Bridgeton pioneer., 1908-09-03
SOCIETY WOMAN
A SMUCCLER
Mrs. "Jack" Gardner Faces Ar
| rest For Cheating Customs.
HAS been IN TROUBLE BEFORE

Valuable Objects of Art, Tapestries,
Paintings, Statuary and Rare Pieces
of Armor, Purchased Abroad, Were
Sent to This Country AS "HousehoId
Goods"-Was Made to Pay a Fine
of ,ooo-Goods Were Shipped to
This Country Through a Friend In
Chicago. %
Chicago, Aug. 20.-Mrs. Emily Rock
well Crane Chadbourne, daughter of
Richard T. Crane and the former wife
of Thomas L. Chadbourne, and Mrs.
"Jack" Gardner, the eccentric Boston
widow, an owner of remarkable col
lection of art objects, face trial for
the alleged smuggling of valuable
works of art through the United States
customs Office.
United States custom officials here
have seized tapestries paintings, stat
uary and rare pieces of armor, valued
at $4,000, the property of Mrs. Gard
ner, which was brought abroad for
Mrs. Gardenr's palace in Back Bay
Fens.
The goods, the customs officials al
lege, were brought into this country
as the "household goods" of Mrs. EN-
lily Rockwell Crane Chadbourne, OF
this city, friend of Mrs. Gardner, on
which Mrs. Chadbourne, the govern
ment officials say, placed valuation
Of $4,000.
Mrs. Chadbourne and Mrs. Gardner
have long been close friends. Last
month Mrs. Chadbourne returned from
trip abroad. Besides her many
trunks, she brought with her on the
steamer several large cases which
were marked household goods" val
ued at $S000 She made declara-
ton on landing in New York that the
goods were her personal property, that
year abroad, and that they were not
dutiable.
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 to 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, bedsteads, chairs and other
things, $SO,000 worth of tapestries.
marbles, oil paintings, armor, porce-
lains and other things of like ilk
were exposed to view.
n Heroic efforts were made to settle
Il the case without publicity and as
Il cheaply as possible. The government
authorities were incensed at the at
tempted fraud, and when the apprais-
ers fixed value of $4,000 on the
$4,000 worth of household goods"
they Immediately assessed the legiti-
mate duties (Which amounted to $780,
O00), and then clapped on so per
cent. penalty on the gross value of the
goods.
This made nice little sum of $70,-
It took some days to get this money,
but finally check for the amount was
handed to the customs authorities.
The goods were thereupon declared
forfeited to the government, and if
Mrs. Gardner wishes to get them she
must pay the government $4,000
their real vaIue-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 off the governments big stick.
They have been willing enough to set
tie financially, but they have been
pleading that no criminal prosecution
follow.
This is not Mrs Gardner's first un
pleasant experience with customs off.
eials 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 100000
to cover any possible duties, Mrs
Gardner was allowed to bring in quan.
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'