The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-23

mise, ana the goods are conAscated and
sold. he receives s per cent Of the pre-
csedx.
Purchaser. Are Watched.
The purchaser Of precious stones abroad.
In any considerable quantity. should con-
slider himself under watch from the time
he buys the gems until he has go;
them through the custom house on this
side. Even then, n they have been snug
gled. ne is not safe. as will be explained
presently. On board the steamship com
ing over any OF the employees is likely 10
BE- spy-not necessarily In the employ OF
the government. but looking out for a
reward In case Of obtaining information
that may lead 10 the eonfscation OF con-
traband goods in the possession OF a pas
senger. Above all. the stewardess. for all
her kindly attentions and the tips be-
slowed upon her. should be regarded with
suspicion. Long experience has made her
an expert in the detection OF smugglers
| and she Is more than apt TO be on terms
Of confidence with the officers on shore.
Not many years ago politician Of
prominence succeeded In smuggling 81, 100
worth OF diamonds through the New York
custom house, afterward selling them 10
lsh as 10 boast Of the exploit in a bar
room, and man IN the crowd sent a pri-
yate note on the subject to the authorities
The arrest OF the politician followed, and
he WIS compelled 20 disgorge In another
| instance boy on a transatlantic steam
| er overheard a similar brag made By a
| stranger. When he grew UP he became a
detective IN the United States Secret Ser
vice. and then he caused the mans arrest
Few people seem able 10 resist the
| temptation to boast Of such exploits Only
the other day lady in New York was
| obliged TO pay large sum TO the Treas
ury for withheld duties because she had
thought it safe to brag of a successful
| smuggling enterprise at a dinner party.
Cieverest People in the World.
we deal with the cleverest people in
the world" said a customs officer the
other day, speaking of smuggiers. They
are always inventing new tricks. and as
fast as we learn them they devise fresh
| ones with which to beat US" Employees Of
! these steamship companies often do SNUG
Cling on their own account. Only short
time ago an importer of gems In Cinein-
natl made an arrangement with the can
tain Of a passenger steamer for the de-
livery at Philadelphia Of a package for
him containing $500 worth Of diamonds
Advance Information on the subject reach
ed the authorities by some underground
route, customs officer boarded the ship
when she arrived and bluffed the captain
INTO giving up the gems, the result being
that the importer was sentenced to the
penitentiary. 1t Is not often, however,
That such haul is made, owing 10 the
Wit NH fr1
concealed.
Diamonds have been often concealed In
cakes OF soap on the voyage across the
ocean. and there is record of a maid ser
want accompanying a wealthy mistress
on the trip who slyly robbed a candy box
OF chocolate cream drop and found on
biting IL that IL contained a three-carqt
diamond. A hollow cane belonging TO an
| enterprising speculator is said 10 have
made twelve successful transatlantic
Journeys, coming back each time with a
LOAD OF precious stones, but the owner
would not trust il for = thirteenth at
tempt, and so bought a new one, The
glass grapes that adorned one Woman's
nat were found TO have valuable gems in
lhein' though il would never have been
| suspected II she had not betrayed her
sen by nervousness regarding that arti-
Gle OF her apparel, and in another instance
d number Of good-sized diamonds were
discovered behind a porous plaster which
oIiidhiehted a smuggler's chest
All Sorts OF schemes.
Bustles, when they were in fashion
were favorite hiding places for iaIve;s
Hollow heels of shoes, bicycle tires han
dies or shaving brushes, cork legs false
calves, and dolls have been similarly en-
ployed one ingenious person removed
the powder from behind the bullets in a
number of revolver cartridges, putting
diamonds in the cavities they made, while
| another, when being searched on board.
snip, dropped small fortune i'm gems
INTO Inc water pitcher without being OBJ
served atterward going back and recoV-
erlhg them. Less well authenticated IS
the story OF a pet pelican which concealed
fuDles In Its pouch. One woman borrowed
the jacket OF a steerage passenger; after
"ard she returned ii, but bought il again
from lis owner for a high price 1t was
then full of jewels. The Bible of a solemn
visaged and white-whiskered clergyman
was found TO be hollow and filled with
contraband merchandise
one smuggler, with a scheme of his
own, would take a staterOom at Liver
pool tuck a lot of diamonds under the
| carpet. and leave them there when he
got off the ship at New York, after en-
gaging the same room TO go back on the
next trip. When he went on board. on say
ing farewell TO his family, he put -he
gems quietly into their hands. OF
course, they Were not subjected to any
search, and so the stones got through all
right. In another case ehambermaid
on steamer took down a golf stick from
the wall of a stateroOm occupied by a
young man. who snatched il from her
hand, crying: How dare your Then he
recollected himself, and said: Excuse me-
l was dreaming, and thought you had
taken the stick to murder me-" Natural
| ly, this struck the chambermaid as rather
| queer; she told the stewardess, and the
result was the discovery Of $4,000 worth
% uncut diamonds inside OF the golf
|