The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-08-22
SOCIETY WOMAN
4 SMUGGLER
Mrs. "JaCk" Gardner Faces Ar
rest For Cheating Customs.
HAS BEEN III TROUBLE BEFORE

Valuable objects Of Art Tapestries.
Paintings. 5,stuary and Bare Pieces
OF Arror. Purchased Abroad. Were
Sent to This County As "Houoohola
Cooes"-was Made to Pay a Fine
Of S7oooo-coods Were Shipped to
This Country Through a Friend In
Chiesso.
Chicago. Au-. 2o.-Nrs. Emily Rock
well Crane Cnadhourue. daughter OF
Richard 4. Crane and the former wife
Of Thomas L.. Chad5ourne. and Mrs
'Jach Gardner. the eccentric Boston
widow. AN owner of a remarkable col
lection OF art objects. face trial for
the alleged smuggling of valuable
works oi art Through the United States
customs ONCE.
United states custom officials here
have seized iaposfri-s paintings stat
uary and rare pieces OF armor. valued
al $4,000 sue property of Mrs Gard
ner. which was brought abroad for
Mrs GarGcnrs palace in Back Bay
Fens
The goods. the customs officials al
lego. were brought into this country
as the "hpu- cAoid goods" OF AIRS En-
ily Rockwell Crane Chadbonrne. of
this city. q friend of Mrs. Gardner. ON
which Mrs. Chadhourne. tho govern.
mout officials say. placed a valuation
OF 5000
Mrs. Ch2ihournc and Mrs Gardner
NaaHH
month Mrs. Chadbournc returned from
trip abroad Besides her man,
trunks. she brought with her on tho
s,raucr several large cases which
were marked household goods" val
uei al $4,000. She made a doclara-
tion on landing ia New York tina, the
goods were hcr personal property. that
they had bocn in use for less than a
year abroad. and that they were not
dutiahle
Meantime special agents OF the
treasury department in Paris tipped
OFF, the shipment. and. although the
New York customs officials were un-
able To act quickly enough 10 stop the
household goods In that city. Gus
toms officials in Chicago had better
luck.
The cases were examined here. and
instead of $4,000 worth of pots and
pans. Leisteads chairs and other
things. sSfO10 worth OF tapestries.
marbles. oil paintings. armor. porce-
lains and other things of like nk
We're exposed TO view.
Heroic efforts were made to settle
the case without publicity and as
chcaply as possible The government
authorities were incensed at the at
tempted fraud. and when the apprais-
ers fixed n value Of $50. 900 on the
$4,000 worth of household goods.
they Immediately assessed the legiti-
mate duties (which amounted 10 $50
o0O). and then clapped on a so per
cent. penalty on the gross value of the
goods
This made a nice little sum of S7O.-
900. which somebody had 70 put up.
II took some days to get this money.
but finally a check for the amount was
handed to the customs authorities.
The goods were thereupon declared
forfeited to the government. and IL
Mrs. Gardner wishes to get them she
must pay the government $50. 900
their real value-for them; otherwise
they will be sold at auction
For the last three weeks friends OF
Mrs. Chadbourne and Mrs. Gardner
have been moving heaven and earth
to ward of the governments big stick
They have been willing enough to set
tie financially. hut they have been
pleading that no criminal prosecution
follow.
This is not Mrs. Gardner's first un-
pleasant experience with customs Off
cials in regard to her art museum. A
few years ago she had trouble over
the entry OF articles for the opening
of the Isabella Stuart Gardner mu-
scum on the Boston Fenway.
After putting up bond of 5000 900
to cover any possible duties. Mrs
Gardner was allowed to bring in guam
titles of art treasures. She contended
that the goods should come in free. as
is permitted in the case of articles for
museums to which the public has ac-
cess.