The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-17

the collector of customs. William Loeb.
Jr.. has had every source of informa-
ton thrown open to me. With other
things he has given me typewritten
list of the criminal prosecutions which
have been made by his Office IN the
past two or three years. This has
the names of scores who have gone
through the courts and have been fined
all sorts of amounts from 81 to $685.
900. The total OF the fines alone up
to the LIST of November was little
over 100000. and this is bagatelle
in comparison with the amounts which
have been collected through under
valuations and on merchandise, to
which I refer farther on.
These fines arc almost altogether
from eople who have tried to sAeak
things through in their baggage flom
tho steamers. The offenders s:u of
all classes. from New York nllline-s
and dressmakers to some of the rich
| est and most prominent of the lard
One is the wife Of a former Governor
or New England, and another that Of
a prominent politician IN West Vir-
ginia. Each Of these women tried tG
smugglc in jewelry ind each was fined
| $4,000.
| Grown Fat on Duties, They Object TO
| Duties.
|
magnates, whose millions have come
from the tariff protection Of the things
their husbands manufacture. One such
case was as to a pearl necklace and
other Jewels brought In by the wife O.!
millionaire making agricultural ma
! chinery. This was the Adriance al
fair, of which something has appeared
| in the newspapers. The madame was
| fined $4,000, and the goods she at
tempted to smuggle were forfeited.
Upon this her husband denounced TIE
] government for prosecuting travellers
who sought to bring in "a few petty
things free.n AS remember 1t. among
| the petty things in this case We're
some pearls valued at $4,000. which
the woman had hidden In the folds OF
her straw hat. The millionaire's re-
mark was reported to Mr.. Loeb, where
upon Loeb said that Mr. Adriance had
made n big fortune out Of the duties
which the United States imposed upon
but that when 1t came to his paying
any duty himself he objected.
| a somewhat similar case OF trust
fortune failing to pay duties was that
ronnected with the Leeds necklace
This case came up shortly before Col
lector Loeb got his appointment w. b
Leeds, one of tho millionaires OF the
tin plate trust, had gone 10 faIi5 U
live, and awhile there Mrs. Leeds nae
bought famous necklace at a cost 81
$4,000 She wore the necklace II
Paris, but part of her bargain wa:
that It was to BIO delivered to her II
Newport without duty within certain
time II she so desired. In order t.
escape paying some Of {, the duty thu
syndicate took the necklace apart AM
shipped it in as loose pearls, in which
shape st was invoiced at 100000, TIL
tariff upon loose pearls was 10 pc
cent, and. as ] understand 1t, at tina
ratio the necklace was passed.
In the meantime. however, the epe
cial customs spies at Paris cabled Ne'
York that the necklace had been Wor
by Mrs. Leeds before it was shipped
and that it should therefore nay dut
as q. necklace. Upon this the matte
was again taken UP and the duty rail-
ed to $4,000, or $4,000 more tina
the original sum. To this the importer
objected, and the court then fixed tt
duty at the loose pearl rate of $4,000
This decision was appealed from. an
as understand it. the case has gor
!, to the United States Supreme Cour
and 1t has adjudged that lat must
reconsidered. $500 s:
Dressmakera Who smuggIe.
In the past much OF the petty snnul
:. | "a rAa,, dNnn nv n la