Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1900-11-02
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SMUGGLING DEVICES.

custom Omcers Banted by Ingenious Ip-
Few evidences OF human ingenuity
are more interesting than the devices
Invented almost every day to baffie
the detective skill OF officers OF Gus
toms. The smuggler is nowhere more
wide awake than In the United States,
where he Is at least a match for his
enemies OF the customs. and there are
few days when no 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 this
successfully. BY several ingenious de-
ytces be can cisguise the value OF 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 5000 duty on
o parcel OF diamonds he escapes with
y payment OF $500.
The smuggler's principal device u to
mount his diamonds In rings ind
brooches. but before mounting them
ne gives each stone thin coating
on the back of brown or yellow var
hish. thus giving the purest white
stones a yellowish tinge. and reducing
their apparent value by 90 TO 75 per
cont. Another successful plan Is TO
subject tho stones to heat until the
brilliant surface Is clouded and takes
on q dull, grayish appearance.
The valuable stones. thus deprived
~ their lustre. 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 sic. 900 or $l5, 900
less than their actual worth. A little
polishing soon restores the burned
stones to their original lustre with a
loss OF weight which bears no proper
lion to the amount of money saved In
duty.
The Paris smuggler ia little, II 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
bhort time ago a brougham. with an
Imposing coachman In livery, and con-
geying what appeared To be an invalid
gentleman, was stopped at the Porto
Dauphine. The brougham had passed
tt tho Same hour every day for months
until AZ 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 reccptacles for
she smuggling OF alcohol.
Not long before the authorities re-
eeiVed secret information that on n
certain day a wedding party would en-
ter Paris by one OF the gates, and that
Il might be worth while TO subject IL
To scrutiny. On the day and at the
hour indicated n long fle OF landaus
was seen approaching the gate. The
hrBt carriage contained the blushing
bride and bridegroom, and the other
Carriages were crowded with wedding
guests IN uproarious spirits bdcon-
Ing 10 the occasion.
The procession was stopped at tho
gate, in spite OF the indignant protests
OF the guests and the tears OF tho
bride. and n thorough search resulted
In tho 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 200 liters OF pure alco-
hol. Dandaus and guests continued
their journey with sadly diminished
spirits.
The Smugglers' Museum at the Ho-
tel dc villa, Paris. liz full Of the most
extraordinary devices for defrauding
the revenue. Nothing IN sacred TO the
smuggler, as In proved by a collection
OF mortuary wreaths. each OF which IL
p cunningly devised receptacle for
spirits. False busts. hips. legs and alb
domens have all held contraband
goods; there ia n mason's nod hollow
ed for their conceaiment. hollow axles.
wheels. shafts. advocates cases. books
lin fact. almost every device that
bracticed ingenuity can suggest.
The most amusing attempt TO cheat
the customs. according to M. Simon.
was made by two men disguised as
eountrymen. One evening three men
we're 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 tho
spectacle. began to chan the drunken
men, and one OF them playfully gave
the middle man n dig In the ribs,
which, to the officers amazement, caus-
ed the man no collapse and his COM
panions to bolt in alarm. The cause
of their fight was quickly apparent,
Tor the drunken man was OF india rub
Der, and his intoxication was SUM-
GENTLY explained by the fact that he
| Ras full to the crown of his head
! with pure alcohol.-New York Times.
|