The San Francisco call., 1910-04-10
SMUGGLfR AIIVING
CHRISTMAS TREE
II. K. Mansfield, Searched by
Inspectors, Yields Harvest
of Contraband Goods
Regrets That He Did Not Take
Stuff Ashore at Island .
Port

H. K. Mansfield, who says his home is
in New York and who arrived here yes
terday from the orient on the liner
China, was stripped and searched at
the Pacific Mail wharf by the order of
Chief Boarding officer Charles Ste
phens of the customs service. AS a
living Christmas tree Mansfield was a
wonder, and when Inspector Joseph
Head, who searched the traveller, had
finished his work he had an armful of
jewelry, silverware and other odds and
ends that he had fished from the pock-
cts and lining of MansfeIds raiment.
In addition to the contraband concealed
about his person Mansfield had in
veigled two fellow passengers into at
tempting to smuggle other stuff ashore,
and a search of his baggage revealed
more jewelry and a choice selection of
silks He also admitted having taken
a large package of silk ashore at Homo
lulu, where he shipped it by express to
himself in New York
PARTICULAR HERE
IF 1 had known they would be so
particular here" he said, I'D have
taken the whole business ashore at
Honolulu, where they'll let yoh take
anything ashore. 1 just put the silk.
in the original package under my arm
and walked down the gangplank and
the inspectors never even asked me
what l had"
Collector Stratton seized the Wells
Fargo package, and in view of Mans
fields demonstration of the laxity of
the Honolulu inspectors will pay close
attention hereafter to all express mat
ter from the territory of Hawaii
j. j. Johnson of Berkeley, who was
Mansf1eld's roommate on the China. dis
closed to stephens the fact that he had
on his declaration a list of contraband
that Mansfield had asked him TO seC
ashore, expecting that Johnson would
be able to take advantage of the SIUd
exemption. Johnson is also supposed
to have tipped off, the fact that M. *
Bedell also had some of Mansfields
contraband and that Mansfield himself
was walking jewelry store. Mans
field said that Johnson had tried to
borrow money from him and had vowed
to get even when refused
DECLARES PART OF GOODS
Mansfield did declare some of the
stuff found in his trunks and this he
will be allowed to retain after paying
duty. The rest of his stuff, including
the package shipped from Honolulu,
viii be confiscated. After being
searched Mansfield objected to having
his baggage examined, saying that he
had decided to go to England and ask
Ia gto have his baggage sent to London
in bond Under the circumstances Ste
phens decided to search the baggage and
discuss the matter of bonding 1t later
The articles taken from Mansfield S
baggage and person and turned over to
the customs by his friends included a
collection of silverware, a varied as
sortment of silk goods jewelrY, which
included a jade necklace and half a
dozen rubies, the latter set in the but
tons of silk vest; silk shawls, en-
broidered waist patterns and a case OF
ostrich feathers. The silk found in the
package expressed from Honolulu is
valued at about $50. All of the above
stuff was confiscated. Mansfield
escaped arrest because the contraband
was found before he had made the act
of smuggling complete by taking II
from the wharf.