The morning times., 1896-10-11
HIS PASSPORT USELESS
Mr.. Curtis Describes His Ar
rest in Switzerland.
HE WAS ROUGHLY TREATED
Was Refused Permission to Communi-
cate With the American Con sui or
to Secure an Interpreter-SubJec
to Other Indignities ana Financial
LosseS-whoie Thing n Blunder.

Private letters received here from Mr..
G. I. Curtis of the Library OF Congress,
give turtncf details of his recent arrest
In $ Switzerland. AFTER describing his ar
rest 10y lne laundering officials, Mr. Curtis
says:
II showed my passport on the spot, also
my letter OF !uIrUuuction from Secretary
Olney IL our diplomatic Officers, my name
Oh my hand luggage and letters addressed
to me at Washington. lie detective. as
he turne.i out to be, waved the passport
aside after he had seen 1t and SAID IL Hauc
10 difference that l must accompany him.
II asked To be allowed to communicate
with the american consul at this city aud
10 be permitted TO telegraph to the American
minister at Rrrne. The detective positively
refused 10 allow me to communicate with
either the consul or the minister
II was taken from the depot to the
cendarmerie near by, where l was Detained
about half an hour and where l was again
refused the right to communicate with the
American representatives accredited To
this government From this place l was
taken, marched through a driving rain
storm TO the prison at the dotei de viiie,
four officers guarding me. 1 complained
of this indignity. and two OF them left me-.
OF the remaining two one marched at my
side the other ON the other side. when
we peared the prison one fell behind and
walked about three feet behind me. L
was rudeIy made to nas sten up the steep hill
leading To the prison, though was quite
out of breath, and wished to rest FOR a
few moments.
SEARCHED BY DETECTIVES.
AT the Hotel de Vile / was thrust
into a closed room, and the door was locked
behind me- Then seven men came In and
Immediately proceeded i'll a rough, insolent
+, II nf INC
pockets My passport was again thrust
aside ami ignored. After taking every
thing from my pockets was compelled to
strip 10 the skin, and even TO take off my
shoes and hose. Repeatedly | protested
against this outrageous treatment, and
asked that be permitted to communicate
with the American minister at Eerne or
with the consul and offered to pay anyone
literally To take Il message to the telegraph
office, but was again refused
Il was surprised to find my trunk, valise
and hatbox at the prison. Having teen
arrested two la Us before. and it having been
declared by the Bcrne authorities that 1
was not the man so much desired from
Buenos AyreS, could not persuade them
had never been to South America, nor that
| was not conversant with the Spanish
language.
MY trunk and valise in turn came In
for examination, the small valise having
previously been examined valise in
which ! carry my valuables. The various
articles in turn came in for the scrutiny
nf my seven captors. The clothing and let
tiers in nv trunk and valise were thrown
out upon the floor.
COMPARED WITH a PHOTOGRAPH
During this part of my imprisonment I
asked permission to go to the toiletrcum.
This was granted, with the escort of n
detective. Upon my return to the prison
room the search of my property was con-
tiuued Then several books were brought
into this room and the detectives consulted
them. TINS was followed by the production
of photograph of some man-the photo
graph ! was told, was taken in Buenos
Ayres. The detectives scruuniZed the
photograph and my features from every
possible point of view. and finally, at a
little after IL O'Clock. was told that
could 90. %"
"Hurredly all my letters, money. etc,
were thrust into my pockets; my other prop
erty, too numerous to mention, was pushed
into a pile and in a mass jammed into
my valise and trunk, regardless of its safety.
"In the meantime the ticket which had
bought to Paris had become useless because
Of the delay caused by my impnsonmcnt.
/ returned TO the Hotel National, where
explained 10 the clerks of the hotel my cm-
barsasSing position and asked their as
sstancc, for which Volunteered, Of course,
to pay.
'Mr winter, after great difficulty,
made one of the detectives give him a Ie-
ceipt for the railroad ticket, which the
detective Kept. then telegraphed to the
American minister news of my arrest,
asking for protection from further out
RACES and for guarantee that should
be allowed to leave switzerland without
further arrests. this being my second arrest
within two days"