Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-07-29
RUSSIA DEEPLY OFFENDED
American Customs Officers Act
Like B~arbarians.
Rush Into the Russian Exhibit Headquarters
at the Fair and BrusqusIy Demand
the Keys Without Deigning to
Make Explanation.

CHICAGO, July 23.-Yet again there
are symptoms of the brewing of an in
ternational complication at the world'i
fair. This time Russia is the aiygrieved
party and the United States customi
| officials the aggressors. AS n direct re-
| suit of the action of the latter in de-
handing the right to examine the show
cases in the Russian section of the man.
ufactures building the exhibits in the
pavilion are hidden from the public.
Unsightly cloth covers rich furs, spark
ling jewelry and precious china. ware,
and the exhibitors VOW that untu they
receive an apology for the conduct OF
the officials the public will be denied
the qualification of viewing their Sec
ton. This is the story in the words OF
the commissioner general, Shoustcheff-
sky.
Three men, two of them clad in
civilian clothes. the other wearing "a
United States customs badge. entered
the Russian section of manufactures
building and accosted Mr.. Plarr, n rep
resentative Of various large exhibitors
Tcom Russia. rudely demanding the
~aeys to the cases OF which he was in
charge. Mr.. Plarr politely inquired
the reason of such a ~peremptory DC
mand, when a Russian imperial com
missioner. Mr.. Kuehn, stepped up and
wanted TO know what the cornmotion
was about. Mr.. Kuehn forbade Mr..
Plarr to give up the l1ys and walked
away.
SO did the three men, who shortly re-
turned reinforced by five more men, in
Guiding a police officer and several de-
tectives, who repeated the request.
Thereupon MI. Plarr said that as he
was in the employ of the Russian gov.
eminent, on Russian soil. and under the
Russian flag he would receive peremp
tory orders only from Russian officers
connected with the Russian exhibit.
~Thereupon n of the party told him in
very unbecoming language that he did
not care a d for any Russian officials
in America; that this was not Russia.
Then laying his hand on Mr.. Plarr he
informed him that unless he immedi'
ately delivered the keys he was their
prisoner.
Mr.. Plarr turned them over under
protest, saying that the party would
have to answer for his action and that
he was delivering them under duress.
A report of the entire matter was i'm
mediately made to the commissioner
general, who ordered the exhibits all
covered up An investigation is in
progress.
Commissioner Shousteffsky sen o
verbal communication to Director Gen
eral Davis last evening to inform him
Of the occurrence. lie informed Col
onel Davis that a full report would
reach him in due form. The commits.
sioner was an angry man last night.
His feelings toward this country were
by no means of a genial nature.
YES" he said, 1.-The exhibit is covered
up by official order and though J
imagine a proper apology will be forth
coming it will remain in that condition
until that takes place.
THE occurrence is a blot on Ameri
can hospitality, and il is absurd that o
rowdy officer should be permitted tc
take such an action. Certainly it is not
for the management Of the expo
to place its guests at the mercy
81 oficious, unmannerly people
~ Athat- i do not blame the exposi
, ~ company directly. I blame its
y bloyes, and l blame the exposition
company for employing incompetent
men"
Just who are the men referred Il is o
little difficult to discover. The commits
sion declares they informed him that
they were Captain Bonfield's men.
Captain Bonfeld fatty denies hal such
is the case. He says no report of any
such occurrence has been brought
to him; that his men could not
have taken any part in compelling
Mr.. Plarr to deliver up his keys under
any circumstances; hat in no case
could they have taken any orders from
the custom house authorities, for by
acting without orders from their SUI.
perior officer they render themselve.
liable to instant dismissal, and that. in
fine, he is tolerably certain they had nc
part in the transaction.
Director General Davis is by nc
means inclined to offer any unqualified
condemnation of the custom house Off
GERS. He declares that they possess
the right to examine every show case
in the exposition. and that they were
merely doing their duty. He acknowl.
edges, however, that they may have
been somewhat brusque, and In that
event the necessary apology will be
forthcoming.