The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-09-25
miscellaneous.
FEMALE SMUGGLERS.

A man who has been in Uncle Sans ser
vice at the custom-house during the create
part of the last quarter of century SAT-
lately that two-thirds of the stately matrons
fascinating widows and pretty girls of Fiftl
and Madison avenues are criminals.
"A criminal is a person who is an habitua
lawbreaker, is he not :" he said. "Well, two
thirds of the rich women of this city are ha
bftual law breakers. That makes them Grim
inas, does it not? These wealthy women q
to Europe every few years. When any ont
of them has just returned let any friend vis
her house, and | will bet my years salary
against peanut the friend will be shown
some article purchased abroad which the
owner, with merry twinkle in her eye anC
conscious pride in her tones, will inform hel
visitor she was clever enough to smuggle in
without paying any duty on ii. There isn'i
one person in hundred who considers il
wrong to cheat the customs laws. OF course
it is awful if you get caught.
Mot many years ago one of the cleveresi
women with whom ever came in contact
was engaged regularly in smuggling dresses
from Paris for the wives and daughters of oul
milionaires. She was betrayed by pure &C
cident and when she was arrested her order.
book contained names which would have
startled the town had they ever been made
public.
"The private office of the United States
district attorney the day of this woman's ar.
rest saw remarkable number of rich and in.
fluential visitors, all of whom were anxious
To prevent this womans lutte order book
from getting into the hands of the newspa.
per reporters. Their efforts, of course, were
successful, and the prisoner was also prevail
ed upon to keep her counsel. l have said
this woman was clever. She was also young
very beautiful and one of the most entertain
ing and fascinating conversationalists | ever
met.
My attention was first called to her by one
of our inspectors. At the time Chizzola, the
theatrical manager, had a French opera
troupe, of W hich Nine. Aimee was the Gen.
tral figure, performing at the Academy OF
Music. The night after the arrival of one OF
the French steamers I paid visit to the
play. AS was entering the academy | met
the inspector to whom [ refer. You ought
to wait he said. Aimee will be forgotten
after this week. You ought to see the new
prima donna who came in to-day Aimee
can't begin to compare with her. And the
dresses she had, why, they must have cost
over fifty thousand dollars. l have nothad
time to report to you to-day, but have copies
of her contracts in my pocket which intend
to turn over to you tomorrow morning.
II took the contracts and examined them
closely. They were all regularly executed by
Chizzola's agent in Paris and were exact and
minute in every detail. They specified how
many maids were to be allowed to the sing
er, how much was to be allowed for the
board of her maids, how she was to travel
and, in fact, everything which would be ex,
pected by capIicious and petted successful
prima donna.
"Chizzola is a sly old fellow. l thought
he intended to spring this wonderful wo-
man on the public without any advance
notice and take the town by storm. As
entered the theatre spied the manager stand
ing in the foyer.
".Let me congratulate you,' said, extend
ing my hand, Sin securing the beautiful sing
Ell who arrived from Paris to-day. You may
surprise the public but you canuot surprise
me. We had to pass her wonderful dresses
you know
"WhOm are you talking abOut?" asked
Chizzola, with look of establishment.
"'Come, there is no use of your playing ig
norance with me, retorted. i am talking
about Mile. Leon JouViE, and here are copies
of her contracts
"ChiZZola took the papers, examined them
and burst out laughing. The joke is or
you,' he said; these contracts are forgeries
1 never heard OF the woman. She has sim
ply been using these contracts to deceive
your inspectors, so that she might smuggle il
her costumes And so it proved. We traced
the lady to her hotel, and, once cornered, she
soon confessed.
"But the funniest case in all my experience,
continued the narrator, twas one that brought
four hundred dollars to the conscience fund
One day not long ago on entering my office
was informed by one of my subordinates thai
gentleman, in whose name ] recognized
one of the best-known clergymen of the city
was waiting for me, and that he seemed very
much excited over something. AS entered
l held out my hand and said: Doctor, glaC
to see you. Ofwhat service can l be to you
knew he had just returned from Europe
but could not imagine what he wanted. HI
tried to reply to my salutation, but his fac,
colored and he stammered badly.
Il did not know what to say, but simply
| stood looking at him. Finally, with heroic
effort he thrust his hand in his pocket, pull
ed out bundle, and holding it out to me
said Ill struggled these.
"Youp l exclaimed. He sank down OF
the sofa, and / verify believe at that momen
he wished he was dead.
"I-I-I did not mean to-" he said, but
did it without knowing it, pitied hin
from the bottom of my heart, but | coulC
hardly keep my face straight.
"Compose yourself, DOCTOR said 'anC
tell me about it. l guess We can fix it al
right"
"'Well, you see," he said, after few mo
ments, my two daughters accompanied mt
to Europe. On the way across in the steam
er found them frequently talking about thu
best way to smuggle dress goods and laces OF
| their return home. / demonstrated will
them for thinking of such thing, and exact
ed solemn promise that they would make
no attempt to smuggle. only arrived home
yesterday, you know. Last night went tt
the room of my daughters to kiss them goot
night, and what do you think found then
doing? They were ripping open the lining
| of the overcoat had worn in coming off thu
| steamer and taking out these laces.'
81 was thunderstruck. | reminded then
of their promise to me not to smuggle, ant
what do you think they replied? 1--WE didn'
smugge anything, father" they said togeh
err awe kept our word. 1t was you whit
did the smuggling" Now what am going
to do? must pay the duty to ease my con
science, for did smuggle, but it is awful tt
have my name go on the government record
as smuggler.'
81 went out laughing. l couldn't help il
| Then calculated the amount due for duty
and told the doctor to send me four hundret
dollars in bills in an envelope addressed Il
the conscience fund. He went away yer,
much relieved. The next day the envelop
and money arrived all right, and no one Blu
myself and the preacher will ever know VIII
it was that sent that four hundred dollars t.
the conscience fund.-"
The censures nor the praises of mai
need not move us. We report to headquar
tiers and subordinates' estimate need be moth
ing to us.