The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-19
mrs. CHHSBROUGH ON TRIAL
$4,000 PEARL NECKLACE ~
BROUGHT INTO TRE CASE.

Details oG rs seizure Not Vet Made PUZZLE
Customs Omelals give Testimony Al
10 Alleged False BOltnm IN Trunk and
shsw TruBk a. Evidence IN Court
TRENTON. May is.-Mrs. Matilda Ches-
brouRh. whose husband. Fremont b.
ChesbrOugh. owns o line Of cOastwise
Nteamahips plying out % Boston and owns
also a large part OF a town in Michigan.
was placed ON trial in the United States
District Court to-day for smuggling.
For five hours Mrs. ChesbroUgh listened
TO the Government Witnesses called 30
prove thnt she had planned 90 evade duty
on about 1850 worth Of goods which she
had in her trunks when she landed in HO-
boksn from the Kaiser Wilhelm IL. on
May %. 1909. A. an incident in the pro-
oeedings Mrs. ChesbrOugh also watched
the customs officials unpack one Of her
big steamer trunks and exhibit 10 the jury
an alleged false bottom under which the
Government claims some Of the dutiable
articles were discovered.
Indirectly thene was brought into the
evidence the fact that several months
after her arrival a pearl necklace valued
by the customs authorities at S25,OOO was
seiEed. The details OF this seizure were
not brought out in tO-days proceedings,
and from the objections Of Mrs. Ches-
brough's counsel it was evident that an
effort will BE- made % prevent duplicating
her in the importation Of the necklace.
The fact that there was such a necklace
was the result Of finding in one of Mrs
ChesbrouRh's trunks a bin for an $4,000
pearl necklace.
While this phase Of the case was under
investigation. Mr.. Chesbrough told the
Government officials that the necklace
had been shipped TO Canada. where ii
was being held In a safe depOait bank
pending the passage Of the revised tariff
law. which he anticipated would reduce
the duty upon pearls. Agents were sent
by the Government to Canada. but the
necklace was not found in the place 70
which they had been directed. Sub
se1uentlv Is was surrendered under cir
cumHtanoAs which have not vet been
made public
Inspector John B. Herman Of the New
York Custom House was the first witness
called for the Government. He testified
TO the inspection Of Mrs. Chesbrough's
baggage and the discovery u the al
legged false bottom In One u the trunks
As the trunk was unpacked he pointed
out TO the jury the various articles which
he testified had been found below the
false bottom. Then the trunk was turned
over and the jury was asked 10 look az
a narrow strip 81 wood running around
the inside Of the trunk several inches
above the real bottom. On this there was
a board covered like the rest OF the trunks
interior The witness said that this had
been nailed TO the trunk, whereupOn Mrs
ChesbrOugh's counsel tried % show that
there were no nail holes anywhere in the
trunk. One or two small marks we're
found. which the District Attorney told
the jury were where the nails had evil
IDENTIFY bsen.
Upon cruss-examinAtiOn Mr.. Herman
admitted the possibility that some u the
dutable articles which he had described
as having BEEN found beneath the false
bottom might have bsen discovered else
where in the trunks or even IN the other
baggage brought in by Mrs. Chesbr0uRh
Counsel for Mrs. Chesbrough tried 70 get
Mr.. Herman 10 admit that Il was the prac-
tise % give incoming Passengers an OPP
pOrtunity 90 amend their declarations 81
dutiahle articles The witness said he
had never heard 81 such a rule. Counsel
then tried 20 put in evidence the pro-
osedings az the recent SEIZURE II goods
belonging 20 former Governor Rollins u
New Hampshire. who with members of his
family was charged with smuggling.
Judge Rellstab ruled out all such ques-
tons as immaterial.
When Questioned concerning the seizure
Of the t2S. 90 necklace, Mr.. Herman said
he had heen directed TO 60 10 tho law
division. where the necklace was turned
over to him and he added Il 10 tho list
Of Mrs. ChestrOugh's property which had
heen seized He had not been informed
how the necklace came into the possession
II the law division.
John J. BOnk, an appraiser, testified
10 an examination he had made of Mrs
ChesbrOugh's effects. He said Mrs. Ches-
brOugh had informed the authorities
that all the duti articles except one
waist, which abe had failed 10 declare
had been purchased IN this country.
She had also volunteered the information.
he testified. that her trunks had been
packed by an expert and that she did not
know personally what had been placed
lHlow the false bottom. The witness
said Il was the practice of tho customs
officials to have experts whose duty it
u 10 keep posted upon,all the latest styles
IN the foreign market Some ~ the
articles which Mrs Chesbrough had failed
to declare were Of such recent origin. he
aAid. that they could not have been pur-
chased In this country before she went
abroad
Deputy Surveyor Alexander McKeon
verified the testimony Of Mr.. Herman a.
TO the examination Of Mrs. ChesbrouRh's
effects. He said she had told him that the
man who packed her trunks had advised
her that there were no articles below the
false bottom which she needed 60 de-
clare
The trial will he resumed tomorrow
morning Mr.. Chesbrough was in court
all day with his wife.