The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Women Are Chief Among
Those Who Rob the
United States
INGENIOUS TRICKS
OFTEN EMPLOYED
Many Are Caught Because They Are
Obliged to Boast of Their Ex-
ploits and Friends Tell
the Officers

ton, who has just departed for Europe
American tourists rob Uncle Sam annual
1y of s24,Oo0oOO by smuggling precious
stones. The duty on precious stones Is
60 per cent. That means that the value
of gems smuggled into America each year
is $4,000 600.
With view of minimizing this sort OF
smuggling the jewelers. of America last
year formed the precious Stone Import
ers association Since then they have
disbursed many thousands of dollars IN
rewards for information concerning
smugglers, men and women, who have
eluded custom house scrutiny. These re-
wards have not been paid to detective
agencies, but to members of New York's
Four Hundred who have ''peached.
Forty million may seem very large
amount to be smuggled in past the sharp
scrutiny of the customs" Mr.. Nissen
said, "but when you realize that all of
the sS0,OOO0 900 worth of precious gems i'm
ported during the past two wears could
be carried on in small grip. you see
how difficult is the task of detecting
smugglers.'
Here Mr. Nissen pushed a button on
MS ueSK ana gave an OfOel 10 Ine boy
who answered it.
Half Million in Vest Pocket
Il have sent for three very valuable
pearl necklaces" he explained. 1.-The COM
bined value of these necklaces is $150000. -
A clerk brought I'm three balck jewel
boxes. Opening them. Mr.. Nissen took
from their satin beds three strings or lus-
trous pearls, graded from large perfect
center pearl to small perfect pearls,
un in la ri
all three in one hand.
See, / can easily put this half million
dollars worth of pearls into my waist
coat pocket suting the action to the
word. You can see no difference. You
do not see my pocket bulging out any
more than it would if 1 happened to have
some loose change in it. That is what
makes the detecting of precious gems so
very difficult.
1--WE have an extensive system now,
however, which believe in time will as
sist us in greatly diminishing the amount
of smuggled gems Mr.. z4oeb, as collec-
tor has given us support IN making
seizures and many lady during the past
considered all difficulties past, by being
year has been surprised, after she had
called upon to account for certain gems
she had bought abroad.
How did the collector find out about
them? She had passed through the GUS
She soothes her conscience If it troubles
her at all, with the sophistry that she
has bought and paid for the things and
they are hers. The husbands of these
women put no restrictions upon them,
and they haughtily refuse to see why a.
government dares to do So
''Ninety-five per cent of the smuggling
is done by women. For many years they
had their own way But things are
changed now No matter how Maehla-
vellan their maneuvers, no matter If their
stories would make Ananias blush with
envy, some time, somewhere, somehow,
the truth is going to leak out and humi-
1ation and punishment will come to them.
Babbled to a Friend
1T may be that Mrs. Newlyrich, who
has been snubbed by Mrs Oldfamily, has
learned that the beautiful necklace which
adorns Mrs. Oldfamily's charms came
into the country without the formality of
Showing itself to the customs. A little
anonymous letter telling me all about 1t
comes to my office and the matter is in
vestigated at once.
"Frequently the letters are anonymous;
they get attention Just the same
Mrs. Gayly may have a big bridge
debt to pay and no money with which to
pay it. She can't ask her husband for it,
and so she looks around for some other
way.
What a glorious bracelet, my dear"
she may say to her not-to-dear friend.
Isn't 1t g new one?
Yes; | bought it when | was across
last month. and | managed to get it in
free. 1t was the easiest thing. I had
Marie sew 1t into my hair underneath
transformation. Oh, 1t is easy to fool
those stupid customs people"
Several days later Mrs. Gayly Won
ders how the customs came to learn of
her transaction. She has babbed of her
cleverness to many and does not know
whom to suspect But Mrs. Gaylys
bridge debts are paid, including the one
to Uncle Sam.
Many Ingenious Tricks
81 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 GUS
tom house people Others are suffering
almost from nervous prostration worrying
over how to get past the customs without
paying duty.
"The ways in which society women
smuggle gems into the country are very
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 merry
with reporters. nonchalantly smoking a
cigarette. In her hand was handsome
cigarette case attached to her wrist by
a chain This she swung carelessly to
and fro while she talked.
Had not inforamtion come TO the Off
cials that she had bought those diamonds
abroad she would have walked off scott
free. AS it was her baggage was care
fully searched, but nothing was found.
When asked about the diamonds she de-
MED 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. 1t is an old and well known
trick, and SO the heels of suspected pas
sengers are examined. But the ingenious
hiding places used by these women make
necessary the humilating search to which
all suspected women passengers are sub
jected by inspectresses. One woman en-
broidered the garments which she wore
next to her skin with precious pearls. Sne
protested that they were imitation pearls.
"Coiffures, seams of garments, ears, etc,
are utilized as hiding places for gems
"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 natural born
inclination which belongs to 95 per cent
of women caused her to smuggle. She
was suspected and taken back aboard the