The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-03-08
SMUGGLING DEVICES.
Queer Ways by Which Customs Of
ticers Are Evaded Successfully.
From tho New York Times.

From the New York Times.
Few evidences of human ingenuity
are more interesting than the devices
invented almost every day to battle tn:
| detective skill of officers of cutoms.
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 he does not succeed
in cheating them out of It few thous-
and dolars.
His chief object is to evadc the duty
| Imposed on imported diamonds, and ne
| has many ways of doing this sue
cessfully. By several ingenious de-
vices he can disguise the value of the
diamonds he imports, so that stones
| which are worth SlO0 or $3.50 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
u payment of $1,000.
The smuggler'S principal device is TO
mount his diamonds III rings and
brooches; but before mounting them
he gives each stone thin coating on
the back of brown or yellow Narnsh,
thus giving the purCst white stones
a yelluwish tinge and reducing their
value by 30 to- 80 per cent. Another
| successful plan is to subject the stones
to heat until the brilliant surface is
| clouded and takes on a dun, grgyish
appearance.
The valuable stones. thus deprived
of their luster. are mixed with a num-
Der of diamonds of the poorest quality
anG The entire parcel is passed as rub
hish," at IA value of $4,000 or $1,000
less than their actual worth. \ little
polishing ms restores the burned
stones to their original luster, with
loss OF weight which bears no pro-
portion to the amount OF money saved
H. duty.
The Paris smuggler is little, il at
all, behind his American rival in in
gcnuity, and his devices, on the evil
dence of NJ Camille Simon, are worthy
Of the mos. crafty Chinaman. A short
time ago brougham. with an impos-
ing coachman IL livery, and conveying
what appeared to be an invalid gem
tleman was stopped at the Porte
pauphine. 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 ing anious recaptacles for the
smuggling of alcohol.
Not long before the authorities re-
ceived secret information that on a
certain day u wedding party would
enter Paris by one of the gates, and
that il might be worth while to sub
ject it TO scrutiny. On the day and at
the hour Indicated Il long file of lam
ddus was seen approaching the gate.
The first carriage contained the blush
ing bride and bridegroom, and the
other carriages were crowded with
wedding guests in uproarious spirits
becoming 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 thorough search resulted
i'm 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 Hotel
dc villa, Paris, is full of the most eN-
traordinaly devices for defrauding the
revenue. Nothing is sacred to the
smuggler, as is proved by collection
of mortuary wreaths, each of which is
d cunninsly devised receptacle for
spirits. False busts, hips, legs and alb
domeus have all held contraband
goods; there is a mason's hod followed
for their concealment, hollow aXles,
wheels, shafts, advocates cases, books
in fact, almost every device that
practiced ingenuity can suggest.
The most amusing attempt to cheat
the customs, according to NJ. Simon.
was made by two men discussed as
countrymen. one evening three men
were seen approaching the Mcnllmon-
tant barrier uproariously dLunk, The
middle man, who was unable IL walk,
was supported by his two companions.
scarcely less drunk than himself.
The customs officers, amused at the
spectacle, hogan to chaG' the drunken
men, and one of them pluyfully gave
the middle man dig i'm the ribs,
which, to the officers alnazemeut.
caused the man TO collapse and his
companions To bolt in alarm. The
cause of their flight was quickly up-
parent, for the drunken man was of
India rubber, and his intoNication was
sufficiently explained by the fact that
he was full to the crown Of his head
with pure alcohol