Evening journal., 1899-08-12
WOMEN sMUGGLERS.
Not So Numerous as Formerly on
the Canadian Border.
Yet There Is Plenty OF work for the
secret Service Agents : How
They Try TO Dodge the
Customs Omcers.

10 n very large extent lO-OUN. IhCIc -
still plenty Of work for secret service
agents, but their duties constantly ac-
qunint them with new schools OF
crime Ships play much smaller part
directly. in smuggling than they used
TO. There is, dare say, more cheating
going on through the compact cubic
space OF lady's trunk than there is in
the holds of all the long, low, ralSish
craft or the successors of such craft,
Mt present doing business on our coasts.
The total capacity of all the women's
trunks landed from transatlantic
steamships is very great, much great
er than it used to be.
"The Canadian border offers some
special advantages for the gentry who
match their wits against the collectors
of revenue and the special agents of the
treasury The character of the goods
smuggled across the Canada line is fa-
vorable TO the smugglers. too. Horses
and cattle are easily transported, for
they carry themselves, and who is to
notice if they cross the imaginary line
between Uncle Sans domain and the
land Of the Canucks while grazing along
the border and then fail to return 90
their former stables? Or, who is TO
know it if live stock is driven along lit
tle-frequented roads until the border is
crossed and the goods are delivered to
willing and INSCRIPTIONS cooperators
on the American side?
"But your real, up-to-date smuggler
is, am sorry to say, woman. She
would be grossly offended if she were
described as a criminal at all, except in
the opinion of officers who have become
testy and cynical by long observation.
or course, / don't mean to say that men
do not smuggle goods by means of their
personal baggage when returningfrom
abroad, but really the most cheerful,
mutter-of-fact, yet ingenious, smuggler
is a woman, and the medium of her eva
sion OF the law is not the schooner or a
sloop, but trunk. If it is big Sara
toga trunk, so much the better. The
owner of the trunk or trunks may be
the most conscientious person in the
United States, and she may be pane
tilious In all matters of ethical observ-
ance which go to make up everyday
living in the city of New York and other
respectable communities, but she
doesn't mind bribing customs inspee-
Tor with five dollars for the purpose of
having her new Paris gowns passed
duty free. Respectable women have
been arrested for that sort of thing be-
fore now, although that is not com
mon occurrence, and they have invari-
ably been shocked and even indignant
/ that the law should call such things by
offensive names.
II have no doubt that the government
still loses many thousands Of dollars a
year on account Of dishonest entries
of goods in passengers baggage. Tie
matter has recently been revived by the
preferring of charges against mum
ber of inspectors at the port Of New
York by Collector Bidwell. A man who
was collector at the port Of New Yorl
not many administrations ago told me
that the public, even the treasury de
partment, does not realize the diiIicul
ties to be contended with in regard tc
passengers baggage at that port. i'
said TO me:
Not longago most respectable anC
well-to-do lady of my acquaintance II
New York came to my Office and sai'
that she had just returned from abroad
Then she stated the business that calle'
hertomy Office. Shehad purchased Will
!, in Europe a number of expensive gown
b and some gloves and lace. The tota
vVlue of the goods was perhaps sl,50C
Then she remarked in the most matter
of-fact way that she supposed tn
dresses and things could be brought il
without any charges" and asked m
II / would mot do her the favor OF look
ing personally after her baggage.
( had had less experience than have ha
? since, and I was thunderstruck. A
= soon as l got over the state Of rattle
? into which she had thrown me ! mar
aged TO say that ! was bound yer
strictly by the law and that / could nc
oblige her. Well, she was in hut
though her good breeding caused he
TO show it simply by a rather COZ
good-morning and an air of havin
z been disobhged by somo one who ougi
81 TO oblige her. She has never recovere
from that interview, as I judge by h'
manner when I occasionally meet h'
now. and neither have /, but our point
, OF view in the matter are apparent
o as far apart as ever
: Now, this woman would have offere
n a customs inspector five or Ten dc
y lars II she hadn't happened to kno
It the collector as a personal acquain
a ance, and the act wouldn't have tro'
5. bled her conscience a bit more. IT
, lcrusade against the dishonest custom
inspectors is now on in earnest, b
3 the abuses are n hard matter TO de
4 with. The inspectors get only four dc
Z lars a day, and there is a lot of tempt
e .jon for them, and besides, some
h these inspectors, together with MAJ
g other citizens, believe it is all right
Is cheat the government" IN. Y. Sun.
D. He Knew.