The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-29
CAUGHT in THE ACT.
E.ssNcH OFFICIALS NAssso The DAN
cERous SMuoGLeR.
A Man HAS a Right to His Favorite Brand
oS smoking Tobacco, but He Must Keer
It out OF Franoe--A Narrow Escape
From a Heavy Fine.


It ont OF Franoe-A Narrow Escape
From n Heavy Fine.
The career OF criminal is always In
tercsting, especially II the criminal be
oneself. Then person, knowing all the
circumstances Of tho case, can trace the
career OF the wronEdocr from tho first
false step until the final catastrophe, when
he Is laid by the heels III a man enters
into a career of crime, he is reasonably
sure TO be caught at last, and as "A warn
ing 10 Others / set down here the particu-
lars of how, after deluding the customs
officials of France for years and years,
was at last trapped and, curiously enough.
when was innocent. i am n little mixed
as 10 what tho moral should be.
For years and years have deluded the
French customs officials in the matter of
tobacco. l think, of course, that II Is
wrong To smuggle as general rule, but l
cannot imagine IL wrong TO bring into an
unenlightcned country like France tobacco
that a white man can smoke. l always
calculate the number of days shall be in
any part of France, and then take IA two
ounce package for each day and couple
extra in case should meet "A friend fam
ishing for a good smoke, and this guam
tity have never had any difficulty in
smuggling into the great European repub-
lie. AS the tobacco is entirely for my own
consumption. and as am not a citizen OF
France and MS / shall be swindled enough
by the hotel keepers in whatever part 1
chance TO bo / ease my conscience by
pointing out these facts 90 IL, and must
say that my conscience being a reasonable
one, does not judge me harshly in the
matter Ii is needless perhaps TO add that
tho French government does not agree
with me in all this; SO, therefore, IN order
not TO trouble the government more than
Is necessary, place these packages about
my person In such way that ON passing
the French frontier give the government
as little bother as possible.
The other day / was on my way to
Switzerland. l expected to be able to
register my trunk clear through to Bern,
and although knew tobacco was cheap
and good I'm Switzerland thought l would
take the precaution Of putting few pack
ages of my own particular brand at the
top Of the trunk 1t was a foolish thing
10 do, knowing that had TO pass through
France, and when l got 20 the railway
station in London and found L could only
register the trunk as far as Paris l should
thon have taken the tobacco out If i had
thought about it. We arrived i'm Paris "a
little aftor O'Clock In the evening, and
the train left for Bern from station on
the other side of the city at $3.50, so there
was just time enough 20 get "a comfortable
dinner and cab il across Paris from one
station TO the others-Sut it allowed no
great margin for customs examination.
When the villain who acts for the French
government asked me n / had anything to
declare, / said didn't exactly know. L
n s..tn .l,I
for use in France L was going 60 take tho
night train to Bern If could get the lug
gage across Paris in time. ! opened the
trunk and showed him the packages of to-.
bacco. He shook his head, and gathering
the packages in his hands no departed
leaving mo there with the open trunk. He
returned after awhile with man who
was evidently higher official, and behind
the higher official came another of the
Same rank as the first.
"Why didn't you declare this tobaccos"
said the official 10 me.
81 did declare IL, " answered. II told
him was going through TO Switzerland
with At and none of IL was TO be opened in
France"
Tho official said nothing, but the two
understrappers attacked the box and
turned out every mortal thing that was In
It. l don't carry much luggage when
travel alone, but this trunk contained the
various articles of wearing apparel that
belonged To my family. lt had been packed
with much care, and the heap IL made on
the bench where they examine luggage in
Paris was something appalling. II didn't
seem to me possible that any human being
could ever get all those things back in the
trunk again. They found no more tobao-
CO, but they all retired TO an Office and
seemed TO consult about the matter Then
the main official came out and said that
this was a case for the chief inspector.
''Very well, them get the chief inspector
here as quickly as possible"
"Dut he has gone for the night" said
the official.
"Do you mean to tell me-" said, "that
you are going TO make mo miss my train
for Born all on account of "A few packages
Of tobacco? Keep them, fo- heavens sake,
and present them with my compliments 60
the Inspector tomorrow, but let me pass
through Paris and catch my train"
He shook his head, and the two under
strappers began putting the things hotter
sketer back in the trunk and finding
they could not squeeze down the lid again
they took the trunk and tho rest of my
baggage and locked IL up for the night. /
ActFitu titt tht Aiirit'ANl NbuAh NV 10
there until 10 O'Clock in the morning, and
that would make me miss the morning
train for Switzerland also. i again offered
the pompcns official the tobacco, but he
said that 10 was not a question OF the to-
bacco at all, but OF fine. / should be
probably fined 1000 francs he added. A
man who had concealed two boxes of ci-
gars, q Cuban, had that week been fined
1000 francs. and probably my fate would
be the same rs his. IL all would depend
on the inspector
But, F" / urged, 81 did not conceal the
tobacco at all. told the man it was there
before the trunk was opened"
The official shook his head
"You did not declare it, " he said.
There was nothing FOR IL, then, but To
60 TO a hotel, which we did. | consulted
tho hotel proprietor, who advised me TO
curb my naturally ugly temper and 90 bo
exceedingly deferential I'm the morning.