The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-03-21
PROVE FALSE
Mrs. and Miss Hull Accused Of Snug.
Cling Valuable Necklace.
BAGGAGE is SEARCHED

The Tip Given Custom House Officials
Turns Out to be Untrue-Oscr
Jealous Customs Authorities Find
Minor differentiation Of Clothing.
The Victims are Very Indignant:
The wife and daughter Of Joseph
Hull of Savannah, Ca, one of the
wealthiest and most influential men
in the South, were required to dis
robe in their stateroom aboard the
steamship Lusitania at New York on
Friday while a customs inspectress,
acting on mysterious tip, subse-
uuently found to be false, made a
vain search for a diamond necklace
thought to have been purchased
abroad.
The search proving futile, Mrs.
Hull and the daughter, Miss Eliza
Lamar Hull, were allowed to proceed
to their hotel, where another daugn-
ter, Miss Nina Hull, convalescing
from an attack of typhoid fever, had
preceded them without having been
subjected to search.
The necklace rumor dismissed,
customs inspectors searched the fam
lily baggage, and, charging underval-
uation in the case of Mrs. Hull and
Miss Eliza Hull, seized the articles
in question. Mother and daughter
claimed they had acted in good faith,
but their explanations were not con-
sidered satisfactory to Collector Loeb
and the articles were seized.
They consist entirely of wearing
apparel and will be held until "the
home value" that is the foreign cost,
plus duty, is paid.
Joseph Hull, the husband and
father, was on the pier to greet his
wife and daughter, as was son,
Daniel, a cotton broker in this city.
All were indignant at the proceed
ings and threaten to carry the mat
ter to the courts if necessary.
- eve were made to take off even
our stockings" said Mrs. Hull. "Ev-
cry stitch of our clothing was
searched and even our hair did not
escape. I consider this treatment an
outrage and I had no idea such a
thing could happen on American
soil"
It was explained for the family
that the report concerning the neck
lace had probably come from Savan-
nah, where there was jealousy over
the fact that the Hulls were fortu-
nate enough to afford luxuries~ and
hnery. AS to the differentiation
charges, Daniel Hull said:
"My sister Eliza was the only one
of the three who had previously
been abroad, so I and my father sent
wireless to be very cautious and par
ticular in making their declarations.
AS to the alleged undervaluation, the
total can be no more than $3.50 and
that was due to ignorance of my
mother and sister and was done with
no malicious intent"
"My sister Eliza has a diamond
necklace which she purchased five
years ago in Savannah. A customs
inspector there heard of this and got
the mistaken impression that she
bought the trinket in Paris and was
bringing it with her on this trip. Oi
course she had no such jewels"
It WIS pointed out at the law de-
partment Of the custom house 70
night that federal authorities have
full power to search passengers sus-
pected of having dutiable articles
concealed about them, and it wa;
added that there has never been a
suit brought as the result of such d
search.
Joseph Hull. came on here from
| Savannah to meet his returning wife
and daughter. He is president OF
the Merchants National bank of that
city, chairman of the board of di.
rectors of the Savannah Trust COM
pany, a director of the Central rail.
road and president Of the Prairie
Phosphate company. He is credited
with having made many millions out
of phosphate properties.
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