Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-08
HAD TO SEARCH HIS BAGGAGE
English Customs Officers Go Through
Senator Sherman's Trunks.
EXPLANATIONS WOULDN'T DO
Colonel New Calls IL an Outrage, But
Fails TO Secure Satisfaction
Dcpew Makes Witty
Speech.
1t DIsgusted the Senator.

LONDON, August - New York Herald
Cable-Special to THE BEE. l-Senator John
Sherman has had but one single experience
during his European tour which he remem-
bers with disgust 1t occurred in London. A
few days ago he returned from Belgium
with his baggage checked through to Char
ing Cross station. The baggage consisted of
several trunks and some newly purchased
dresses belonging to Mrs, Sherman, which
had been hastily packed by the dressmaker
in wooden box. On disembarking at Char
ing Cross the senator left his party
few moments to find the baggage
porter. On returning he found the
ladies surrounded by customs officials, who
insisted upon scanning the contents of every
piece, and were behaving in manner con-
sidered outrageous by the senator. He
stated there was nothing dutiable in the
baggage, and gave the chief official his card.
Neither cards nor explanations had any
effect Every trunk was empted, the
wooden box broken open and left in that
condition.
That none of the officials were
thrown under the wheels of the
train during the performance, Sher-
mans friends cannot understand.
He happened to mention the matter to Col
onel New. The latter was rampageous. He
went to the proper authorities, sand Sherman
was senator and eX secretary of the treas
ury and described the affair as an outrage.
What were they going to do about it'll
The authorities expressed sorrow and
would discharge the men If desired This
sort of satisfaction was not wanted and none
other could apparently be obtained
Sherman said to the Herald correspondent
that the affair was queer COM
mentary on the tariff regulations
of the great free trade country
| of the world The same baggage had gone
| through France Switzerland, Germany,
| Italy and Belgium without trouble to the
| owner until free trade England was reached.
| 1t was proper, perhaps, to take precautions
| against the introduction of dynamite, but he
! did not think the appearance of the party or
| baggage warranted the assumption that a
| large quantity of explosives was being intro
| duced by United States senator.
When Depew heard the story he said the
| officers might have been searching for
| old silver, as Americans who visited the con-
| tinent often made point OF purchasing large
| quantities and trying to smuggle. The Gus
| tom officers were ordered to search all bag
| gage from the continent. A few years ago
| he came here from the continent armed with
| introiuctions and recommendations to the
| chief of the customs officials by thei managers
| of railroads, the United States consul and
| others in authority. His baggage was eX-
| amined all the same. Asked why, the chief
L
| long before an American lady, who occupies
| high social position in London, was a pas
senger on the same road. She had the same
| sort of lntroductions, and pretty and winning
| ways. Two subordnates chalkeG her bag
] gage. Three days afterwards both men were
| discharged. The American lady had been
| taken to dinner at social gathering by a
| cabinet officer, to whom she told, as speci-
men of her cleverness, how she had got her
| baggage through with lot of old
| silver aboard. Now nobody escapes the
| infiction undergone by Sherman, and 1t
| gives rise to heaps of strong language.
| Sherman witnessed the review with Lin
! coin and the Representatives of the foreign
powers and many lords and commoners
| aboard the lamar. He speaks enthusiastic
ally of his treatment aboard and says he
| knew he was not ut home when he discov-
| cred that not u single newspaper asked how
| much the lunch cost. He will spend another
| month IN England and Scotland. He has
| been handsomely received everywhere. His
| manner is full of n genialty unknown to
| many who come in contact with him at
home.
Depew made an immense hit aboard the
| Teutonic during the naval review. There
| were 200 guests, including cabinet ministers,
members of both houses and other high
| dignitaries. A number of toasts were given.
| Sir Charles Tupper responded to the toast of
| Canada. He deprecated the idea
| of trouble between Canada and
| the States, spoke of both nations as great
countries, and put them on par. Depew
was called on to respond to the toast of the
| United States He had paid attention to
| Tupper, evidently determined to more than
| square accounts in spite of the surroundings.
| He said in such a little matter as population,
| and such accumuations as population,
energy, enterprise and marvellous inventive
| genius naturally resulted in, the Unite
| States might be little in advance OF Can
| ada; but in extent of territory Canada was
| certainly the equal to her great neighbor IA
| pause Though it must be confessed that
| most of Canada's territory. was acres. Be
| fore the pause came the Englishmen were
| about to applaud. What followed froze them.
| A few hissed. Depew remained unmoved
| and proceed to give his hearers an idea of
| how rapidly acres costing go became worth
$4,000 a front foot, and how
| Il husband in the west once
| told him his chief pleasure was in
| removing his wife's remains from one ceme-
| terry to another TO accommodate tho growing
| wants of the town, as she had been i'm
| mensely interested in its growth in life.
| 1t was such IA speech as would have shaken
| Delmonico's walls. On the Teutonic on the
| following day it was considered the great
| speech of the trip. II had performed its
mission, though little slow in getting there