The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-12-27
CLEVER SMUGGLERS,
Daring Efforts to Evade Uncle
Sans Customs Officials.
ONE BOLD FLEECE OF wo:a,.::

no way TWO persistent arm Dodgers
Scared Ships Captain and Escaped
the lnspeetors-A Poll Parrot That
Told Tales Out Of School.
In the early nineties Of the last cen
fury 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 at length 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 of.
tenders.
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.
Inevitably of course as their tri-
urnphs increased in duration 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 susp' zion was fastened
upon Bergen, who VS. in London en-
gagged in the wholesale purchase Of ia
BILE cutlery. The two smugglers were
never abroad together. it being part
of the system for one to remain at
New York.
The government agents watched Ber-
gen for fortnight. One of them, was
never far of when a purchase was
made. and when the object of suspi-
cion booked on certain liner that
fact. together with complete list Of
the dutfable articles in his possession.
was cabled to Washington. The vessel
was due past Sandy Hook on May 16,
189-, and the custom house inspectors
had prepared distinguished welcome
for the man whom they had long re-
garded as their special bette noire.
Bergen was accomplished ana genial,
frequented the smoking room night
and day and was popular with card
players and the passengers in general.
One morning when the steamer was a
few miles east of Fire island there
came cry from the lookout, "Man in
small boat in distress of the port
bow!' The captain deserted man
standing up in small sloop, the mast
Of which was shattered and the craft
somewhat down by the head. She was
drifting to sea, and the captain signal
ed for full speed astern, altered his
course trife and finally came near
enough to the occupant of the sailboat
10 throw him line, by which, wet
and bedraggled, he was hauled to the
SASSA1 oAAAu Iuc CuSOTS VI the DaSS0n.
gers. If Bergen felt surprise as he
saw his fellow conspirator White
sprawled on deck, he gave no indica-
ton Of It. In due time the ocean waif
disappeared from among the passen-
gers.
Developments were not long delayed.
The liner was approaching the Sandy
Hook light vessel when Bergen. wild
Of eye. with hair disheveled and cheeks
flushed. sought the privilege Of an i'm
mediate and private interview with
the ships chief executive. He was
taken into the chart room, where. fall
ing on his knees before the captain, he
begged him never to divulge what he
was shout 10 tell. and then he unfolded
. terrible plot which he had conceived
q destroying tte vssssl and hsr Pas.
ssaeess.
He was = ysaaaA, ~ sai4 md hid
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