Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1900-12-07
SMUGGLING DEVICES.
Custom omcers Halted by Ingenious In
ventions-


Few evidences OF human ingenuity
are more interesting than the devices
invented almost every day to battle
the detective skill OF officers of Gus
toms. The smuggler Is nowhere more
wido awake than In the United States.
whore he Is at least n match for his
enemies OF the customs. and there are
few days when he does not succeed
In cheating them out OF n few thou
sand dollars.
His chief object is to evade the
duty imposed on imported diamonds,
and he has many ways OF doing this
successfully. BY several ingenious de-
vices he can 'isguise the value OF the
diamonds he imports. so that stones
which are worth 500 or $3.50 carat
lose at least half their value and
are assessed for duty at the lower rate
Thus. Instead OF paying $1,000 duty on
parcel OF diamonds he escapes with
q payment OF $4,000.
The smuggler's principal device is TO
mount his diamonds in rings and
brooches; but before mounting them
he gives each stone thin coating
on the back OF brown or yellow var
pish. thus giving the purest white
stones q yellowioh tinge. and reducing
their apparent value by so to 20 per
cent Another successful plan ia to
subject the stones TO heat until the
brilliant surface ~ clouded and takes
on dull. grayl sh appearance.
The valuable stones. thus deprived
OF their iustre. are mixed with a num-
Der OF diamonds OF the poorest quality
and the entire parcel is passed as rub
bish." at n value of $4,000 or Sit. 900
less than their actual worth. A little
polishing soon restores the burned
stones TO their original lustre with n
loss OF weight which bears no proper,
ton to the amount OF money saved In
duty.
The Paris smuggier is little. II nj
all. behind his American rival I'm In
genuity. and his devices. on the evil
dence OF Nj. Camille Simon. are wor-
thy OF the most crafty Chinaman. A
abort time ago brougham. with an
imposing coachman IN livery, and con-
veying what appeared TO be an invalid
gentleman. WAS stopped at the Porto
Dauphino. The brougham had passed
At the same hour every day FOR months
until At last suspicion was aroused.
On investigation the customs officers
found that the invalid gentleman was
zinc dummy. and that the brougham
was full OF ingenious rcccptaclcs for
be smuggling OF alcohol
Not long before the authorities re-
ceived secret Information that on n
certain day wedding party would en-
tor Paris by one OF the ties and that
Il might be worth while TO subject it
TO scrutiny. On tho day and at tho
hour indicated Il long file OF landaus
was seen approaching the gate. The
hrst carriage contained the blushing
bride and bridegroom. and the other
carriages were crowded with wedding
guests IN uproarlous spirits becom-
Ing to the occasion.
The procession was stopped at the
cato. In spite OF the indignant protests
OF the guests and the tears OF the
bride, and n thorough search resulted
In the discovery that the landaus were
even more full OF spirits than the we'd
ding guests themselves. In the hollow
shafts. seats and even In the harness
were concealed $50 liters of pure alco-
hol. bandaus and guests continued
their journey with sadly diminished
spirits.
The Smugglers' Museum nj the Ho-
tel de villa. Paris. is fun Of the most
extraordinary devices for defraudins
the revenue. Nothing is sacred 10 tho
smuggler. as Is proved by C. 'cctiou
Of mortuary ~reaths. each OF ~ ch ia
cunningly devised receipt, .e for
spirits. False husts. hips. !ogs and ab-
domens have all held contrnband
goods; there is n mason's hol hollow
ed for their concealmcnt. hollow axles
/ wheels. shafts. advocates cases. hooks
I'm fact. almost every devic' that
practiced ingenuity can suggest
The most SmusinR attempt 10 cheat
the customs, according 10 NJ Simon
was made by two men disguised as
eOuntTymen. One evening three mer
were seen approaching the Menilmon.
tant barrier. uproarIously drunk. The
middle man. who was unable TO walk
was supported by HIS two companions
scarcely less drunk than himself.
The customs officers. amused at tn,
spectacle. began TO char the drunken
men. and one OF them playfully CAV,
the middle man q dig In the ribs
which. to the officers amazement, caus
ed the man no collapse and his com
paEions TO bolt in alarm The caus,
of their flight was quickly apparent
Tor the drunken man was OF India rub
Der. and his intoxication was SUN
ciently explained by the fact that h,
was full to the crown OF his heaC
with pure alcohol.--New York Times.