Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-12-16
SMUGGLING OF ARMS
HAS BECOME FINE ART
Federals and Rebels Secure Vast Guam
titles Of War Paraphernalia from
United States.
ODD cONTRIvANCES TO
GET THEM OVER LINE
Shipment Of Dolls to Mexico City Is
Found to Be One of Balls and
Cartridges by Inspector.

San Antonio, Tex, Dec. 16.-When
the public reads brief sketch from
Washington to the effect that the ad.
ministration has forbidden the ship
ment Of arms and ammunition to both
Mexican federals and rebels, it takes it
for granted that the shipments cease
forthwith. But they do not. For this
reason the troops, guards and inspectors
along the Rio Grande have many thrill
ing experiences that the public never
hears Of. Both sides in Mexico are con
tinually trying to smuggle munitions of
war over the line. Sometimes they sue
coed, but thanks to ever-w watchful eyes,
more often they do not.
Smuggling has become an art. Few
realize what ingenious methods and
carefully concealed plans are used to
frustrate guards along the line The
keenness of a Sherlock Holmes would
be taxed and tried. The United States
officials at the border daily learn of
some new piece of strategy by which
smugglers try to thwart them and car
ry across the river arms without dis
covery, Some of these discoveries are
oddly mixed with comedy and tragedy
Not long ago an innocent looking
trunk was sent through I'll Paso to
" Mary Smith" at Chihuahua. 1t was
a plain-looking little trunk and looked
as if it might belong to some plain
country girl. But the officials were
suspicious and decided to see what
" Mary" was carrying in thre weather
beaten trunk. On top were some plain
dresses The officials felt rather
ashamed for breaking into Mary Is
trunk. The dresses were lifted, disclos-
ing score of ammunition boxes, all
filled with cartridges. What would
Mary want with so many deadly cart
ridges' She might get hurt. So the
officials appropriated the ammunition,
and doubtless "Mary" has been won
dering what became of her belongings
Shipment of Dolls.
Still later another trunk, this one
ponderous affair, was noted at the Gus
tom house at Eagle Pass. 1t contained
only dolls and was on its way to the
City of Mexico. Officials investigated
and found that the trunk was declared
properly, as many dolls were seen in its
interior, There were dolls of all kinds
and one Of the inspectors, who has a
little girl who owns q doll, wondered
at the heaviness Of these rolls in the
trunk, The one at his home was light
affair None of the other men ever
handled dolls, so the weight meant moth.
ing to them. The officials said it would
be shame to stop this shipment and
deprive the little Mexican girls of their
dolls, so they decided to let them 90.
"Wait a moment, said the inspec.
tor, who was doll experienced. He rip.
ped open one doll with knife. 1t was
stuffed with powder. The entire ship
ment was then ripped up and the dolls
were found to carry not only powder,
but balls and cartridges as well. Ship.
ping rifles, of course, is more difficult,
owing to their size Some have been
shipped to the border in coffins. some
in double.bottomed boxes that carried
provisions in the top divisions; some
have been sent in lead pipes whose ends
were closed up. This covery of these
frauds is usually through the merest ac.
eident.
Ranching Is One Dodge
Ranching is favorite plan of the
smugglers, They arrange to have ship.
ped to them at some small border town
provisions for their ranches, supposed
to be located some distance from town.
II is easy to pretend you are a rancher
in a country whore every one else is
rancher. So in barrels Of flour boxes
of meat and canned goods are hidden
all manner of war supplies for both fed.
erals and rebels, They are taken in
wagons TO the "ranch" then over the
line unless detected. A few DAYS ago
at Hammond, on the Southern Pacific,
a big covered wagon drew up at the
station. A large broad.shouldered
bronzed man from the wagon and en-.
tered the station, He certainly looked
like a raneher. He asked of the agent;
Has that shipment Of ten barrels Of
flour arrived for mo yeti Here are tho
bills Of lading" The barrels had ar.
rived only shortly before, and wero in
the freight room. The agent found
everything regular and his suspicious
were not aroused. He turned tho ship