Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1900-09-13
SMUGGLING DEVICES.
Custom Officers BaffIed by Ingenious In
yentions.

| yentions.
Few evidences of human ingenuity
are more interesting than the devices
invented almost every day to bafhf
the detective skill of officers of Gus
toms. The smuggler is nowhere more
wide awake tran in the United States
where he is at 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 this
successfully. By several ingenious de-
vices be can disguise the value OF the
diamonds he imports, so that stones
which are worth 500 or $50 a carat
lose at least half their value and
are assessed for duty at the lower rate.
Thus, instead of paying $1,000 duty on
a parcel of diamonds he escapes with
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 a thin coating
on the back of brown or yellow var
stones yellowish tinge, and reducing
their apparent value by so to Is per
cent. Another successful plan is to
subject the stones to heat until the
brilliant surface IS clouded and takes
on dull, grayish appearance
The valuable stones, thus deprived
of their lustre, are mixed with a num-
Der of diamonds Of the poorest quality
and the entire parcel is passed as rub
bish," at a value of $4,000 or SIS 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
ton to the amount of money saved in
duty.
The Paris smuggler is little, if at
all, behind his American rival in in
genuity, and his devices, on the evil
dence of NJ. Camille Simon, are wOr
thy of the most crafty Chinaman. A
short time ago a brougham, with an
imposing cOachman in livery, and con-
veying what appeared to be an invalid
gentleman, was stopped at the Porto
Dauphine. 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
a zinc dummy, and that the brougham
was full of ingenious receptacles for
the smuggling of alcohol.
Not long EefOre the authorities re-
ceiVed secret information that on d
certain day wedding party would en-
ter Paris by one of the gates, and that
it might be worth while to subject it
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 bluShing
bride and bridegroom, and the other
carriages were crowded with wedding
guests IN uDToariOus spirits becOm
ing to the occasion.
The procession was stopped at the
gate, in spite CT the indignant protests
of the guests and the tears of the
bride, and 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. Landaus 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 defrauding
the revenue. Nothing is sacred to the
as is proved by a collection
of mortuary Wreaths, each Of which is
a cunningly devised receptacle for
spirits. False busts, hips, legs and alb
domens have all held cOntraband |
goods; there is masOn's nod hollow
ed for their concea1ment, hollow aXleS, |
wheels, shafts. advocates cases, books |
in fact almost every device that |
practiced ingenuity can suggest.
The most 2musing attempt to cheat |
the customs, according to NJ. Simon, |
was made by two men disguised as
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 gave |
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 cause |
Of their flight was quickly apparent,
for the drunken man was of India rub
Der, and his intOXicatiOn was Suf1i
GENTLY explained by the fact that he |
was full to the crown of his head |
with pure alcohol.-New York Times.
en-