The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-14
TRYING TO BEAT The CUSTOMS
MIGHTY FEW MEN AND FEVER
WOMEN VINO DON'T DO 1T.

Laden BlhI o-PeAr1H In q WOman'S
Hair-Meanlng OF tho Personal Prop
crty RuIe-stOp Put To Tipping EVIL.
l have met all kinds Of smugglers. writes
a customs officer in the Ladies Home Jour
nal. but the most picturesque. in my mem-
DRY. was the bogus minister with the imita-
ton Bible.
The man. who was dressed in strict cleri-
cal garb. had one trunk; it contained nothing
beyond ordinary wearing apparel.
He carried a large-hand Bible which on
the face Of il was personal property and 80
not dutiable. The trunk. man and Bible
were promptly passed.
But there IL many a slip. As my pious
clergyman went dow the ~gangplank he
stubbed his foot hard against a nailhead
and fell ~sprawling on the dock. TIL Bible
few out Of his hand and the corner OF it
struck the boards.
The shock of the fall produced an unex-
pected result. Asecret spring was touched.
a little door in the cover Of the Bible flew
open and the floor blazed with the light
of a hundred small diamonds.
II was the ~cleverest bit Of mechanism
imaginable. The smuggler was arrested
at once, tried and convicted, n his dia-
monds were coniscated, and il l mistake
not the mechanical Bible" is now in the
Secret Service Office.
While this particular device was novel,
the custom Of secreting gems is as old as the
Government. On one occasion seizure
was made of a small lot Of rubies hidden
in the hollow Of the heel Of a man shoe.
As for women they conceal things about
the person in sue a way as to make the
search both delicate and difficult.
In this connection IL is interesting to
know that the United States has a complete
system by which contemplated frauds are
detected and prevented. Experienced men
are posted in London. Paris. Berlin and
other large centres. They keep in touch
with the great business houses and II an
unusually large purchase Of jewelry or
millinery or dress goods is made the fact is
flashed over the wires to the collectors Of
the principal ports. A special watch is
kept on dressmakers who go abroad to make
their purchases. If the goods are all de-
-clared at their proper value on arrival in
this country all goes well. II not there is
trouble.
One occasion l remember was when a
dressmaker brought over twenty trunks
filed with the latest Partisan creations.
They were all properly declared, but the
values were suspiciously low. However.
she c~orroborated the declaration by the
presentation Of bills for every one OF the
articles. This looked like confirmation as
strong az it was possible to obtain, and the
matter might have ended there But
madame, growing audacious. made a fatal
blunder. She said: IF you don't believe
me you can cable to Paris and verify the
figures"
The customs authorities did cable-not
to the m~erchauts-but to the American
customs agent in Paris. In forty-eight
hours the collector received a cable despatch
reading: Suspicious; hold In ten days
there came a long letter detailing the re-
suits Of the investigation. 1t proved that
madame had forged a set OF bills under
valuing the goods 40, so n in some cases
90 per cent. They were all coniscated. OF
course, and later sold.
Women. I am sorry to say, are natural
smugglers. Those who hold high posi-
tons In society do not hesitate to take
chances They are not mere vulgar
~smugglers, but a ring or a breastpin or
a wrap that should be declared is frequently
worn in order to avoid paying the duty.
Then, Of course. we have the professional
women smugglers. They give the women
searchers no end OF trouble. Once a woman
was found with a set OF fine pearls hidden
in her thick back hair. Women, as a rule.
become hysterical when they are caught
with the goods on them. The female
but when they have a duty to peri orm
thew usually perform il with firmness. as
well as discretion. In these days a woman
passenger is not searched unless suspicion
approaches moral certainty. When 1t does
she is aiken to an apartment on the wharf
or in the boat, where all due privacy Is as
sured. There rave been instances where
the suspicion was not verified, but they are
quite rare. .
The observance OF a few simple general
rules helps very greatly to make smooth
sailing for an inspector. One OF them is
that while an inspector IL sworn to pro-
tect the revenues he is also supposed to
use his brains in interpreting the law. He
soon becomes accustomed to taking the
declarations OF incoming passengers, This
is usually lone by the boarding officers.
who go down on the tug and meet the
steamers at Quarantine. There is a egu
lar printed form and the passengers declare
under oath to a customs officer before
leaving the vessel the number OF trunks
and other packages they have. together
with their dutiable contents. One day
an angry passenger said to me:
Il don't mind making the declaration,
but I do mind having my trunk contents
ripped open on the pier. How Is 1t you
COMPEL u Hhn W ahp at O0Iih VIA hV 10
not a smuggler and afterward try to convict
. observation-disclosures Secretary Shaw had
said on he subject and l quoted; IF all
people we're honest one or the other OF
these requirements might be avoided.
but under existing conditions IL has been
found impracticable to omit either"
There is nothing 30 much misunderstood
as the 500 exemption law. Under this
clause in the law an American who goes
abroad may purchase and bring in. duty
free, 500 worth OF foreign made goods. But
tie 500 must consist Of wearing apparel,
articles OF perst a ii adornment, toilet arti-
cles and similar personal effects necessary
for the comfort and convenience Of the pas
senger. The point is here: A traveller
may bring home a suit Of clothes purchased
in London; two OF three pairs of gloves made
in Paris; some silver matchboxes from
Switzerland, or even a diamond pin from
South Africa, soJong as the total value Of
the articles comes within the 500. But II
the tourist should see a fascinating pin for
81 he could not bring home 100 OF them for
distribution among his friends as souvenirs
Of his trip without paying the usual duty.
Nor could he bring Atty or twenty-five or
even ten OF the pins. He could bring two or
three Off he met a liberal minded inspec-
tor-hve or six. A woman is not permitted
to bring home two or three dozen pairs of
gloves, as gifts for her friends. without pay
fn0 the d,tfv In brief the articles must be