The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1896-04-10
,SUJ GGLER.S TRICKS.

Diam, nds ale being Struggled into
his country at such a rate as to star
tie the Treasury officials. What to do
the Treasury does not exactly know.
in as much as this particular sort OF
fraud on the Government is almost
safe f.om detection.
Diamonds may be hidden in many
ways so as to escape suspicion by the
most vigilant custom in-pector. Wo-
men conceal them in their hair some
times. They have be di covered in
hollow bootheels, in cakes Of soap, in
lifle cartridges, and even between ii
porous plaster and the skin of the
wearer. They have been fed to a dog
before landing, the animal being sub
sequently killed AMI cut open. One
passenger swa lowed diam md worth
81 900, and a detective, having admin
tered an emetic was obliged to sit
down and wat.
The whole custom business may be
kened to financial institution that
is constantly under siege by people an
xlous to rob 1t Few people have any
scruples against chea'ing the Trea>u-
ry. No woman and sea, c-l Y any man
hesitates to beat the tariff if he or she
thinks he or she can do so wi hou be-
ing suspected. Inspectors are led 10
many discoveries by the nervousness
of ii nateur smuggltrs. Women engag-
ed in such enterprises, large OF small
very common y ''give themselves away
to the stewards or steWardnesses on
board ships. These empoye, S, no
matter b, W heavily feed are always on
The watch Of smugglers. Theil inter
est in passengers relat,s only to the
money they can get out Of them, and
they are sure of a substantial reward
in cash for every smuggler detected
through information given by them.
One of the customs off i Is, nov
stationed in Washington, tells a story
of lame man whom he met lille h.
Was on his way from Nova SEQ ia to
Boston on steamer. He chanc.d to
occupy stateroom with the lame man
The latter took off his cork leg when
he went to bed, and the other joked
him about the advantage Of being able
10 take off ones legs on retirin9. The
lame man replied that there was anoth
er advantage, and thereupon exhibited
the leg, which was hollow, and con-
tained $1,000 or $4,000 worth CT jew
elry. He explained that he was In the
jewelry BUSINESS. On arriving at Bos-
ton he went ashore with ragged hand
satchel and behaved quite lnsolenlly
TO the customs offlci Ills, throwing down
the satchel and saying that they may
look it over if they: wanted to. The
officers were disgu.ted, but they per-
mitted the fellow to limp away without
interference.
The same official tells anoth r story
about a wink that cost an inge nious in.
dlvidual $4,000. The smuggler had
arrived at New York, and her trunks
had been examined and marked as O.
X. He walked up the pier after them
and perfectly safe from detection,
seemingly. But an officer at the gatr
through which he passed saw him
wink his left eve. TINS wink, as mat
Of fact, was addressed; to partner who
was standing in some anxiety of mind
Oh the further side of the gate. 1t was
enough for the officer, who SAID I'M
mediately: ''Stop, sir? l want to look
at your trunks again.? He did so, and
found that one of them had false
bottom, beneath which 10000 worth
Of contraband goods were hidden.
They were confscated.
On one occasion the inspectors at
New York had news of brig that
WIS going to fetch large quantity of
smuggied cigars. When the vessel
arrived they went aboard of her and
made thorough search, but without
finding anything contraband. The
laugh was on them, and they had a
drink with the skipper before leaying'
But as one of them was gong up the
gagway he chanced to spy about halt
in inch of ribbon sticking out from
between two planks. This seemed odd
and deserving of investigation. One
of the planks was removed, aud so,
600 fine cigars were discovered C ire
fully hidden away between the plank
ing and the outer skin of tn, ship.
Nen York Journal.
"Ah-um-reallv, you will have to
excuse me, sa d the young man to
whom tn, young woman was about to
sell theee tickets for muSh and
milk supper 81 have pressing el,-
gagement'' And he passed on
Afew minutes later and few doors
further On she Saw him drive into Il
trousers-creased- while-vou-wait" es-
Enlistment.
ga pressing engagement she mus
ed. 81 wonder,' she continued. re-
lapsing from England into chimmie-
fadden-S'I wonder if he was ioshIng
me"