New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-10
SOME WOMEN MAY BE SORRY.
THEY MAY HEAR FROM COLLECTOR Kill
BRETH.
HE is CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION INTO EVA
sIoNs OF CUSTOMS LAWS BY WOMEN WELL
KNOWN IN SOCIETY BY FAILING TO
DECLARE DUTIABLE ARTICLES
ONE STRIKING CASE TOLD
ONE STRIKING CASE TOLD
BY AN OFFICIAL.

BY AN OFFICIAL
According TO Collector Kilbreth there is skeleton
lurking in the closets Of some fifteen or twenty
prominent members of NETWORKS society. 1t Ia
an imported skeleton. and when II moves there
is rich rustling. sken sound accompanying 1t
which cannot be produced in this country. This
skeleton may be dragged from the quiet of the
closet into the glare of publicity. because its
owners. when they reached the home pier. neglected
to pay the admission fee which the United States
Government has decided shall be imposed upon such
things.
The Custom House officers have long been aware
that when that little confessional, relating TO
dutiable articles. takes place each inbound YES
sell many passengers have looked them bravely In
the eye and played Ananias The offenders. for the
most part. are people whose sense OF right would
rebel against such dishonesty under any other cir
cumstances. but when 1t comes to evading Uncle
Sans Customs regulations their consciences be
come elastic. and the point of honor is strained
with scarcely a culver.
Prominent women the officials declare. have been
in the habit OF bringing gowns and cloaks
and innumerabe gloves and kindred articles for
such things in the shops OF Paris or London. When
everything contained In their baggage was their
own personal property and In ms way way nave haoe
known to the officials but under the present sys-
TEN II has been almost impossible to put stop
When refined. educated and cultured women
swear that every article IN their baggage Is their
personal property. said Collector kllbreh To- a
Tribune reporter yesterday. at IL "A most difficult
thing for To prove anything TO the contrary.
This year the exodus to Europe mas been unusually
large. and the evasion of the laws correspondingiy
frequent
I'VE have recently received informatio concern
ing some fifteen twenty just such cases ara act
ing on these valuable clews received we have set
on foot investigation
and the result will be-?
The collector slowly closed one eye ana then
opened IL again. who shall say
I'VE have Information now. he continued: ignor-
ing any further reference TO the question OF GER
tain Somebody who is coming home shortly and
perhaps some OF her friends may be disappointed
4 prominent custom House official told Tribune
man an interesting story regarding case similar 10
these Word was received by us. he said that
was her way home with gowns. sacques' silver
knickkna ks and other duiable articles which
friends had asked her TO bring IN orier that ,ney
OF our officers Of facts. and told him to question
her very severely and give her every possible
chance not TO make a mistake When the steamer
declaration Not a single article was declared. lie
handed II back TO her. and requested her earnesty
10 go over in her mind everything that her trunk
. Are you positively sure that everything in 1t Is
for your personal use he asked.
THE woman was Indignant . -
"'Of course IL is. How dare you ask me such n
wei. he replied. YOU may keep this declaration
again nut the formal questions TO her more ear
nestly than before This time the young woman
was grieved. I shall report this 10 the oihcals. she
They have already reported +, to me the officer
|That was too much for her and she broke down
from nv mind she said. when peace had been
established have been dreading this ever since l
I'VE Collected $40 duty the contents OF her
trunk"