The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-02-28
SMUGGLERS IN PARIS
Methods by Which They Avoid
Duty on Alcohol.
DISPLAY INGENUITY.
Hollow Beams Containing Gallons Of
the Prohibited Article-FuneraI
Wreath That Concealed Pure Alco-
hol-CleverIy Hidden Tank in the
Roof of Cart.

noI-CIeVeTIy fiIuuSn dnN III tne
Roof Of a Cart.
Alcohol without a doubt is the ar
ticle most often smuggled through the
gates of Paris, and this is due to the
fact that the tax upon 1t has steadily
increased during the past few years.
Naturally, increased taxation means
higher profits on contraband goods
and therefore quickens the ingenuity
of smuggling.
Under our very eyes, writes an Of
ficer of the Paris custom house in the
Scientific American, these men an
nually pass thousands of gallons OF
valuable spirits into the city, where 1t
is readily disposed of at nigh prices
TO makers OF perfumes or to liquor
dealers, who use it for adulteratin5
their goods. Yet we keep a sharp
watch on all who pass through the
gates of the capital. None can enter
until he satisfies us that contraband
articles are not hidden on his person,
no vehicle Is admitted until 1t has
been thoroughly searched and every
caNk of liquor must be declared before
the owner is authorized to pass on.
Nor can any one question the Sc
verify and conscientiousneSs of the
inspection, as the men under my or
ders have share in the proceeds CT
the sale of any alcohol seized at the
barriers. At given periods this Is
sold by the municipal authorities, one
half of the receipts going TO the city
funds and the other half to the octroi
employees. These men are not over
well paid, SO they look forward to
increasing their incomes by extreme
vigilance in capturing smugglers.
| can assure my readers that 1t Is
well worth while to smuggle alcohol
into Paris. The dues on each liter or
quart amount to four francs 10 CEN
times, say Sc cents. Imagine the
profit to be derived by any one who
succeeds in smuggling several thous-
and gallons of alcohol year Among
the thousand and one methods en-
ployed by smugglers some very curl
Gus ones have come under my obser-
vation during the twenty odd years
that | nave been connected with the
service. In the warehouses of the
Hotel de Vile are stored all sorts of
ingenious smuggling apparatus. They
are so numerous that quite a museum
could be formed, were it not for the
fear of teaching dishonest men how to
defraud the government
For several months smugglers dis
guised as as stone masons carried
wooden beams through the gates with
out our suspecting for moment that
they were hollow and contained large
quantities of alcohol. But the fraud
was eventually discovered by pure ac-
cident, as nearly always happens. Cne
day, just as the last man OF squad
passed the barrier with a CHEEKY Bon
jour comarades," he stumbled over a
stone and fell headlong. Fearing that
the man was hurt, darted forward to
help him to his feet, and had no
sooner done so than to my utter as
tonishment he arose with astounding
rapidity and made off, leaving the
beam behind him; moreover his COM
panions also took to their heels. The
reason for their fight was soon appar-
ent. From one end of the beam there
oozed a thin stream of liquid, which |
instinctively detected as alcohol.
During a period of more than six
months the customs employees at the
various barriers at Paris saw two
men regularly pass before their Offices
carrying very fine funeral wreath.
Naturally they never asked them to
pay dues on such an article as that
and never suspected for moment that
it contained 40 litres of pure alcohol.
The smugSlers took every precaution
against discovery, avoiding for in
instance passing through the same
barrier twice running. However, the
trick was eventually discovered by an
officer who insisted on examining the
wreath and found that it contained a
tin interior, filed, of course, with the
valuable spirits.
Among the many smugglers whom |
have caught red handed there was one
man who disarmed suspicion for
months by his pleasant manner. He
would come up most the friendly way
imaginable, shake me by the hand,
wish me bon jour, ask after my health
and talk for half an hour at time
about the news of the day. All this
time his vehicle was standing at the
gates, a vehicle which we little sus.
pected contained no end of untaxeo
alcohol. Apparently his cart was
filled with bee and cider, for which he
always paid One day. however, he
was caught. A young employe who
had never seen him before was alone
on duty and insisted on ransacking
his vehicle.
Nothing save the casks of beer and
cider was to be seen and he was about
To let the man mass when a dron fell