El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-14

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/ into the room Bradley looked at him
sharply. He knew him. But the man
/ evidently thought he could browbeat
why" he announced, I've got a
CODY of the invoice Of the goods you
bought. You told me yourself you had
Bradley looked him square in the
eve. Yes. this was his Obiiging friend
Of london and Paris. who had advised
him to smugEle and had given MIN ms
card. The piece of pasteboard was not
burning any hole in Bradley's pocket
He said nothing. but listened quietly.
Then he turned cooly 10 the lnspec-
tor who had searched him. Are you
through" he asked
Yes were through We give IN
now to this man
We'll announced Bradley. 81 won't
answer him Hes a crook sus-
bought the stuff told him about"
There was nothing to do but let
= That night. at home. he handed his
wife a splendid piece of diamonds and
pearls that would have made even
Fifth avenue take notice Bradley haq
handed the jeWelry to a friend on BOARD
the ship who would not be suspected
The friend was far uptown when the
skin searching was IN progress 49,,
Bradley handed over to me the little
bit of pasteboard that had passed TO
him in Paris. 1t bore the name, beau
tifully engraved:
H ". FLEMING
Special Employe Treasury Department
Customs House. New, York
The truth was out at last. one Of
the cleverest crooks who ever took ad-
vantage of an official position had
planned out most extensive system
ar-sa- fr-a n
between two continents, and involving
no one knew how many dupes in and
out of the service
The Customs Spy's Methods
The CRATER whom I had run TO cover
was what is known as a special en-
pIoye of the government. not under the
civil service rules Among other things ,
he had been sent over to Europe to
scout around and find people who were
purchasing expensive Jewelry and
That was all right. But it had
proved too tame for him. He soon
evolved a method all his own. He
would cultivate the acquaintance Of
people, would insinuate himself into
their friendship Then, finally, when
the right time came, he would induce
them 70 come in without declaring their
goods The final act was when he
had caught them in the very deed he
had suggested. had seized the goods,
and received his share Of the "moleIy
for the seizure as a good and faithful
servant of Uncle sam.
Another of his methods, 7 found, was
to get the sailing lists of steamers
Then he would look over the names Of
those going abroad, and would note the
hotels at which they stopped He would
watch them and find out whether they
were buying cOnsiderab bic amounts Of
goods. Then he would hand his card to
them openly, showing his official desig-
nation as a special emplOye- ANY time
YOU want to come in without paying
an N he
Der me I oversee the boarding officers.
you know They all know me. and
they'll do anything for a friend of /
Fleming would get them all before
they We're ready to sail for home. He !
would meet them socially, would call I
on them at their hotels, rope them all /
IN without suspicion on their part OF 4
the collision to commit fraud in order 4
that he might catch them. Then he :
would get them when they landed with I
the goods he knew all about Finally &
he would get his mOiety. 1t was neat 4
Besides on the surface il made him 4
look like the real thing to those who 1
didn't know. He was terror to all /
smUgglers. {
Collector Of Port Explains.
When the case had been worked up {
into a 3O-page report the secretary J
of the treasury was astOnished- He had /
not dreamed that such things were pos I
sible. He sent for the collector of the /
port, and that man made a hurried I
trip to Washington
How about this2' demanded the sec
rotary, angrily, handing him my re- 4
port.
''Weu. YOU know. Mr.. secretary" he /
remarked at length, 1T takes a thief (
to catch a thief So we have TO employ
a crook: and. that being so. why. you /
see, have to put up with his short
COmings"
The secretary was unable to speak
for five minutes. The fact of the thing
was bad enough. but the explanation 1
was perhaps worse. When he regained
his voice he had also regained his
charity. He did not even insinuate that
the collector himself was concerned
in the case
All he said was: ct direct that Elem
ing be dismissed Tt is too good for
such a CRATER that he should be out
Of Jail, but-weu. he must go"
The secretary had suddenly thought
Of certain influences in congress, now
long passed away. He was right. too. [
pulling wires. Fleming was back again
and breathing fire and /
birthstone on those who had sided with
1t was a long chance, but had made
up my friends in the customs division
who had had nerve enough to tell the
truth I stuck to the case, and it went
up 10 the top OF the government service
gain.
I had taken to going down to the
piers and watching the boats come in
[ began before long to note those who
left the pier almost without eXamina-
ton. One day ] tailed" a man who {
had got out most to eNpeditOusly- The
man turned out o be a big diamond Z
merchant on Maiden Lane. I set to l
work to get a line on him. In one way /
lr another broad hints of his activ-
ties were current in the trade.
Burns md the Diamond Merchant.
One day I dropped confidentially into I
his office.
Mr.. Mark" 7 began, with an air of
great secrecy, I'm a friend of Mr..
7leminE'S. He has asked me to come