New-York tribune., 1909-04-02
BIG CUSTOMS SEIZURE
THREE "SLEEPERS" HOLD
GOHNS FORTH $50 900.
Trunks Found on Red Star Pier Just
after GOthlaRd'S Baggage and
Freight We're Cleared.

! Three large trunks. smuggied into this coun-
| try on March "a on the Red Star liner Gothlard
we're opened yesterday ct the Public Stores and
found 70 contain $50 Empire gowns. valued al
| $4,000 The trunks were found on the Red
! star pier by Deputy surveyors Tierney and
Norwood, soon after the Gothlands baggage
and freight had been cleared
| Under orders of John NJ. Bishop. Deputy Sur
| veyof in charge of the Third Division. who has
made an effective crusade against the smuggling
Of 'sleepers." the trunks were sent to the Pub
lie stores and were not opened until yesterday.
This is the largest seizure made by Mr. Bishop
in the three months he has kept a special watch
on the baggage of the steamers of the Red Star
and American lines. Within three weeks gowns
and ffnery amounting to $50, 600 which foreign
exporters have shipped to this port in the form
of "sleepers," have been confscated. Thus far
six trunks have fallen into the hands of Mr..
Bishop and his men. and it is believed that
several more big seizures will be made before
the shippers abroad are informed that their
receiving agents this side of the Atlantic are
letting the consignments go to the Public Stores
rather than disclose their identity and risk
being arrested for smuggling
1t learned yesterday that nothing could
save from confiscation several Consignruents be
heved to be their way from France to this
port on slow steamers The most effective move
made by the customs officials in getting at the
sleepers unmarked and unclaimed baggage)
was the elimination from the piers of several
persons suspected of getting the baggage safely
from the piers to it's owners
The United States Attorneys office is putting
forth its best efforts TO find the persons in New
York who are implicated in the smuggling The
work Of examining the gowns taken from the
three trunks yesterday at the Public Stores was
carried on with much secrecy
1t is believed that the six trunks which have
been seized within three weeks have all come
from the same shipper. and are consigned TO
one dealer in this city Like those found in the
two 'sleepers' which were brought here on the
last westward trip OF the American liner New
York. the gowns in the trunks from the Goth
land bore tags with numbers and letters which
the customs officials are confident will lead to
the Identification of the consgnee In this city.
one Of the trunks is unusually large and is
covered with glossy leather. The other two
are smaller and not well made While it bore
no name. each trunk had certain Identification
marks on It which the customs officials say ara
identical with those seized on the American
liner New York
The first of the six trunks seized Within thrse
weeks was the $4,000 sleeper which arrived
here March on the American liner Phnadcl-
phia. Although the deputy surveyors knew IT
was on the Philadelphia. a search Of the steamer
failed to discover it. II was recovered several
days later uptown. after it had been removed
from the Red Star pier. where II had been
swung from the stern Of the Philadelphia
The two trunks on the American Line pier
$4,000 worth OF gowns were dis
covered March 20 after the steamer New
York cleared for Southampton
II was reported yesterday that the three
s'SleeperS" which arrived here he CofblaDd
were recorded the ships manifest and were
to two fictitious consgnecs, but this
was denied by the customs officials.