The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-31
ShDGaERS ARE FEN
Never a Time When Their
Calling Was So Hard.
SOME TRICKS OF TRADE
Ministers Confession and a
Prima Donna'S Scheme.

time in this country when systematic
Ismugghng was so difficult as it is now.
Insignificant amounts of contraband
goods are probably brought in constantly
by tourists and employees of steamers
and railroads, but when the volume OF
such importations becomes sufficient 10
attract notice in the channels Of trade
investigation soon discovers the culprit
A smuggler once detected must abandon
this calling, for the stoek-in-trade Of a
professional smuggler in his power to
travel without exciting suspicion.
An illustration of the way systematic
smuggling works out its own supp. ession
is to be seen IN the arrest year or two
ago of a deckhand On a German steamer,
who had been bringing small quantities
of phenacetine into the country without
paying duty. He disposed of the stuff to
a saloonkeeper OF Hoboken, who had the
more difficult task of finding a market
for 1t.
| a young man was found who undertook
to sell it TO retail druggists in this city.
He was successful in many instances.
One wholesale drug house had the Aneri
can agency for the goods at the time.
! Their orders suddenly fell off in certain
quarters of the city, and their statesmen
began an investigation. The end was
swift The young man who sold the
goods was arrested and confessed. The
| deckhand was arrested when next he
| stepped ashore in this country, and the
business was broken up.
II is not always so easy to detect the
smuggler, however, even when his guilt
and identity are morally certain. A Gus
tom house officer of many years expert
ence relates a story of not very long ago
to show this.
The jewelers. of this city complained that
certain men were disposing of diamonds
at prices possible only by importing them
duty free. The government set its foreign
agencies at work TO unravel the mystery,
| and one day a cablegram came from
Paris notifying the inspectors of the Gus
tom house that the cuiprt was coming as
a cabin passenger on a certain liner with
the usual consignment of gems, which he
would undoubtedly neglect to declare.
Two inspectors were sent to quarantine
to board the vessel and apprehend the
smuggler. This they did. They found him
! to be d Frenchman who would easily pass
for a gentleman. He was indignant He
protested. He explained that this was his
first trip TO this country. He was coming
here, he explained, to go into business.
He had no dutiable goods in his
possession.
Despite his protests he was thoroughly
searched. His baggage was searched
Everything in his stateroom was searched.
The soap on his washstand was cut in
two. His mouth was examined. But the
diamonds could not be found He pro
fessed the grea test disgust at his reception
and declared that he would not come to
such a country. He refused to go ashore
and re-engaged passage back to France
in the same stateroom.
Some of his friends in this city called
on him on board and tried to shake his
resolution. 1t was in vain. He sailed
away again. But the diamond market
was affected Immediately thereafter by
large amount of cheap diamonds.
Thoroughly chagrined and angry, the in
spectors subsequently captured the same
man with unmistakable evidence of his
guilt, and, while awaiting sentence, he
confessed to them how he had managed
to outwit them He had bored a hole in
the wall Of his tateroom and suspended
the gems by a string between the wood
work and the iron plates Of the hull. The
hole ne had filed during the voyage with
wax and had painted it over so skillfully
that the spot was indistinguishable from
its surroundings. While under surveil-
lance ne had not disturbed the hiding
place, but in the confusion of sailing he
bcH yt-ito nd tEa lar nd MI
them in the hands of pretty French
woman who had called with others of his
friends here TO bid him goodbye.
Women often mako expert smugglers.
The customs inspectors Will not soon for
get Nine. Leonie Jouvin, the opera
singer" 1t was during the time when
tools Of trade" were admitted duty free,
and operaic and theatrical stars were
allowed TO bring in their costumes for use
on the stage as tools OF trade. Mime.
Jouvin was an extremely beautiful woman
and she made a sensation on the steamer
on which she came over by her nagnifi-
cent costumes and her sprightliness and
wit. All the passengers understood that
she came over under six months con
tract with Maurice Grau. and when the
inspectors came aboard the steamer they
were completely fascina ted by the tai /
ented woman. She took the trouble 70
show them her contract with Mr.. Grau /
although Il was scarcely necessary. The /
contract was an elaborate one AMI de- |
tailed not only how much salary ZINE. /
Jouvin was to receive as primz donna. |
but also what hotel accommodation she |
would have and the number 90 attendant I
10 wait on her al the opera house
The facts were, OF course, reported 20 .
the chief OF the department who hap
pened 70 be a personal friend " Mr. GEau, 1
end, meeting that gentleman the same 4
evening. Congratulated him uooa MS &C 1
QUESTION OF a new and brilliant star. Ar 4
Grau vas nonplusssd.
~ have not engaged new prirna 4
donna he replied.
Investigation proved that The supposed !
priala donna was New York city d.e@s-
maker. and that her magnificent COS
TUNES Esre her stock 81 DRESSES pur-
chased for many fashionable customers.
Trey we're promptly seized and the woman
was arrested.
Many persons have strange sen5nezs
fo- smuggling, who IN al other respects
are apparently honest and respectable
N-. D. J. PHELPS q the law department
Of the custom house vas visited some
tine ago bv = proraIreu. New York clergy
nan. who seemed - &c lzbo-Ing und
great excitement he asked fo- private
interview. and insisted u011 h2s1ng the
doors locked Then re uabattoneA his
coat and s5reaA OFT quantity g lac