The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-29
WOMEN Are NOTED SMUGGLERS

"Frequentiy the letters are anonymous;
they get attention just the same.
Mrs. Gayly may have big bridge debt
| to pay and no money with which to pay
| H. She can't ask her husband for II. and
90 she looks around for some other way
WHAT glorious bracelet, my dearr
she may say to her not-too-dear friend,
| Isn't It new oner
| "Yes; I bought 1t when was across
last month: and ] managed to get Il in
free II was the easiest thing had
Marie sew It into my hair underneath
transformation. oh. IL Is easy to fool
those stupid customs people
Several days later Mrs. Gayly wonders
how the customs came to learn Of her
transaction. She has babbled Of her
cieverness 10 many. and does not know
whom to suspect But Mrs. Gayiy's
bridge debts are paid. including the one
to Uncle Sam.
| Il cross very often to Europe, and
| every time on returning / hear many Of
my fair fellow-passengers discussing
ways and means TO evade those 'wretched
custom-house people others are sufYer-
Ing almost from nervous prostration
worrying over how to get past the GUS
toms without paying duty.
/, Ways Are Numerous.
The ways in which society women
numerous One woman had some very
fine diamonds which she wanted to bring
In free. When the steamer reached the
wharf she was one Of the gayest of the
Passengers. and stood talking merrily-
with reporters, nonchalantfy smoking a
cigarette case. attached TO her wrist by
chain. This she swung carelessiy to
and fro while she talked
Had not information come 10 the on
cials that she had bought those diamonds
abroad she would have walked OF scott
free. AS 1t was. her baggage was care
fully searched. but nothing was found.
When asked about :, the diamonds, she
denied knowledge of them. Then, In spite
Of protests. she was stripped of her
clothes. Every garment was carefully
searched. Her hair was taken down and
examined Finally, the inspectress
caught sight Of the cigarette case. In a
false bottom in the case lay the precious
stones.
Few women nowadays try the trick
Of secreting smuggled gems in the heels
OF their shoes. II is an old and we'll
known trick, and so the heels Of sus-
pected passengers are examined. But
the ingenious hiding places used by these
women make necessary the humiliating
search to which all suspected women
passengers are subjected by inspec-
| tresses. One woman embroidered the
garments which she wore next her skin
with precious pearls. She protested that
they were imitation pearls.
"Coinures, seams OF garments, ears,
&c. are utilized as hiding places for
gems.
Detection Caused Suicide.
"A wealthy California woman brought
back to America a small amount Of jew
elry. probably about $4,000 worth alto
gether Her husband allowed her plenty
Of money, and nothing but a natural
born inclination which belongs to IS per
cent of women caused her to smuggIe.
She was suspected and taken back on
board the ship and searched. The hu-
initiation caused her to commit suicide
soon afterward.
Now. why should women smuggls
like this? They can buy jewelry in
America just as fine as they can on the
Rue de Ia Prix at a price only i per
cent more than they pay in Paris The
importers in America, who are special
lists. get their gems into the country at
10 per cent duty. for they are unset
gems Firms here do not charge the
enormous profits which they do on the
other side, and the result Is that they
can get exactly the same thing here
for much less than they can get them
by importing them themselves and pay
ing the duty.
Probably the reason Is this: At home
the American husband Is thorough,
shrewd business man. and he looks out
to get the value of his money. He Is
too busy making money for madame to
spend while he is In America to 60
looking for places to throw away his
money. But over in Paris. how different!
The Paris dealer sees Mr.. and Mrs
America coming along. Mr.. America Is
free from the bonds OF business and he
is intoxicated with the atmosphere or
recklessness. n. Paris Dealer, suave
and persuasive, relieves him OF his
superfiuous cash and blinds his eyes to
the fact that he Is paying two or three
time as much as the thing Is worth
In Ap1erlca you could not trick him tina.
way 4over there he is dazzled- He may
realize IL afterward, but then he re-
marks philosophically that he went oye-
to spend money, anyway.
THE man nearly always pays the du-
ties imposed. He knows the risk he
runs But with the woman 1t is differ
ent. For many years she escaped easily
The past year. however, has opened her
eyes II has been demonstrated that
none Is SAFE
How does the Information leak out?
Who splits on them? Only three people
know that, often only two-the woman
who sends the information and myself:
sometimes, though very seldom, my secre-
tary. All letters are promptly destroyed.
This secret source Of information hangs
like the sword OF Damocles over her
head She knows thar II she tries to
defraud Uncle Sam now there are many
spies about who are pretty sure to get
her. Very few can resist the temptation
to brag about their cleverness in evadins
the customs authorities.
New York Not Easy.
professional smugglers seldom come
to the port of New York. There are
other places where the laws and the
surveillance are less severe. I came in
from Canada recently with two suit
cases I wanted to see what precautions
they took. / am well known. Of course
to all the officials; my position as presi-
dent Of this association and OF my own
firm would naturally mark me out for
special attention, for everybody knows
that under the mantle of responsibility
many crimes are committed. So I left
these two cases outside my stateroom
door and watched to see II they were
searched. They were not touched, al
though might have been carrying an
enormous fortune Of gems In them.
professional smuggiers IN germs are
usually relatives of dealers. and they
soon become known and are carefully
watched The frequency OF their visits