Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-24
ACTIVE SJfJGGLERS.
European Visitors Make 1t Interest
ing for the Custom Inspector.


ing for the Custom Inspector.
From the Philadelphia Times.
1t is only by the exercise of the strictest
vigilance that smuggling is kept within
bounds. Even at the present time. after
years of experience. it is calculated that
one-kalf the number of women smugglers
are successful, and this in spite of the fact
that the government has agents across the
water who cable accounts of unusual pur-
chases Fy home-returning tourists to their
tellow-Officials in this country.
The officials of the steamer are also often
pressed into service, both for the informa-
ton they have overheard in conversation
and for the virtues OF their eyes. Not long
ago the ste@ardess of a steamer arriyn &
at-thls port warned the customs officers to
closely inspect the baggage of a certain
passenger for srnuggied goods. Diligently
the inspectors went through the mans lug
gage without discovering contraband ma
terlaL Ihey were about to give up in de-
spair, and haG concluded that the steward
ess was mistaken, when one of the men,
hitting up the passengers steamer rug,
snook II violently and detected a faint
rustic Within In moment the inspector
had his knife out and the rug was ripped
open, and there inside was neatly laid a
valuable silk dress pattern, which the
passenger was about to smugsle in. The
material, or course, was cOnfiSca ted. and
the passenger Obliged to return home TO his
Wife without her present from abroad.
one very clever method extensively prac-
tlced by sGHugsiers. which long deceived
the custom officials, was the conceaimcnt
OF diamonds and precious stones in the
hlSh heels of shoes or slippers. Equally
clever was the scheme of a western woman
To lnciOSe the jewels she wished to import
Guty free beneath mustard plaster she
wore. But alas, she overdid the matter,
and then came detection and tears.
Dressmakers commonly sew real lace of
on flannel petticoats, but they babble so
about il that the steamers stewardess
oVerhears, and then when port is reached
and seizure made, there is utter disnay
and wonder Ak How did they discover the
things? A lady who moves in high society
In her southern home. late return from
the continent, borrowed a Storage pass
enger's jacket on some pretext sewed il
full OF jewels the Jay before port was
reached and returned it. Then, after the
inspectors Were safely passed, she astonish-
ed the ignorant owner by her liberality in
purchasing it.
Goods valued at 81 800 were found on enc
unusually stout woman. Beneath her dress
was double skirt filled with switches of
costly hair, on her bodice were amber and
gold hair ornaments and her bonnet was
filled with pins. Her trunks had two bot
toms. and the space between was Well filled
with silks and laCes.
Men seem to be not sharp witted.
though they have been known to do some
very clever tricks. One progressive resi-
dent OF the country west of the Mississippi
for instance. bought two dogs very nearly
alike in the French capital. From one he
shaved the hair off the neck and body. the
other ne killed. He skinned the latter and
sflillfGlly tied the shaggy coat about the
GStonished live dog. being careful, however,
to inclOse several yards of valuable and
highly taxed laces. And enthusiastic
cyCler from Yankeeland filed the pneu-
matte tire of his wheel purchased in Eng
land for his personal use, of course. with a
fine grade of Turkish tobacco. The tires
were found to be firm in one place and hol-
low In another, SO the ruse failed.
The childlike and bland Cinnamon who
formerly arrived at San Francisco, cunning
ly. and for while successfully, fooled the
authorities 1t was at a time when the
duty on crude opium was 81 per pound.
Cinnamon were numerous, and so was a
peculiar style of high-backed chair which
they represented to be an heirloom, almost
sacred Tine officials were long puzzled.
They knew from the cheap rate at which
opium was being sold in San Francisco
that it was smuggled but they We're I'M
able to associate it with high backed
Chinese hcirlooms.
An fliiterate stevedore laid the scheme
bare one day. when his trunk came In vio-
lent contact with one of the relics. There
was q crash and then a diSmayed CHINA
man, for from without tine hollow rungs
and seat of his chair eighty pounds of
opium rolled
Bland smiles and high-backed chairs con-
tinued to arrive for a while, but the sad
news finally reached the coniding children
OF the howery kingdom. After that the
bland smiles came, but the high-backs and
the opium aforesaid remained at home.