THE WILY SMUGGLER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8930, 21 September 1907, Page 1

THE WILY SMUGGLER.

Probably more ingenuity is displayed in circumventing Customs officials than any otber illegal practice. The old-fashioued fighting type of smuggler has passed away, but tho game goes on merrily. There are only two or throe dozen articles subjected to import duties in Great Britain to-day—so a writer in “Macmillan’s” points out—against fifteen hundred articles a century ago, yet tlie reports of Commissioners of Customs shows a marked increase during recent years. In 1905, ?323 persons were fined for smuggling, ami among tlie goods seized were 12,3721bs of tobacco. Tobacco is conveyed in all sorts of receptacles, including Bibles, plum-puddings, and loaves of bread. Officials must not hesitate to search coffins if they nave any ground for suspicion, as there arc many records of contraband going in in the place of corpses. Saccharin, which is 300 times sweeter (ban sugar, aud carries tho heaviest duty on any article, with one except ion, lias boon taken into England in table tops, toys, scaling wax,, ink, anil perfumery. Recently a number of innocent-looking dolls wore found to contain small barrels of attar of roses. Watches wore once sent by post to one, of tho colonies inside Bibles, till the Routgcu rays brought the swindle, to light. _ But it is in America whore the tariff is the most prohibitive in existence that tho highest flights of smuggling are to bo found. It is estimated that 1,000,000 dollars’ worth of cut diamonds are carried in every year without paying duty. One man made twelve journeys with stones inside his walking stick. Another removed tho charge from a number of revolver cartridges aud replaced them with diamonds; a third rolled largo stones in balls of sealing-wax, and put the balls in a baby’s rattle. A Ciiieago man, who had invested in £20,000 worth of jewellery in Loudon, determined to take it home free of duty Ho hollowed out a cavity in tho'floor of his cabin, and left the jewellery there when he went ashore at Now York. Ho engaged thosamo cabin for tho return voyage to Liverpool. On the day of sailing his wife came aboard to say good-bye, aud at tho last moment walked ashore with tho jewellery in her pocket. Sucli a plan seems very elaborate, but offenders may bo fined 5000 dollars or sent to for two years. Corpses arc viewed with unite as much suspicion as in England. A Customs official was horrified when, on opening a coffin under strong suspicion, he found a body inside He was about to close . the coffin aud apologise, when he noticed a suspicious look in a mourner’s eye. He straightaway bad the body taken out, aud iiiddcu below was found valuable lace. The body was that of a pauper, bought for tho occasion,