The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-07
Che aaaitha Daily Eagle Sunday 7e1or1no amne T. 1908.

had already been conhscated. and the
question now in the minds of the IN
happy agent who made the seizure is
whether the young widow snuggles for
the Senator or the diamond firm.
| Then there are cases of hardship to the
| seagoers who wear diamonds that even
| move the veteran inspectors. albiet they
| have listened to more tales OF woes than
most. to tears. and there are instances
/ though nowhere on record. where the in
spector has relented and let the fair
smuggier go. Only last week there was
a scene upon one of the most fashiona BILE
piers that would have moved any Judge.
however hard hearted. to tears. She ar
rived and was very sick. Her husband
telephoned from the pier for an ambu-
lance. She only asked TO carry with her
her comb and brush; her husband would
remain behind and have the luggage
examined
The inspector 10 whom they were al
lotted is a handsome gray-haired gentle
man. with fine civil war record. and is
most gallant 10 the ladies-he saws so
himself. and should know. The lady be
longs TO the Newport set. and gives sor-
held Information which went 10 show
that she was trying TO smuggle a hun
dred thousand dollars worth Of pearls
1t Was worse than that day at Get
tysburg. says the veteran. but l dill
it, Just as she was getting into the
ambulance with her brush and comb
done UP in a towel l told her. and then
she burst into tears and gave up imme-
diately- She said it was true. but she
hadn't meant TO smuggle II was this
way. Uncle Ben had given her a hun
dred thousand dollars worth of dia-
mOnds on her birthday. but had forgotten
10 give her the sixty thousand dollars
to pay the duty. She couldn't AFFORD
TO refuse the pearls. she could AFFORD
TO pay the duty-was ever woman in such
a plight?-and then she cried.
And l never felt so mean in all my
life, seeing heightened lady like that.
Of the Newport set. reduced 10 tears.
There was no help for it. though | did
feel ashamed. as / always do feel asham-
cd when 1 have to stop people who are
smuggling for fun and their personal
adornment. and not for profit.
The husband said something about his
check, and whether it was good for sixty
thousand. and I had TO tell him that
Uncle Sam doesn't take checks. whether
they are signed by George Gould Of WIZ
liam X. or the man in the street. We
let him out of the enclosure and he
came back in about two hours with the
money and a face that was three feet
and six inches long. In the meantime
his wife had recovered. the ambulance
was dismissed and she rode off in a
hanson
Nine cases out of ten the people who
are apprehended on the pier wriggle out
of it in one way or another. The most
prominent and fashionable smugglers are
those whom the inspectors are learning
to leave alone. because of influential
friends but in nine cases out of ten the
Information received upon which the
treasury department has acted cannot be
substantiated, and then look out for
squalls.
Only last month a little lady of the
vaudeville stage got into trouble because
some one had been so folish as TO believe
her press agent. 1t was announced By
cable that she had put 100000 worth of
her savings in diamonds. an dthat Mr.
", famous money singer. had present
ed her with a pearl necklace because
she had been his mascot at the races.
Her baggage was seized ana nothing
was found but some paste ornaments
that had been battered about in every
theatrical boarding house from st. Lake
to Boston. When they had come TO the
nd of hai he no laI
said: And what has become of that rich
present." "Oh. it was only rough
haired Scotch terrier called Diamonds.
she explained. AS usual, the newspaper
men got il wrong. You can see him at
the butchers on board If you want to-"
And so the legend of rich presents van
ished into thin air. as it so often does.
The last wrinkle of the smuggling trade.
which affects both the personal and pro-
fessionaI sides of it. concerns a coterie
Of impecunious duchesses and marchion-
esses who haunt the little afternoon tea
houses in Paris. making themselves use
ful to Americans and living by their wits.
because they have lost money in Panama
known financial failure.
The treasury and the protective guild
dealers admit that these bankrupt duch-
esses when energized with American
money arc very difficult and almost i'm
possible to beat. They have two very
strong suits which appeal at once 10 the
strongest. almost overmastering. traits Of
a certain class of travelling Americans
The first is 10 have persons OF titles.
however decayed or by whatever base
ness secured. hanging around at their
back and call. and the other is the bard
" less ruling passion that Of making
a good bargain. The duchess who Was
bankrupt but who had made I50.oOof IN
commissions during the last three months
the duchess upon whIm the treasury has
one Of its Argus eyes. operates some
what in this wise She makes the ac-
quaintance Of travelling millionaire. one
Of the class who are not particular o.
peciaIly where the nobility IS concerned.
and soon she is calling tho young
ladies OF the family by their Christian
names.
Alas. the family fortunes have taken
into themselves wings she admits. The
ancient strain Of blood from which she
snriogs vas not intended for these hard
working DAYS. She cannot buy her dear
youns friends diamonds. a. she would
dearly lose 20 do. admits the duchess.
almost teavfulIy but 81 they want %
make any purc hsses fand Lily is goiHg
"a se married and. or course her father
viii have - get her a trinket or t~ol
she ssi.I 20 70 Nais1n Plank and 81 All
be MONEY iu papa pockets IL she does
And n course there h. uo reason whF