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Show RAID ON WEALTHY SMUGGLERS.. Collector Locb is certainly one of the meanest old things there ever was to go poking into the trunks of ladie3 returning from Europe in order to see if they have anything dutiable, after they have sworn solemnly that they haven't, and even having his female minions search them. But unpleasant as the matter may be to those so closely scrutinized, scruti-nized, and especially to those caught with the goods on them, the strict administration of the New York custom house is helping materially ma-terially to give Uncle Sam a surplus and it will for the time being at least discourage tho polite smuggling that ha3 so long been going on. Several really rich cases have come to notice lately. One is that of Mrs. J. R. Adriance, wife of the wealthy Poughkeepale manufacturer manufac-turer of agricultural implements. Now the officials had received a tip from Europe that she had made some heavy purchases over there, one item being a $6,000 pearl necklace. But she made no reference to these things in the sworn declaration which every passenger has to make, and when asked about it she denied that she had bought any such things. In fact, so consistently and so persistently did she lie about it that the officers began to think they were barking up the wrong tree. Even a thorough search of her clothes and person failed to show anything suspicious. However, a close watch was kept on her and the detectives saw her trying to destroy a piece of paper. She tore it into bits, but the sleuths were able to piece it together well enough to show that it was a bill for a necklace. With this encouragement they went for her again, and this time they unearthed the article sewed into the lining of her hat. On her daughter and a companion were found other $3,000 necklaces, neck-laces, which Uncle Sam confiscated, in order to teach them a lesson. Mrs. Adriance proved to be a regular treasure-trove, for. $115,000 worth of jewels were found in her possession. Another lady, Mrs. Mayme McKenna of Chicago, also fell foul of the snoopers. She had 12 trunks full of the nicest things you ever saw, and among them were seven beautiful new gowns in the latest fashion, valued at $1,600. The label of a Chicago dressmaker had been sewed on one of the gown3 to mislead the inspectors, but these fellows know all about such things and they were sure that it was too soon for this style to have reached the Windy City, and so the ingenious little ruse failed to fool them. A regular drag-net is being put out for all suoh rich smugglers. In other days this class of travelers had practically carte blanche to bring in whatever they wanted to without paying duty, and they have made it a regular thing to go to Europe each summer and bring back a complete outfit. Now, however, this must stop. In cases where there was no serious intention to cheat the government, the offender is let off by paying duty. In more flagrants cases the goods are confiscated, and where there is a deliberate and persistent attempt to smuggle in goods of large value, heavy fines are also exacted. |