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.

: w O1uCa l1lO Sh1O4 S4ASA1S~S
Against Custom Laws.
It would be difficult to convince the
staf 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
ceasful smuggling swindle on the gov
ernment. Never before in the history
offoreign travel, say the federal sleuths
has the practice been 30 general and
audacious. 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 million dol
lars, have been arrested and exposed
bince 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 Sart,
despite the honest old gentlerlan's
present need ofrevenue, said inspect
:or 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 busl-
ness women. We estimate that three
quarters of the women who come into
this port on transatlantic lines bring
5dutiable goods which they do not
declare.
"The w hit of goods a woman
ican carry about under her clothes is
astonishing. If the burden is very
heavy, she sometimes adjusts it with
straps over the shoulders Very often
the goods found on one woman are all
that one of the inspectresses can lift,
land it is through the weary air of the
ssmuggler and her painful movements
5that she becomes suspected. Beneath
zone woman's gown recently was found
ian entire suit of clothing for her hus-
band.
s .In trunk smuggling the methods
! 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 &C.
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 no 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 is
also sent from special agents on the
other side. These agents have letters
of entree to the legat4on soirees, visit
shops and piers and acquire mass OF
information about goods purchased
and shipped which is cabled to the au-
thorities in this city. Then the prop
erty of arriving passengers is scrutl-
nized, the declarations are examined
and compared and frequent exposures
result"
The customs inspector labors under
great difficulty in that q blunder
may cost him his position. Very few
mistakes are made, because the man.
ner. in which suspected person re-
ceives an interrogation usually de-
cides beyond doubt whether he be
innocent or guilty. If he laughs and
willingly agrees to be searched he is
generally innocent. The old offender
invariably fawns upon the inspector
and endeavors to win his favor and
clemency. If woman and she looks
frightened, cries and storms and says
it is an outrage and she won't admit
to it, put her down, says the inspect
ors, as o guilty novice. New York
Herald.
The Climax of q Coon Hunt.