
trunks, SONG Of which have false bot
toms. You may DC sure that when VIC
'oncc arc satisfied :c have caught
'sInrGGlcr VIC do not stop ut anything
in the way of scarchinG- VIC men
search the mon and there arc women
to search the females.
'Wly, we've found diamonds in UNI
brella sticks and in the heels of shoes,
i'll Covers Of books and behind coats
and pants buttons, in hollow rings and
in pewter cups with false lotions.
The round handle of n palIa leaf fan
was the fnvoritc hiding place for pre-.
ciou9 stones for some years, ard it was
4 long time before we caught one old
smuCClcr with q hollow crutch. One
old soldier OF the Crimcan war had an
artificial leg. and he couldn't get
enough diamonds to fiji The interior of
it so he filled the remaining empty
space with fine laccs TO keep the stones
from rafting and giving tho snap
away. One old codGcr used to work
the swcat-lcathcr of his hat with great
success, anti another always carried q
revolver of home manufacture loaded
with cartridges full of diamonds. An
other fellow Ind tho biggest hollow
tooth you ever cav and there was
always diamond in it nicely tucked
away and covered with wax when he
got on shore. Toe and finger nails
grown very extraordinarily long have
hidden precious stones fastened in with
fine silk threads, and sleeve buttons
have been brought into rcqrliSition
successfully in the smuggling Of dia-
mondS. You wouldn't think Of it, but
little terriers have been loaded down
with diamonds You've heard Of the
, four-and-twcnty black birds baked in 4
pic, of course, but yor never, probably,
heard OF diamonds baked in cake or
made into chewing gum and black
cough drops. You never heard of ci-
! gurS 'inlaid' with diamonds and other
! precious stones or of match boxes and
snuff and tobacco boxes with false
bottoms full Of them. / have. I've
%ound precious stones sccrctcd in
shawls and steamer rugs and once in
the hollowed-out legs of steamer
! chair Once found the silk cord that
! goes round the waist Of dressing.
gown filled with them and only discov.
cred it by n mere accident, as nearly
AL our discoveries arc made. One fcl.
i Tow had removed the works OF his
watch and thrown them overheard
otter Il" had Illed the case with volu,s.
. bic ru"i2H, and once a 1aly's bracelet
: contained fortT thousand dollars worth
of Spa. -:icra on ono voyage, and we
diln got onto IL until too late. "
Mr,u 'Tyrr~r T. cYy.,, ,..sz L.. ii