The Holbrook news., 1912-07-26
HAD RATS IN TRUNK
THE OPENING OF WHICH WA
 CAUSE OF SCRAMBLE.
After Making Voyage Across AtIantA In Packing Case Owned by Family of Germans, Over Score of
 Rodents Are Killed.

Baltimore.-Customs inspectors-a
 least some of the old-timers like Will fam H. Richardson, Charles H. Bran nan, Levin J. Heathcote and others expect to run across things that ar< strange sometimes dutiable- the baggage of steamship passengers from the other side. Even the young CT members of the force are on the lookout for experiences that are out oi the ordinary; but in the more than 2 quarter of a century of service under Uncle Sam Inspector Richardson the other day encountered something new under the sun, as far as the United States customs regulations are con cerned
 And did he add another page to his record? He certainly did. So did several other inspectors.
 Examination of baggage, especially that of immigrants, is not the most pleasant occupation in the world. AsA any customs inspector about this. But to open box of personal belongings and then to jam ones hand into 8 nest of rats-or rather three of them -is just a little bit more than even blase inspector cares to go through And because of this there hangs tale-or, to be more exact, nearly two dozen tails-and the following is the yarn:
 The Breslau, with 1,153 passengers from Bremen, docked at pier 8, Locust Point, the other afternoon, where the cabin passengers were landed that night, and the steerage kept aboard until the next morning. There were 1,105 in the steerage, the majority oi whom were men, but there were number of women and several famf lies among the immigrants. One ol the families was that of Heinrich Popken, a thrifty German, who had with him a splendid family of sever full-grown children, in addition to his wife-six handsome daughters ana one son-each of them well dressed apparently well educated, and, need less to say, the cause of considerable comment. The family had numerous packages containing household goods and personal belongings. Inspector Richardson opened the first box and found nothing dutiable. While he wal taking out the belongings of the Pop kens, a second case had been opened | As soon as the lid was lifted the in | spector saw that nothing but ruin lay before him.
 'Rats!" he cried. 'se what rati have done"
 With the cry the case was sur rounded by customs officers, railroad men and immigrants. And it was a sorrowful sight to the Popkens. The | case had been filled with clothing; but i not even a 'ragman would have taken the articles as they lay. They were eaten to small particles, and reduced | to worthlessness.
 Inspector Richardson took charge oi the situation and there began a search for the marauders. They were soon uncovered. First one and then an. other of the rodents was unceremoni ously chased out of his comfortable quarters. The cry spread among the and in a few seconds the whole pier was in an uproar. The cry of "Ratsl" in half a dozen languages rang through the building. Here and there scurried the rats. After then sped former Cossacks, Austrians, Rou manians, Bulgarians, Germans, Poles and Hungarians. Not one rat man aged to escape, and when the carnage was over there were 23 of then lifeless on the hard, cold floor.