Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-12-18
SACkvILLE WAS SCARED
London Scandal Recalls Incident
In His Diplomatic Career.
BRITISH MINISTERIAL WASHINGTON


HIS Passport For Mixing Up In
American Politics.
The scandal affecting the name Ut
Lord Sackville-West, which Is the lat
est London sensation, recalls some in
cidents In his career In this country
while acting as minister from Great
Britain, which career was brought to a
sudden close by political indiscretions
on his part. He was minister here dur
ing the first Cleveland Harrison cam
paign and during that contest received
letter from a California man who
signed himself "Murcliison," ,lcl Jared
that he was former British subject
and asked an expression Of opinion Oh
the diplomatic questions pending be-
tween Great Britain and the United
States for the purpose Of determining
bis vote. Lard Sackviiie replied, init
mating that President Cleveland's re.
election would be satisfactory to Eng
land, and his letter was made public
His passports were promptly given to
him, and he returned to England
A Washington correspondent recaila
the fright which Lord Sackville. West
at one time experienced through the re-
ceipt Of a mysterious package suppos-
ed to have been sent by Fenians.
1t seems that one morning an express
company delivery wagon drew up be-
fore the British establishment, on Con-
necticut avenue, and deposited par
ticularly solemn and mysterious box.
The box in question was not much to
boast of In the matter of size, but it
was a low browed and forbidding pack
age, suggestive Of strategem and plot.
1t was oblong in shape, very heavy as
to its specific gravity and absolutely
noncommittal in appearance. There
was nothing to show where it came
from, the various tags and pastors hav-
ing been multiplied and superimposed
so that no one could accurately deter.
mine its origin. The one conspicuous
feature, however, was an elaborate and
explicit inscription, giving minute de-
tails as to the manner in which the box
was to be opened The legend entered
into the most insignificant particulars.
explaining every evolution with pains
taking care, and leaving it to the fever.
ish imagination Of the reader to prefig-
ure the ghastly consequence Of the very
smallest carelessness.
Naturally the mysterious package first
fell under the observation of the
f1unky, who promptly dismissed it as
not being in his line. Then it came to
the notice Of one of the official under
strappers, who thought 1t good thing
to let alone. Hon. Lionel Sackvi7le-
West looked at 1t and grew white and
broke out into goose flesh. The upshot
was that they sent the oblong box to
the state department with message to
the effect that her majesty's envoy ex-
traordinary and all the rest of it had
no sort Of curiosity as to the contents
and that perhaps the United States au.
thorities might like to examine the
same at their leisure.
What shall we do with itY' This
was the dilemma confronting the rep
resentatives of our great and glorious
government. 1t was a very trumpery
little package, SO far as concerned its
size, but it was tremendous in it's mys.
terry and suggestiveness. Those direc-
hl
much like the programme Of a hOlo-
caust OF the prophecy of an eruption.
The adjacent officials felt that they
were gazing upon the unknown and
the unreasonable.
The officials then put their heads 10.
confusion, wondering what they should
do next with the British minister's ex-
press package, and about that time
a smiling fiunky appeared upon the
scene bearing a very polite and some.
what urgent note in which the minis.
ter, Hon. Lionel Sackyille- West, beg
ged that the box be returned to him
Immediately, This dreadful thing, as
1t afterward appeared, was nothing
more nor less than the working model
Of machine designed by some In.
genious cocl1ney resident in the West
Indies for the cheaper and more ex-
peditious extraction Of the juices of
pineapples and SO forth. Mr. West had
an interest in the industry, and the ma
chine had been sent to him for his in
spection and approval.
The box was afterward rudely open
cd with Ratchet and the apparatus
used in the West menage for the ef.
fectual squeezing Of lemons and tho
like. But the incident was tremendous
while it lasted, and for at least six
hours the British minister and the !,
state department felt as II they stood
upon the brink Of the bottomless abyss.
They felt rs though the secret council
of the Fenian brotherhood, grand, epic,
stood with unlifted dagger
Mt their very throatS