Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-06-29
search for oontraband OF war.


The correspondent of the Boston Journal re-
lates the following incidents attending the
sea Oh for contraband at the Relay Houee.
We quote: ..,,, 2,
Y1u hear the whistle of the train bound for
Hatper's Ferry. As it comes rounding the
curve, the guard is drawn up on each, side OF the
track. Soon as the train stops, soldier steps
on each platform Of every car, and sees that no
one gets off or on. the one whose business 1t
10 to develop" any coDtraband articles or per-
sons, enters the forward passenger car. He
looks under The irst seat, and finds nothing but
very suspicious female. Her hoops are very
large, and she looks about the waist as though
she indulged In free use Of cotton, or else is
q walking train 10 the use of the Rebels. The
searcher looks, but doesn't know what TO do.
He cannot, OF course, treat her as he would o
man, for everybody would call him brute, and
besides, he has no taste for such things. At last
he timidly requests that she will rise, In the
hope that some reasonable article may fall and
discover her character. ESQ 70 g3s5 rt 80
Here 10 man who either looks little con-
fused, or else puts on stolid expression, as
| though he were utterly Indifferent. After hav-
ing carefully investigated this seat, the search-
er politely asks the individual TO empty his
pockets. Mind you, this is really done politely,
and while asking O thousand pardons for the
demand All letters directed to individuals
south Of the Potomac are confscated. Often--
times they are found to contain valuable in
formation. If the man is very suspicious the
search is correspondingly rigid. The hands are
passed over his coat and inside his vest, and
woe be to him if anything Is discovered that
stamps him as spy. So the cars are looked
through, one by one. Some OF the passengers
laugh, some grow mad and swear, some see the
reason Of the thing and yield at once, others
bluster and threaten, aud have to be shut up by
the fear of immediate arrest If they open their
mouths again. i....f.,,..
The sesrcher then says: "All who have bag
gage will please step into the forward car,"-
He then asks each man to open his trunk, and
passes his hand as carefully as may be through
the bundles of varieties with which human be-
ings fill their apparatus. Ones luggage does
not undergo one half the danger which it 10 sub
jected to In q Liverpool custom house. have
seen both classes of operators, and / would
much prefer to go by the Relay than land in
Liverpool. p
Suddenly the searcher comes across COM
mon looking, red, wooden trunk. 1t is mark
ed Mary Birkitt, Wheeling, Virginia. There
| is nothing suspicious about It,. Ii looks In
keeping with some village aunt, who had fore.
sworn the company of the coarser sex, and had
just returned from a visit to some relations who
had lately thrown themselves away by swear
4 ing, In the presence of parson, TO keep house,
neatly and economically, for some one OF those
worthless creatures called men. The searcher
calls out for Mary to come and display her dry
goods, but no Mary is to be found. He calls
again, and with the same result. The con-
ducter is questioned, but he knows nothing
about the matter. The thing looks all right
but It won't do to let even Mary Birkitt's trunk
20 out without knowing what Ia In it. So, after
| having sounded another call for the epinster II
1 make her appearance, the searoher Gala Tor .
hammor and chisel, and opens the thing. No
thing alarming Is presented. On the top Is |
very white, and nicely done up pair of sleeves
Then comes chemistte, and then dress. and
then 1.-TWO million of percussion caps. All
1 Mary, that was sorry dodge. No wonder you
didn't answer when your name was called
| Why, my dear Mary, you have here more caps
than you could wear in q dozen .lifetimes. The
trunk is confscated.
Col. Jones was once going through train on
| the scent of suspicious articles. He saw be-
| tween two seats q small basket. The top was
partly raised and discovered some sandwiches,
gingerbread, etc. 1T was of course nothing
surprising to see luncheon basket in the cars.
! The conductor came up and said, Colonel, an
4 old woman owns that basket II believe che has
stepped into the forward car" Well. that was
very reasonable. However, Just as he was 60
ing to leave it the Colonel put bis little finger
under the handle, to Gee how much basket oi
luncheon weighs, you know. Bat the thing
didn't come up. Somehow it stuck to the floor
He then applied bis whole hand, and after re-
moving the gingerbread. be discovered about
half peck Of bright brass buttons, which were
/ on their way to adorn the uniforms OF Virgins
i rebels,