Evening journal., 1899-07-22
WOMEN SMUGGLERS.
Not So Numerous as Formerly on
the Canadian Border.
Yet There Il Plenty of Work for the
secret Service Agents = How
They Try 10 Dodge the
Customs Omcers.


TO a very large extent to-day. There is
Ftill plenty Of work for secret service
agents, but their duties constantly ac-
quaint 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 n lady's trunk than there is in
the holds of all the long, low, ral1ish
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 IA
vorable TO the smugglers, too. Horses
and cattle are easily transported, for
they carry themselves, and who is to
notice il they cross the imaginary line
between Uncle Sans domain and the
land of the Canucks while grazingalong
the border and then fail TO return TO
their former stables? Or, who is 10
know it Il live stock is driven along lit
tle-frequented roads until the border is
crossed and the goods are delivered to
willing and unscrupulous cooperators
on the American side?
ttItttt xrot,. ,saa1 ,rr, -4n-Iafa rs,,unr.rln,.
is, am sorry TO say, a woman. She
would be grossly offended IL she were
described as q criminal at all, except in
the opinion of officers who have become
testy and cynical by long observation.
OF course, l don't mean TO say that men
do not smuggle goods by means of their
personal baggage when returning from
abroad, but really the most cheerful,
matter-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 a trunk. II 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 pune
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 n 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.
81 have no doubt that the government
still loses many thousapds Of dollars q
year on account of dishonest entries
of goods in passengers baggage The
matter has recently been revived by the
preferring of charges against num-
Der of inspectors at the port Of New
York by Collector Bidwell. a man who
was collector at the port of New York
not many administrations ago told me
that the public, even the treasury de-
partmept, does not realize the difficult
ties TO be contended with in regard 10
passengers baggage at that port. lie
said to me;
Not lOngago amost respectable and
well-to-do lady of my acquaintance in
New York came TO my Office and said
that she had. just returned from abroad
Then she stated the business that called
her tony office. Shehad purchased while
in Europe n number of expensive gowns
and some gloves and lace. The total
value of the goods was perhaps 81 800
Then she remarked in the most matter
offact way that she supposed tn,
J dresses and things could be brought in
without any charges" and asked m,
II / would not do her the favor Of look
ing personally after her baggage.
had had less experience than have hat
since, and / was thunderstrucl,. Al
soon as / got over the state Of rattlei
into which she had thrown me man
aged 10 say that i was bound yer,
strictly by the law and that / could no
oblige her. Well, she was in q huff
though her good breeding caused he
to show it simply by rather coo
B good-morning and an air of having
11NA Aio'hliktA ~ NNlAI 1nS MAlb NuB II
3 TO oblige her. She has never recovered
. from that interview, as ! judge by he
. manner when ! occasionally meet he
now, and neither have ]. but our point
of view in the matter are apparent.
as far apart as ever
"Now, this woman would have oiiere
} a customs inspector five or ten do
lars If she hadn't happened TO lsno'
the collector as a personal acquaini
= ance, and the act wouldn't have tror
bled her conscience a bit more. TIL
: crusade against the dishonest custom
= inspectors is now on in earnest, br
the abuses are a hard matter 10 de1
! with. The inspectors get only four do
q lars a day, and there is a lot of tempt;
! .tion for them, and besides, some {
n these inspectors, together with man
It other citizens, believe il is all right I
k cheat The government."-N. Y. Sun.
ID He Knew.
Singleton-Do you agree with Il
doctors who consider kissing DANCE