The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-23
WILEs OF DIAMOND sMUGGLERs
To Evnde the Frying Customs OH
cinls.


From the New York Tribune.
They were talking about the $4,000 dia-
mond smuggling case, and many curious,
bold and humorous cases of a similar ma
ture were recalled. One man who does
odd jobs at detective work in the large
department stores in the fall and winter
seasons, and has similar work in one Of
the Saratoga hotels in the summer. was
an interested listener until all had told
their stories, and then, taking the half
smoked cigar from his mouth, said:
Il know of a big case In which the man
who got the stuff past the customs Off
GERS was ignorant of the crime and never
made a cent by the operation.
1T is well known that nearly all the big
custom house seizures are the result of
tips given by enemies of the smugglers.
Letters with either no signature or with
manufactured names are sent to the Gus
toms authorities with the information that
John Smith or Mary Jones' passenger on
a certain vessel, should be watched for
diamonds, dress goods, laces or some
other valuable article which Smith or
Jones will try to get through without
paying duty. Several years ago a letter
of that kind was received and on the ar
rival of the steamer the man was seen
and his baggage was carefully searched
He had declared a few Swiss watches and
some other articles of jewelry, but denied
having anything else, and the closest
search failed to reveal anything further
"A few weeks later 1 heard the SEQUEL
TO the story, and that's the point l met
a man wnom l have known for years. Who
told me that he came over on the same
ship with a diamond smuggler, and that
he had helped do the job and the fact
worried him..
." We had taken the pilot aboard the
man said, and everybody was making
preparations for landing. l had only a
small trunk in my cabin, which was soon
packed. and went on deck TO get a
glimpse of the papers brought in by the
pilot. One of our passengers, an aldarly
German, whom 1 had met often in the
course of the trip, and who was known on
board for his fondness for pinoehle and his
queer English, sidled up to me, and we re-
manned together most of the time until we
went ashore. Just as we We're going he
handed me a couple of canes and an Old
umbrella, and asked me to carry them
as hore because he had 'Zu much baggage
"'Our baggage was examined and when
we reached the place beyond the custom
house line l happened to think that / had
left the canes and umbrella behind. I ran
back and found them on the floor in a bag
gage heap, the umbrella a little more bat
tered looking, than It had been. AS we
parted my German friend handed me enc
of the canes and said: Bring dot 10 my
hotel und l show you something" and he
gave me the name of a hotel in Fourth
avenue much frequented by Germans A
few laws later | called there and saw the
man. He was in high spirits, glad to see
me and to renew our friendship lie told
me that he would leave town the next
dav. but he would look me up when he
came again. l had already said goodby
when my host happened to remember
mat he wanted TO show me something. -
and he went to a corner Of the room and
brought out the battered umbrella
Gle unscrewed the little ivory handle
and showed me that the rod was a tube.
Then he took from an inner pocket a
leather wallet, opened it and took out a
number of tissue paper parcels, each one
Of which contained a number of diamonds.
The winks and smiles of the willy German
told the rest and / knew that / had car
ried ashore and came dangerously near
losing "a big consignment OF contraband
goods.
"A long time afterward Il became wen
| established in custom circles that the man
! with the Swiss watches and the man with
| The rickety umbrella We're one ana the
same. and that despite the information
given 20 the customs department the goods
/ came in free of duty"