The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1912-06-01
HAD RATS IN TRUNK
THE OPENING OF WHICH WAS
CAUSE OF SCRAMBLE.
After Making Voyage Across Atlantic
In Packing Case Owned by Family
OF Germans, over Score Of
Rodents Are Killed.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. inspectors-at
least some of the old-timers like VIII
lam II. Richardson, Charles H. Bran
nan, Levin J. Heathcote and others
expect to run across things that are
strange-and sometimes dutiable-in
the baggage OF steamship passengers
from the other side. Even the young
er members OF the force are on the
lookout for experiences that are out OF
the ordinary; but In the more than
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. Ask
any customs inspector about this. But
to open a box OF personal belongings
and then to jam ones hand into a
nest OF rats--or rather three OF them
is Just a little bit more than even a
blase inspector cares to go through.
And because OF this there hangs a
tale-or, to be more exact, nearly two
dozen tails-and the following is the
yarn:
The Breslau, with 115S passengers
from Bremen, locked at pier s, 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 Of
whom were men, but there were a
number Of women and several fami-
the families was that Of Heinrich
Popken, a thrifty German, who had
with him a splendid family Of seven
full-grown children, in addition to his
wife-six handsome daughters and
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 dutable, While he was
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. Sc what rats
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
not even ragman would have taken
the articles as they lay, They were
eaten to small particles, and reduced
to worthlessness.
Inspector Richardson took charge OF
the situation and there began search
for the marauders, They were soon
uncovered First one and then an.
other Of the rodents was unceremoni.
ousiy chased out of his comfortable
quarters. The cry spread among the
immigrants, and In few seconds tho
whole pier was In an uproar The cry
Of Rats" in half dozen languages
rang through the building Here and
there scurried the rats, After them
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 them
stretched lfeless on the hard, cold
floor.