Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1896 — MISHAP TO A SMUGGLER. [ARTICLE]

MISHAP TO A SMUGGLER.

A Cab Runs Over Him and Betrays an Device. Near one of the gates leading into Paris an old man of stout was seen a day or two ago .winding hi« way, when a cab, driven gt great speed, approached, and, as the man paid no attention to the warning cry of the Jehu, he was knocked down, and the vehicle passed dyer his oody, to the consternation of the A crowd gathered around the venerable individual, who lay on the ground, not in a pool of blood, but in one of oA> The hero of this misadventure, who had only been slightly stunned by the shock, soon rose to with profuse thanks for all the* sympathy and compassion which his accident had elicited, and then, disregarding further offers of assistance, began to shutlle off as fast as his legs could carry him. ■ One of the eye witnesses of this curious scene went up to an employe of the octroi and gave an account of the episode, upon which the official, running after the victim of the accident extended to him a polite invitation to reslfln his office. “I assure you that I am not hurt.” exclaimed the old gentleman, win displayed great anxiety to take himself off. “So much the better,” replied the employe, “but I want to have a little talk with you all the same.” Some gentle force was required to Induce the corpulent one to enter the office, but once there he was mad? to undress, when be was foumit to lie almost a skeleton. He had between bls waistcoat and his shirt q skin receptacle which was capable of containing from six to seven liters of liquid. tin this particular occasion it had been filled with oil, and, while it had saved the bearer from severe injury; it had betraygd him, and he was removed to the depot at the prefecture of police amid the laughter of the people who bad witnessed the accident. 1 A quantity of receptacles of the kind described have been found at his dwelling, and another individual has already been arrested on suspicion of being an accompljce. It need scarcely be added that the oil was thus introduced into Paris with the object of evading the octroi dues. As a matter of fact, aL sorts of devices are employed by persons who make a specialty of this franc, but it is not often that a culprit is detected in these tragi-comic circumstances.—London Telegraph.