The morning times., 1896-09-13
BIG TEN MILLION
DOLLAR ROBBERY
The Annual September Smuggling Of Jewels and
Silks Was Never So CleverIy Done as Now.
BICYCLE TIRES STUFFED WITH DIAMONDS
The Handles of Golf Sticks Filled With Them and
Canes Open to Suspicion
RUBBER PILLOWS FILLED WITH HAVANAS
lie TIRES STUFFED WITH DIAMONDS


! in bis stateroom. One day some one pro-
| posed q bicycle ride on deck and begged
the gentleman to try the experiment, say
! ing he had read that il could be eDjoyably
done.
The ''geutlemaD,' who up to this time
had been a willing participant of all the
ships sports, made some excuse. Then
will you allow me to borrow your Wheel
ventured one OF the gentlemen. i have a
curiosity to try the experiment.
The owner OF the wheel flushed, STAN
mered out something and went below.
This incident passed unnoticed with he
passengers, but it impressed a sailor, who
reported it to the custom house. When the
gentleman stepped off with the bicycle
some one quickly unscrewed the valve and
let the air out of the pneumatic tire. H.
! stantly it bumped down upon the rim lumpy
and hard. II was filled with diamonds.
NEW GOLF GAME.
Another new trick was played on us
this year with a golf stick, and. like he
bicycle, it was discovered accidentally.
A sportsinanlike young fellow took
modest stateroom, and mingled freely
with the passengers, invariably appear
ing in q costume that suggested the
. young man OF leisure, with outdoor pro-
clivities. One day chambcrniaid en-
tered his statcroom to close the port
hole. The young man was lying reading
upon his couch. The girl lifted down
golf-stick and reached for the swinging
window. With a cry the young man
sprang to his feet How dare you?' he
cried snatchipg the stick T ON her hands.
Then, recollecting himself. he passed it off
nonchalantly. Il must have been dream
ing. II thought you had taken up the
stick toto murder me-
Queer thought the maid, and more
than queer, thought the stewardcss, who
put it down in her log-book to read to
the custom house officer as one of the
peculiar incidents Of the voyage. Queer
enough TO investigate, thought he. and
queer, indeed, il turned out later, when
$50, 900 worth of uncut gems rolled out OF
the handle of the stock.
I'VE are up Oh one little trifie," said
the custom house man, '.and thatis the re-
turn trip racket. Examination of goods Is
made only at this end of the voyage, you
know A man can board, the ship with a
cool million in valuables, but the trouble
is that he can't get off with them
''The return trip racket helps him aniaz-
ingly. A man takes a stateroom at Liver
pool and gees aboard with as many dia-
monds as lie can afford to buy. These he
tucks under the carpet OF his room and
leaves them there He gets off the ship
at New York and goes home, after stopping
toengage the same statcroom for a return
trip. When he starts back his family goes
aboard to see him off, and while he kisses
them he presses into their hands the dia-
monds that have laid under the carpet the
few days the ship lay In port.
A WEALTHY PATIENT.
1.-The porus plaster, with a nice little
flat packet of diamonds. is still worked
op US. We had suspicious man last week
and insisted a our own risk upon searching
him. He was perfectly willing. Upon his
back was porus plaster of extra size.
slapped 1t, but there were DO Jumps within.
AS fingered the edges of the plaster
noticed that the man grew nervous. 1
pulled up one end quickly and saw the
game! \ ragged thread protruded. Further
under in little roll We're twenty yards
Of finest point lace, narrew. but almost
priceless. suspected him because he had
so little return baggage. Every tourist had
trunk. He carried only a bag.
1--WE had a wealthy woman traveller who
used to go back and forth four times
year. We suspected her, because from in
quiries on land We found she had no VS.
ible means of income and knew no people
except tradesmen. We watched her on
these trips, but coul dfind nothngin Ii her lug
gage. To be sure of this We had inspectors,
one after another, run through her trunk.
The bottom, sides and leather top wese
plugged, but nothing could We find. One
day female inspector called me. That