The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-28
MUST PAY ON WIFE'S GOWNS
col. stuart RIMS FOCL or
TIE CUSTOMS LAWS

L N@AsAAHAa@AA
glnla, hut DtdnT knew nat ui'
WFep I've Year Rssanemes Abroad
i Ne Longer Exempted HleE Dresses.
Col. Henry O. stuart Of Elk Garden. Va.
q former member OF his States Corpora
ton Commission and al present . cahdi-
dsss for Congress from the Ninth district
Of Virginia. said something Of what hs
thought Of the UhileA States customs
laws and Of some customs ogssCssls yesssr-
day afternoon after be had appeared be.
fore Deputy Surveyor Bmyth 10 explain
why bic wife had not declared thu duti-
able goods In fifteen trunks and ten
aaichels which came over with them on
the Maureiania Col. Stuarts opinions
were more foroeIul than parliamentary.
AZ Il turned out he IL not In the plight
Of eG-GOv. Rollins Of New Hampshire.
who paid a S7.OOO fine imposed upon him
/ by Federal Judge. The customs people
have decided that Col. StuaFrs trouble
was due 10 Misunderstanding Of the work
ings Of customs regulations provisions
and thAt'when he pays the duty on the
large wardrobe Of foreign manufacture
which Mrs. Stuart brought over In her
numerous trunks no will be ahsOlved Of
all debt 10 this Government.
Il was a recent change In the customs
regulations Under section 100 Of the tArin
act Of i0Oe which brought confusion TO
Col. Stuart and his wife. American citi-
sens who live abroad more than two years
cannot now claim exemption - non
residents a. they could up 10 few weeka
ago Deputy Surveyor Smyth accepted
the Virginia ColoRel's word for IL that the
very best information that he could OBJ
tain AZ the American Consulate IN Parta
gave him no hint Of this change in the Gus
toms regulations and that when he had
lated Mrs. Stuart as a nonresident In
making ont tho declaration Of her baggage
on the Mauretania e was because she had
been two years continuously ebrOad and
both the Paris Consulate and the Ameri-
can Express Company's Paris once had
vouched for her immunity from tax.
/ Col Stuart IL counted a wealthy man IN
| Virginia. He 10 a nephew Of the late
Gen. !. r. B Stuart. the famous cavalry
/ leader Of the Confederate army. Mrs.
/ Stuart had been in Europe since two years
ago last March. 20 Col. Stuart said yester-
day. and during the last sixteen months
she had been 20 seriously III that he had
gone over three times TO be with her
! Col and Mrs Stuart. their eight-ye
old daughter. q governeas and a maid
| took passage on the Mauritania az LIVER
| pOol last Saturday Most Il not nearly
/ all the baggage slowed away IN the hold
under their name belonged 10 Mis- Stuart.
When the party's baggage was dumped
on the wharf after the landing Of the
Mauritania yesterday morning Inspector
/ George Harnisch. who has an eye for
| fine gowns and Partisan millinery thought
Il visa % devote especial attention to
the numerous trunks and satchels.
There were several painful moments
on the dock while the Inspector uncOv-
cred a large array Of new gowns. a dozen
and more. many pairs OF silken hose.
some very handsome jewels the inspector
thought that one necklace would bring
about 5000 and other articles Of APP
parel and adornment. Mrs stuart had
declared six gowns a. dutiable and on
these her husband paid SS0o duty on the
dock because Mrs. Stuart wanted 70 Use
them Immediately aud she did not relish
the prospect Of having all her clothes
cent % the public stores buildinR.
Deputy Surveyor John O'COnnor took
a look At the contents Of those trunks
which had been opened and decided that
he would seize them all. Then he told
/ Col stuart and hiss wife that they had
bettsr 60 before Deputy Surveyor Smyth
ald have q little talk with him.
Il was when Col stuart emerged from
1 the Deputy Surveyors room and found
/ the reporters waiting for him IN the hall
/ that he gave utterance to his injured
/ feelinES lie began by saying that he
had no statement to make; then he made
one
I shall see that no finger Of discredit
Il pointed TO any act Of mine in this mat
ter he said I don't intend 10 be made
q criminal Ot when have acted perfectly
within my nRhts and only after the most
careful Investigation Of the customs
regulations on my part.
plead guilty. No. sir don't intend
"a plead guilty 10 anything vas
before the Colonel know just where he
stood in the eyes Of the customs people
4 think the vigilance Of the customs in
spectOFs IL greater than necessary; at
least It is greater than their discretion
Don't mistake me- | do not believe
that any purpose exists TO do me wrong
But think that the customs people have
done me a great injustice in thus giving
publicity TO this matter before a thorough
Investigation could bring out the real
truth Of the case
Col stuart and his wife went 40 10 the
public stores building late in thu after
noon and Mrs. Stuart began the work
Of going through her trunks, but the hour
was 40 late that. the task could not be-
hnishedlyestertiay afternoon.
There "a no question in this matter.
said Deputy Surveyor Smyth after the
depmrblrs Of Col. Stuart. Col Stuart
sssng q resident makes his family resi-
dents also and he labored under a mieap-
stuart came under the nonresident
head. ! cannot understand how II was
that the purser Of the Mauritania did not
have . copy Of the new regulations bear