The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-04-29
Caught In the Act.

oneself. Then person, knowing all the |
circumstances of the case, can trace the |
career of the wrongdoer from the first |
false step until the final catastrophe, when |
he Is laid by the heels. If a man enters |
into career of crime, he Is reasonably |
sure to be caught at last, and as a warn |
ing TO others / set down here the particu-
lars of how, after deluding the customs
officials of France for years and years. 1
was at last trapped and curiously enough,
when was innocent. l am little mixed
as to what the moral should be.
For years and years have deluded the
French customs officials in the matter Of
tobacco. / think, of course, that 1t is
wrong to smuggle as general rule but /
cannot imagine it wrong to bring into an
unenlightened country like France tobacco
that a white man can smoke. / always
calculate the number Of days shall be in
any part of France and then I take q two
ounce package for each day and couple
extra in case 1 should meet 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 l am not citizen Of
France, and as shall be swindled enough
by the hotel keepers in whatever part
chance to be, 1 ease my conscience by
pointing out these facts to It, and 1 must
say that my conscience, being reasonable
one, does not judge me harshly in the
matter. 1t Is needless perhaps to add that
the 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 1 was on my way to
Switzerland l expected to be able to
register my trunk clear through to Bern,
| and although 1 knew tobacco was cheap
and good in Switzerland thought would
take the precaution of putting q few pack
| ages of my own particular brand at the
top of the trunk. 1t was foolish thing
to do, knowing that had to pass through
France, and when 1 got to the railway
station in London and found l could only
register the trunk as far as Paris should
then have taken the tobacco out IL I had
thought about it. We arrived in Paris
little after 8 o'clock in the evening, and
the train left for Bern from a station on
the other side of the city at $3.50, SO there
was just time enough to get comfortable
dinner and cab it across Paris from one
station to the other, but 1t allowed no
| great margin for customs examination.
When the villain who acts for the French
government asked me If had anything to
declare, said didn't exactly know. I
| had some tobacco but 1t was not intended
for use in France. / was going to take the
night train to Bern If could get the lug
gage across Paris In time. I opened the
trunk and showed him the packages Of to-
bacoo He shook his head, and gathering
the packages in his hands he departed,
leaving me there with the open trunk. He
returned after awhile with a 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 tobacco?"
said the official to me.
~ did declare it, answered. II told
him was going through to Switzerland
with 1t and none of it was to be opened in
France"
The official said nothing but the two
understrappers attacked the box and
turned out every mortal thing that was In
1t. I don't carry much luggage when
travel alone, but this trunk contained the
various articles of wearing apparel that
belonged to my family. 1t had been packed
with much care, and the heap 1t made on
the bench where they examine luggage in
Paris was something appalling. 1t 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.
Every we'll, then, get the chief inspector
here as quickly as possible.
| p,t ba has for tho NIGHT ~ aaid
the official.
"Do you mean to tell me, said, "that
you are going to make me miss my train
for Bern all on account of few packages
of tobacco? Keep them, for heavens sake
and present them with my compliments to
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 heller
SHELTER back in the trunk, and finding
they could not squeeze down the lid again
they took the trunk and the rest of my
baggage and locked 1t up for the night.
learned that the inspector would not be
there until 10 o'clock In the morning, and
that would make me miss the morning
train for Switzerland also. 1 again offered
the pompous official the tobacco, but he
said that it was not question of the to-
|
probably fined 1000 francs, he added. A
man who had concealed two boxes of CT
gars, Cuban, had that week been fined
1000 francs, and probably my fate would
be the same as his 1t all would depend
on the inspector.
"But," l urged, 81 did not conceal the
tobacco at all. l told the man 1t was there
before the trunk was opened"
.. The official shook his head.
"You did not declare 1t, " he said.
There was nothing for it, then, but to
go to hotel, which we did. consulted
|, the hotel proprietor, who advised me to
curb my naturally ugly temper and to BIT
!, exceedingly deferential in the morning
,, He said that if the inspector chose to put
a 1000 franc fine upon me should have
to pay 1t or leave my baggage there for
ever.
In the morning / was taken before d
very dignifled official, who scrutinized me
with some severity. He listened to what
| Ia.l 10 -. l.. g.. . A,.-t