The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-19
SMUGGLERS OF RARE GEMS
Modest looking Women Secrete Dodge Custom

ley. Ten million dollars worth Of diamonds
you can carry in the palm Of one hand, and
you can come in with the whole Doodle in one
of your vest pockets. We have thousands of
passengers coming in here every month, 999 of
whom treat the treasury square, or as square
as you can expect them to, and it's the thou
sandth man woman who brings in the dia-
nonds. To catch this smuggler you have to
search vigorously every man, woman and child
who comes across the Atlantic, and the Ameri-
can public wouldn't stand for that for moro
than five minutes"
The story of the custom house this summer
will show which knows the most about snug
glers the enthusiastic merchants or the some
what cynical inspector.
There is no doubt about It, however that a
red hot campaign against smuggling has been
determined upon, and should you go abroad this
summer and incidentally buy a 100000 tiara,
make note of 1t or tie strong about your fin
ger that you will not forget all about 1t
when the crucial moment Of making the declar-
alton comes or else, Secretary Shaw himself
has said 1t, you may wear stripes and the lady
next your heart many not wear diamonds.
BY far the most successful smugglers. in
dividuals, and off their own bats, as 1t were, are
women. and the veteran inspector approaches
this episode with the reluctance which always
characterized Napoleon when he had to speak
Of Waterloo.
There is that gay young widow, always the
life Of the ship, who wears rings on her fingers,
every one Of them, and, it is whispered by
some, rings on gala occasions even upon her
toes. For three long years Uncle Sam has tried.
the ungaant old Rhadamanthus, to catch this
gay young widow tripping. and only last month
he thought he had done 1t.
She was arrested on the dock, and there was
a necklace of pearls under her collarette that
was worth about 100000. The widow explained
that she always wore jewels in this way when
landing because she was afraid Of pickpockets
the dock. There was the warning of BE
ware of Pickpockets" placarded all over the
pier, and this was the way she needed the warn
ing.
The customs officials only snickered until the
following day, when the gay young widow APP
peared at the collectors Office with a United
States senator on one hand and big diamond
merchant the other. The senator threatened
all manner of things and the diamond merchant
produced his book. showing that he himself
had sold the necklace to the lady six months
before.
There was nothing to be done but to apologize
and restore the jewels, which had already been
conf1scated, and the question now In the mind
of the unhappy agent who made the seizure Is
whether the young widow smuggles for the
senator for the diamond firm.
Then there are cases Of hardship to the sea-
goers who wear diamonds that even move the
veteran inspectors. albeit they have listened to
more tales of woes than most. to tears and
there are instances though nowhere on record,
where the inspector had relented and let the
fair smuggler go. Only last week there was
scene upon Of the most fashhnable piers
that would have moved any judge, however
hard-hearted, to tears. She arrived and was
sick. Her husband telephoned from the pier
for an ambulance. She only asked to carry
with her her comb and brush; her husband
would remain behind and have the luggage ex-
amined.
The inspector to whom they were allotted is a
handsome gray-haired gentleman, with fine
civil war record, and Is most gallant to the
ladies. He was never so embarrassed in hl0
life-he says so himself, and should know. Tho
lady belongs to the Newport set, he says, and
gives gorgeous garden parties. In his pocket