Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1900-11-23
tMueeLlNe DEVICES. u
Cu.so.a y .:sc> ~ ~ Tied by Isgenious In
Nent.on..


ca.,osa - ..ie>rs arird by IaEenious In
N.nt.ons.
Few evidvGccs OF human ingenuity
are more interesting than the devices
invon.,d almost every day to battle
the detective skill OF officers OF Gus
toms The smuggler Ia nowhere more
wide awake team IN the United States.
whore he Is Mt least a match for his
enemies OF the customs. and there are
few days when he does not succeed
In cheating them out of a few thou
sand dollars.
His chief object is to evade the
duty imposed on imported diamonds
and he has many ways OF doing tins
successfully. By several ingenious de-
vices he can 'sguise the value or the
diamonds he Imports, so that stones
which are worth 800 or $3.50 carat
lose at least half their value and
are assessed for duty at the lower rate.
Thus. instead OF paying $4,000 duty on
o 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
ne gives each stone thin coating
on the back of brown or yellow var
nish. thus giving the purest white
stones n yellowish tinge. and reducing
their apparent value by SO TO 10 per
cent. Another successful plan is to
subject the stones TO heat until tho
brilliant surface is clouded and takes
on a dull. grayish appearance.
The valuable stones, thus deprived
OF their lustre. are mixed with n num-
Der or diamonds OF the poorest quality
and the entire parcel is passed as rub
bishs" at value OF $4,000 or $4,000
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 smuggler is little. IL at
all. behind his American rival In In
genuity. and his devices, on the evil
dence OF M. Camille Simon. are wor-
thy OF the most crafty Chinaman. A
short time ago n brougham. with an
Imposing coachman I'm livery, and con-
veying what appeared to be an invalid
gentleman. was stopped at the Porto
Dauphine. The brougham had passed
II the same hour every day for montha
until at last suspicion was aroused.
On investigation the customs officers
found that the invalid gentleman was
zine dummy. and that the brougham
was full OF ingenious receptacles for
he smuggling OF alcohol.
Not long before the authorities re-
ceived secret information that on n
certain day n wedding party would en-
ter Paris by one OF the gates. and that
IL might be worth while to subject II
TO scrutiny. On the day and at the
hour Indicated a long file OF landaus
was seen approaching the gate. The
first carriage contained the blushlng
bride and bridegroom, and the other
carriages were crowded with wedding
guests In uproarious spirits becom-
Ing TO the occasion.
The procession was stopped at the
gate, 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
oven more full OF spirits than the we'd
ding guests themselves. In the hollow
shafts. seats and even In the harness
were concealed 200 iiters of pure alco-
hol. Eandaus and guests continued
their journey with sadly diminished
spirits.
The Smugglers' Museum at the Ho-
tel de Villa. Paris. is full of the most
extraordinary devices for defraudinR
the revenue. Nothing IL sacred TO the
smuggler, as iP proved by a collection
Of mortuery wreaths. each OF which Is
q cunningiy devised receptacle for
spirits. False busts. hips. legs and alb
domena have all held contraband
goods; there is a mason's nod hollow
ed for their concealment, hollow axles
wheels, shafts. advocates cases books
lin fact, almost every device that
practiced ingenuity can suggest
The most Dmusing attempt 10 cheat
the customs. according to M. Simon
was made by two men disguised as
countrymen. One evening three men
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 the
spectacle, began to chaff the drunken
men. and one OF them playfully CAV,
the middle man a dig in the ribs
which. to the officers amaZement, caus
ed the man no collapse and his com
panions to bolt In alarm. The caus,
Of their flight was quickly apparent
for the drunken man was of India rub
Der. and his intoxication was sufii
GENTLY explained by the fact that h,
was full TO the crown of his heaC
with pure alcohol.-New York Times.