Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-06-29
SMUGGLING FOR FUN.
just For the Sake of ssGettinR
Ahead" of the Government.

Ahead" of the Government.
Smuggling for fun sounds ridiculous
but customs inspectors who have spent
the greater part of their life in the
service of the government say there
are those who do 1t. Persistent eff
forts to detect those who would de-
fraud the government have been re-
warded by the almost total extinction
of the professional smuggler, but all
efforts have availed little against the
trsEeler abroad who purposely con-
ceals some article of value simply for
the fun of getting ahead Of the gov
eminent.
The government detectives put SNUG
glers in four classes. The first is the
thoughtless smuggler; the second, the
occasional traveller who tries to Snug
gle; the third, the professional snug
gler, and the fourth, those who snug
gle for fun.
The professional smuggler has long
since ceased to trouble the federal Of
ficers seriously. The odds against him
are so great that he has turned his in
genuity to some safer method of dis
honesty.
The last. the smuggler for fun, is a
bother. Usually the duty he is at
tempting to save is hardly enough to
pay for the trouble of detection. What
people smuggle covers everything that
can be hidden.
Costly gems and jewels form the
greater part of the dutiable property
seized by the customs officers. The
few professional .smugglers cOnfine
themselves to diamonds. The SNUG
Sler for fun is as apt to try to get in Il
pair of gloves, a bit of lace, drugs or
expensive cosmetics. Lace. silk and
bits of bric-a-bra find their way into
out of the way places in the trunks or
grips of the occasional travellers who
think it perfectly justifiable to avoid
paying the duty.
Trained agents in every European
city know of every purchase of gems
or costly cloth destined for this coun-
try. Weeks before the purchaser
reaches this side of the Atlantic his |
name, address and the exact quantity |
Of goods he has purchased are in the |
hands of the officers on this side His |
failure TO mention an article of the |
slightest value Immediately brings him |
to the attention of the inspectors, and |
he is fortunate to escape with no more |
severe punishment than the confisca- |
ton of the dutiable property.
To detect the amateur smugglers re
luires keen detective work on the part |
Of the local customs officers An es-
Decially quiet looking man who ar
.iVp1 q fav- months haI oil
l beautiful diamond in the heart of Il
imp of tobacco. The customs officer,
who had put this passenger down as
'ne of the honest travellers. had his
suspicion aroused when he saw him
make a frantic grab for a half plug of
obacco that he had accidentally drop
,ed. Before the passenger could reach
he tobacco the officer had planted his
DOT upon it and of course discovered
he stone
\ smartly dressed woman who had
'een abroad for the summer limped so
as she came down the gang
way from the steamer that the customs
ficer who had been detailed to inspect
er luggage was moved to ask if she
ad suffered an accident on the way
YER She replied that she had. Be
ore he completed the examination of
err score of trunks he had excused
lmself, sent another officer on board
nd learned from the purser that the
-oman had not limped at breakfast ,
lat morning. She was asked to ac- ,
ompany one of the women inspectors | ,
, private examination room, where
magnificent ring was found in the
,e of her boot
Intuition more than anything else ,
ids the federal detectives in their ,
ork.-New York World.