Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-11-06
'DODGING DUTIES.
Smuggling is Common Among
Transatlantic Passengers,
Women Are Chief Offenders
Against Custom Laws.

Against custom I2WS.
It would be difficult to convince the
staff of custom inspectors in this port
that the average European tourist
doesn't rely on paying the expenses OF
his trip out of the proceeds of a sue
cessful smuggling swindle on the gov
ernment. Never before in the history
offoreign travel, say the federal sleuths
has the practice been 80 general and
sudacious. The treasury department,
intent upon putting an end to the
frauds, has issued orders for universal
vigilance, and proposes to show no
mercy to offenders.
a remarkable feature of attempts at
smuggling during the last few weeks
/ Is the detection of rich smugglers.
Six men, each of whose fortunes is
Estimated at more than a million dol
lars, have been arrested and exposed
since the westward travel became
heavy. The pretext in each case has
been that the guilty person did not
Import the property for sale, or that
he had no idea he was violating the
law in not declaring his possessions.
"There seems to be an overpower-
ang fascination in cheating Uncle Sam,
despite the honest old gentleman's
present need ofrevenue, "said Inspect
Tor Brown, who, with his associate,
inspector Donohue, makes more ar
RESTS than all other agents combined.
The chief offenders against the GUS
toms laws are dressmakers and busi-
mess women. We estimate that three
quarters of the women who come into
Ethis port on transatlantic lines bring
lbdutiable goods which they do not
| declare.
"The VIZ hit of goods a woman
can carry about under her clothes is
astonishing. If the burden is very
heavy, she sometimes adjusts it with
straps over the shoulders Very often
1.-The goods found on one woman are all
Isthat one of the inspectresses can lift,
fland it is through the weary air of the
Esmuggler and her painful movements
II33that she becomes suspected. Beneath
lone woman's gown recently was found
ian entire suit of clothing for her hus-
Isband.
..In trunk smuggling the methods
! y are unique and varied. Women fold
children's dresses within their own
and line cheap skirts with costly bro
cades and velvets. False bottoms are
fitted in trunks, and jewelry and other
dutiable stuff is slowed among the ac-
cumulated wash. Sometimes an inner
trunk is fitted in, papered all over like
the other, and the space between the
two is filed with valuables.
"Persons who intend to attempt
smuggling are frequently too confiding
for their own welfare aboard ship, and
thus render their arrest easy. There
is 10 place where persons are SO guile
less and so ready to talk about their
private affairs. They little imagine
the resources of the customs service,
and know little who is in its employ.
Information of professional snug
glers and sometimes of amateurs if
also sent from special agents on the
other side. These agents have letters
of entree to the legation soirees, visit
shops and piers and acquire mass ol
information about goods purchased
and shipped which is cabled to the au'
thorities in this city. Then the prop
erty of arriving passengers is scruti
nized, the declarations are examined
and compared and frequent exposures
result"
The customs inspector labors under
great difficulty in that blundel
may cost him his position. Very few
mistakes are made, because the man
ner. in which q suspected person re-
ceives an interrogation usually de
cides beyond doubt whether he bt
innocent or guilty. If he laughs and
willingly agrees to be searched he ii
generally innocent. The old offender
invariably fawns upon the inspector
and endeavors to win his favor ane
clemency. If q woman and she looks
frightened, cries and storms and say
it is an outrage and she won't adml
to it, put her down, says the inspect
ors, as q guilty novice. New Yorl
Herald.
The Climax of a Coon Hunt.