The Washington times., 1915-12-11
GOWN SMUGGLERS
WILL ADMIT GUILT
French Girls Come Here With
Costly Apparel for Fashion
able Trade.

NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-THE latest
French styles coupled with much cx-
cited French talk and not a little
french Indignation impaired a decid-
euly Parisian atmosphere to United
states commissioner Clarence S.
houghtons court room yesterday
morning when the Baroness Jeanne
q hlIelliis, head of the recently estab-
Sen',I, SSeaSG New York branch OF Boue
occurs, Farisian modlstes. and .hree
other persons connected with that con-
Germ were arraigned on warrants
charging customs fraud and violations
oa oatnss tne cqhntraet th labor law. All Will
CONFESS, their attorney says
According to the warrants drawn by
Assistant United States Attorneys
Frank i. Carstarphen and Harold Il.
harper, the defendants, sent girls en-
with costly gowns and other articles
OF apparel which they brought In free
OF duty by declaring them 10 be part
OF their personal wardrobe.
Gowns Are Seized.
In this way, it is said, between hfty
and 100 expensive gowns were brought
In free since last September. The
models, saleswomen. drapers, and fit
ters-nine in all--who were sent over
here by the Paris house came osten-
slbIy TO be set 20 work in the New
street. which was established by Bar
oness d'Etreillis only last fall This.
the Federal authorities hold, was in
violation OF the Federal contract labor
law.
The case was brought to the attention
of the Federal authorities BY Collector
Dudley Field Malone. after he hal
caused the seizure of some Of the Boue
gowns.
Baroness d'Etreillis Is said to be the
head of the Paris corporation as we'll as
of the New York branch. With her were
arraigned Nine. Sylv!e Montegrt. he
partner. and otherwise known as Eva
Marienstras: Eva Poiret, a saleswomen.
and George Guedal Goldman. - booa
keeper in the New York store.
Ala gave bonds.
Emory r.. Buckner, attorney for the
defendants, admitted that some viola
tions had been committed, but dec.aled
that. they were negligible and the result
Bad example" The example, he said.
was furnished by wealthy An erican
women who were the FIRMS cuStonerS
in Paris.
Accuse German GiFL
Marie Engel. German girl employed
in the Paris establishment OF Boue
Soeurs for several years. Is credited
with supplying the government with
much information upon which the
charges against the French dressmakefS
were made Neither of the latter
speaks English.
1--WE did not know that we were doint
anything wrong" Nine. d'Etreilis SAID
I'VE were simply helping our poor grit
who are now dependent upon us Whils
their male relatives are off to the war.
And they were so happy to come one
here poor girls! we made no secret OF
the fact that we were bringing our girls
from Paris to our New York branch.
we would tell our clients how so many
more girls were coming at such ana
such time
Nine. Monteguet chimed in with her
sister: 1t means simply that no one
should come to America without study
ing its laws.
1T Is not charitable, it is shameful
OF the American officials to do this Ia
us-two poor Frenchwomen who know
nothing of your laws and who thought
we were doing a good thing"
Collector of the Port Dudley Field
Malone announced yesterday that he
had ordered the baggage of Mrs. Whit
ney Warren, wife Of the architect, who
returned from Europe on November -
on the French liner Espagne, to be
seized and forfeited. In addition, the
collector has ordered the papers TO be
sent to the United States district attor-
ney with recommendation for them to
be laid before the grand jury on the
ground that there was an attempt made
to defraud the Federal Government by
Mrs. Warren and Miss Evelyn Byrd
Burden. who owned part of the conhs-
Gated baggage but was not a passenger
on the steamer EspaGne.