AN INGENIOUS SMUGGLER.

Evening Post, Volume XL, Issue 63, 13 September 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN INGENIOUS SMUGGLER .

A diamond merchant of New York was for years suspected of smuggling precious stones, but the customs detoctivus could not catch him. Every time ho returned from Europe he was carefully searched, and it was even proved that he did not swallow hiß diamonds before going ashore, but never was anything found except a few inferior stones, and these he did not attempt to conceal. Traps were sot tw capture the wily old culprit, but without avail. At last a detective learned that whenever one of the members of the suspected firm arrived in New York upon a certain steamer, another member of the firm or an agent took the same stateroom upon its return trip. He invariably took the eutire state-room, so that he was alone upon the voyage. This led to the discovery of the fraud. It appears that the importer, when on his way from Europe, would cut a small piece out of the flooring underneath the carpet of the state-room, and, after concealing the diamonds to be smuggled, would put back the flooring and replace the carpet. When he left the ship he left the diamonds, too, in their place of concealment, and, of course, the detective never found any in his possessioa. A few days afterwards, when the vessel was about to sail for Europe, the other member of the firm, or its agent, having secured the state-room for the return trip, would go on board, accompanied by his confedera c. The latter would then remove the diamonds, and go ashore perfectly safe. There were no customs officers on active duty when vessels were departing.