Evening star., 1936-02-02
Human Cargo Is Subjected
To Most Brutal Treatment
Federal Agents Encounter Some of Worst
Foes in Traffickers in Human Life-Canny
Schannc Inuoluo Dnsnorato Risks

to the outside of the arch. where a
single slip of hand or foot on the
barely 3-inch-wide surface Of the
outside steel projections meant death
in the churning waters 200 feet below.
And with their hands left unprotected
to secure a better purchase, the
icy steel biting to the very bone,
with the snow crumbling under the
pressure of their feet as they sought
the bare toe-hold which was all that
stood between them and death. they
wormed their way inch by inch around
the obstruction and finally. with q
sigh of relief, dropped almost ex-
hausted into the safety of the pro-
tecting arch. The smuglers followed.
From there down the receding slope
of their now unobstructed pathway
to the roadbed of the Gorge Railway,
up the gradual incline to the level
ground below and then by fast auto
to their destination. looked simple
enough. With revived hope they half
ran, half slid, to the arch's end.
But now let us proceed to a point
but a short distance further along
the trail. Two figures, closely wrapped
in the heavy folds of the service
ulsters of the immigration border
patrol, are huddled together in the
lee of a protecting rock, chilled to
the bone by the clammy coldness Of
the river air. It is nearing the hour
for the change Of shift, which will
spell the end Of their lonely vigil for
the night, bring them to the welcome
warmth Of patrol headquarters, to q
cup Of hot coffee. which will start the
blood coursing through their half
frozen limbs, and then to warm bed.
Suddenly the stiffness of the early
morning air is disturbed by the scrap
ing, sliding sound Of footsteps shuf-
fling along path of ice-coated steel.
Four forms emerge from the end of
the steel arch and proceed cautiously
in Indian file up the grade of the
railway roadbed. Slowly trudging
through the deep snow. the file nears
the spot where the Federal officers
are concealed. A rush from the
shadows of the huge rock. a brief
scuffle and the two foremost figures
are in irons; but as usual, anticipating
such an occurrence, the smugglers,
bringing up the rear, desert their
charges at the first sign Of trouble
and dive headlcng over the embank-
ment to trail some 80 feet below,
which leads back and up the bridge
end. Falling, rolling, scrambling
through trees, brush and snow, they
reach the trail, scurry back and safely
enter the hollow arch on their hur-
ried trip back to the Canadian shore.
All this before the officer who finally
jumped over the bank after them could
be freed from the viselike grip of the
crotch of an unfriendly tree in which
his foot was entrapped after clearing
the Drink.
THE smugglers had escaped. but two
more contraband aliens had been
Their life's savings
gone-their hopes for the future shat
tered-they faced the inevitable;
compulsory return to their native land
at the expense of Uncle Sam.
Like any lucrative field, lawful or
the business of smuggling
aliens into the United States has at
tracted many promoters, some Of them
persons of unusual cunning and dar-
ing. The following case, taken from
ofhcial records of the border patrol
Of the United States immigration and
Naturalization Service, indicates the
character Of the criminals engaged
IN this illicit trafIic: Ten starving
Chinese were rescued, not SO long ago,
from an uninhabited island Is miles
OF the west coast of Florida, where
they had been abandoned by snug
glers. They told Of having been ap-
preached while in Havana, Cuba, by
a Chinese representative Of the smug-
glers, who stated that he could sneak
them into the United States for the
sum Of 500 each. After the aliens
had forked over the money they were
placed In the cabin Of q small boat and
landed on the island after dark. They
were hungry. thirsty and badly bitten
BY swarms Of mosquitoes and soon
would have perished had their rescue
not been effected.
Faced BY organized opposition Of
such ruthless ana resourceful char.
acter, accurate information concern.
ing the movements Of the smugglers
Is OF first importance. In this respect
patrolmen have . double job. First,
they must conceal their own move
ments, and, second, they must find
out as much as possible concerning
the plans of their adversaries.
The first Is a matter of moving
quickly and Unexpectedly. Were in
spectors to patrol their sector on .
regular schedule, smugglers would
soon know exactly what the schedule
was and, therefore, just when it was
safe for them to operate. For this
reason patrolmen pursue q devious
course. doubling and redoubling on
their tracks, departing from what
ever plan they may have announced
beforehand and, In general, using all
possible devices to conceal their move
nents. A district inspector gives The |