1938 - 1939 ORIGINAL PRE WORLD WAR II MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL OF 3 CUSTOMS OFFICERS SEIZING GOODS AND ARRESTING SMUGGLERS IN THE PORT OF NEW YORK

On offer is an original 1938 - 1939 manuscript relic of pre World War II policing by three US Customs and Duty officers named Barlow, Day and Hagner. The entries list seizures they made, the date, the name of the ship, which pier, the items seized and the value of these items. Historians and researchers of such work will be amazed at the breadth of the seized items beyond the assumed liquor, tobacco and weapons. The notes detail such sundry items pyjamas, perfume, sandals, table cloths, lotion, wallets, shell boxes, cameras, tea, jewellery, coins and more. Included within the pages of the journal are several newspaper clippings. Four of them were obits for a man by the name of Sgt. John E. Day who died during WWII. He was the brother of custom's agent Edward F. Day. There are also a few articles about a narcotics bust (mostly opium) showing a woman by the name of Madeline Mayling as the suspect. In part: "June 9th, 1939. United States Customs agents were set last night to crack down on a huge Broadway drug syndicate as a result of the arrest of a woman, head of a gown shop, and the seizure of more than $15,000 worth of crude gum opium and morphine base on her person. The woman under arrest is Madeline Mayling, 38, who operated the Helene Modes, Inc., on the 6th floor of the Gayety (Gaiety) Theatre Building, 1547 Broadway……She was captured as she walked off the Italian liner Vulcania last Friday night with 12 (1/2 pound) slabs of opium under her girdle. "I thought it was imported Roquefort or limburger cheese" she insisted. She is held in default of $25,000 bail, charged with smuggling. An alleged accomplice, whose name is withheld, also is under arrest….Other narcotics were found at her home and at her place of business, a Broadway dress shop….In her apartment, a fully loaded automatic pistol was also found…" Another article notes that a woman was hiding four pounds of pure heroin in the soles of her shoes; several pairs. The handwritten entry in the journal that shows where they arrested Madeline but she was going under the alias name of "Helen Hoffman" as the newspaper article states. There is also a small typed piece of paper which is titled "Enforcement Division Notes." This piece talks about Guard E. F. Day who was "strolling" on board the S. S. Pacific which was docked in Brooklyn at the time. He decided to search the seamen's wash room and found a bottle that ordinarily contained pickles when actually it was "Preserved Marijuana." It was concealed under the iron floor of the wash room. This is really a fascinating 37 pages of intimate details of the unique service these officers performed. There are about 40 different ships mentioned including: the Normandie, California, Virginia, Ile de France, New York, Champlain, Rotterdam, Berlin, Queen Mary, Breman, and many more. Some of the piers are; Constable Hook in Bayonne New Jersey, Claremont Terminal in New Jersey, New Briton Boat Landing in Staten Island, Pier 18 North River, Brooklyn piers and more. Finally, in the back of this journal is two page handwritten entry about a Grand Jury session concerning the seizure of opium on board the ship SS Menclaus. Seems they found opium in the bottom of a bucket hidden under some clothing and belonging to Lee Foo Yung. The diary it's in poor shape with the cover detached but present and the cover is also torn at the spine in places. There are a few torn out pages but the diary itself has over 100 pages, of which 37 have entries. Binding still looks good and there is a bit of foxing around the edges of the pages. The journal measures about 4 ¾" x 6 ¾". Overall Fair.; Manuscript; 24mo - over 5" - 5¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, OPIUM, HEROIN, NORMANDIE, QUEEN MARY, MAYLING BUST, CUSTOM AGENTS, BARLOW, DAY, HAGNER, SMUGGLING, POLICE ENFORCEMENT, CRIMINALITY, CRIMINAL, CRIME, CRIME PROCEDURE, CUSTOMS SEIZURES, PRE WORLD WAR II, DEPRESSION ERA, NARCOTICS, DRUGS, AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, DIARY, JOURNAL, LOG, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTO ALBUM, PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUM, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, HANDSCHRIFT, HANDGESCHRIEBEN, MANUSKRIPT, DIARIES, JOURNALS, LOGS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, antiquité, contrat, vélin, document, manuscrit, papier Antike, Brief, Pergament, Dokument, Manuskript, Papier oggetto d'antiquariato, atto, velina, documento, manoscritto, carta antigüedad, hecho, vitela, documento, manuscrito, Papel,