Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-08-07
SNIJGGLERS.
Daring Efforts to Eyade Uncle
Sans Customs Officials. 4
ONE BOLD PIECE OF WORK.

~~>sss - !
ONE BOLD PIECE OF WORK.
The Way Two Persistent Tariff Dodgers
Scared a Ships Captain and Escaped
the inspectors-A Poll Parrot That
Told Tales Out OF School. &%T
In the early nineties of the last cen
tury the precautions observed by the
officers of the United States treasury
| department in preventing or rather at
| tempting. to prevent the successful
smuggling Of dutiable goods into this
country were as adequate in their
scope and as rigidly applied as they are
today. This means. that the achieve
ments of two smugglers, who may be
called Harry White and Richard Ber-
gen, need by no means be regarded as
Insignificant. For years they piled
their trade upon the various transat-
lantic liners, and when at8length their
system was laid bare through the acu-
men Of government agents, their in
genuity, still served to prevent the
just punishment Of many other off,
| tenders. 60 ss 90 -
The smuggling White and Bergen
did was confined to trunks full Of
nickel or silver plated German and
Swiss watches, English cutlery, wool
ems and tweeds In the aggregate,
however, it. may safely be ventured
that the revenue of the nation suffered
more through these two men than
| through the occasional successes of
diamond smugglers. f8$ 3s3
i Inevitably of course as their tri-
umphs Increased in durat ton and pro-
portion. the leak forced itself upon the
: notice Of the customs officers. White
and Bergen did not know this. Agents
Of the treasury department in England
and on the continent were set to work,
and eventually suspicion was fastened
upon Bergen, who VS. in London en-
gagged in the wholesale purchase of Ia
BILE cutlery. The two smugglers were
J never abroad together, 1t being, part
Of the system for one to remain at
New York.
The government agents watched Ber-
gen fora fortnight. One Of them was
never far off when a purchase was
: made. and when the object of suspi-
cion booked on certain liner that
], fact. together with a complete list Of
OIL the dutiabie2 articles in his possession,
D was cabled to Washing ton. i The vessel
0 was due past Sandy Hook on May 16,
0 1885,, and the custom house inspectors
y had prepared a distinguished welcome
y for the man whom they had long re-
= garded as their special bette noire.
9 Bergen was accomplished and genial,
frequented the smoking room might
J. and day and was popular with card
/, players and the passengers in general.
One morning when the steamer was q
few miles east Of Fire island there
r came a cry from the lookout. Man in
small boat in distress off the port
7, boww The captain deserted man
standing upsin small sloop, the mast
of which was shattered and the craft
u somewhat down. by the head. She was
l. drifting to sea, and the captain signal.
d ed for full speed astern, altered bis
l. course a trifIe and finally came neal
:" enough to the occupant of the sailboat
\ to throw him line, by which, WEI
and hedraggled. he was hauled to the
deck, amid the cheers Of the passen
re- gers. If Bergen felt surprise as BIZ
'r saw his fellow conspirator White
ic sprawled on deck. he gave no indica
ton of it. In due time the ocean wal
# disappeared from among the passen
gers. 4E-sS.>.
Developments were not long delayed
y The liner was approaching the Sand.
~ Hook light vessel when Bergen. will
le Of eve, with hair ,disheveled and cheek
IS flushed. sought the privilege of an i'm
lie mediate and private interview wit
~ the ships chief executive. He wa
= taken into the chart room, where fall
ing on his knees before the captain. b
. begged him never to divulge what b
ne was about to tell, and then he unfolde
ay terrible plot which he had conceive
IT. Of destroying the vessel and her pas
yh sengers. .-...
by s5He was a Fenian, he said. and ha
l. been selected by his comrades to plac
an internal machine in the hold Of tl
ne British vessel. Clockwork was attacl
cd ed to the bomb, he declared, and it We
raj timed to go off within twenty minute
He had remained firm in his dead
1c- venture throughout the trip, but no
ss lat the crucial moment little boy wit
whom he had played about deck an
had grown to love had swerYed hi
hs from his purpose. He said that Il
en- bomb was contained within a hus
he leather trunk, and he begged the ca
Wo tain to have 1t. heaved overheard b
m. fore the mechanism ticking away Il
- life Of the ship should have time to |
its work
The captain was a man OF actic
IN and before the last words were out
Telf Bergen's mouth he was on deck. SUI
the moning the watch TO quarters.
YER Into the baggage room all OF you
Tho he reared, 1and jack every piece
- baggage on deckr'
The crew set to work. Trunk aft
tne trunk was hauled out, while Berg
a u IL A. I. .a... -