Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-02-22
SMUGGLING SCHEMES.
TRICKS USED TO EVADE THE
PAYMENT OF DUTIES.
xHE PART A POROUS PLASTER PLAYED
IN ONE BIG DIAMOND CAsE-coF-
FINS USED TO cIRcUMvENT THE
CUSTOMS INSPECTORS.

Tie old special agent with the grfz-
kied mustache took his cigar out of his
mouth. regarded it critically for a mo
raent aud then said slowly:
TIN, yes; suppose they have all
eorts OF new tricks and are constantly
devising Others. and don't doubt that
they succeed in beating tie customs
house officers every now and then. But
they don't seem to lie doing any thing
spectacular just now. Perhaps they're
unclught as yet.
You know, these people who make
business of smuggling. and l mean the
people who try TO bring in thousands
OF dollars worth of things at Il time.
are as keen as u knife blade. They re
not ordinary people; they've got all
the daring and Ingenuity of the old
time successful craftsmen, and It
takes mighty good man to get ahead
OF them. Sometimes the customs house
people. even the special agents of the
treasury. are dead up against it when
St comes to dealing with this cool and
clever class of crooks.
NOW, just let me give you an ex-
ample OF tie astuteness of one of them
nj least. 1t will show you the sort of
thing we had to deal with in the past.
zone day a cablegram reached the
treasury department, signed with the
r1me of treasury agent in France,
stating that a certain passenger on n
certain steamer bound for New York
had with him about $4,000 worth of
fine diamonds which lie intended to
smuggle into the country. A full
description of the man accompanied
the notification as well as a general
description of the stones. The steam
er and the statecoom occupied by the
passenger were noted. and we were
warned that he might attempt to
change his appearance by removing his
beard. which was full and pointed at
tie tine the steamer sailed.
THE most interesting part of tie
message was the statement that the
passenger would probably have the
gems concealed beneath porous plas-
ter spread across the small of his back.
Therefore we were not to listen to any
of his protestatiens of innocence nor
to his eagerness to have his baggage
examined in order to establish that in
nocence. Wew We're to take him into his
stGteroom and undress him and pull off
TIE plaster.
I'VE had much amusement over the
eablegram and also at the new varia-
ton of an absurdIy old device for
smuggling. because time and time
again dutiable things had been found
wrapped in bandages which concealed
supposed injuries. We also pictured
the dismay of the man when we should
get down TO his skin, as it were.
"In due season the steamer arrived,
and with it the passenger against
whom we had been warned There he
was. and he had actually reduced his
beard to a pair of thin side whiskers
and removed his mustacEe. We In
quired and found that he had made no
mention of diamonds upon the declara-
tion before the inspector.
Before he had chance TO get ashore
enc of the special agents went to him
and quietly asked why lie had not de-
clared the diamonds lie was bringing
into the country. He jumped as if
BomethiHg had stung him and then just
IS calmly stated that he had no dia-
monds; that we could so through his
baggage. his pockets. anything lie had
He said il was most remarkable to ac-
euse him of such thing. but he did
not fly into a rage; he acted just as any
innocent man would have acted under
the circumstances. Then we knew we
had to do with good 'un.
I'VE wasted very little time over his
baggage. although he hustled around
with tie keys at great rate. One of
the men finally said to him that 1t was
useless TO waste more time and asked
him to return to his stateroom for q
somewhat more complete examination.
At this the passenger raised great
protest and declared it was outrageous
to submit him to such an indignity.
when we reached the room we asked
MIN kindly to remove his clothing, say
ing nothing. however. about the plas-
ter. BY this time our man was at white
heat. He said he had only come TO the
ssateroom to avoid a scene on deck.
and he refused to take of his clothing.
Then lie was told he would have to be
taken into custody and would undoubt-
~ily be searched.
This further Infatuated him, and he
began long rigmarole about being an
American either. with rights and all
that sort of thing, aad we stood around
and waited until he had finished At
last he cooled down bit and even
laughed. saying that perhaps. after all,
II was best to end the farce by sub
mitting. Eut he begged one thing of
US. and that was patience, because, he
said. he had teen suffering for long
time with severe attack of rheuma-
tism in his back. and 1t was painful for
him to get into and out of his clothing.
He added that he had been able to OBJ
tain some relief from porous plasters
and that he never went about without
7e