SACCHARINE SMUGGLERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13069, 8 May 1913, Page 7

SACCHARINE SMUGGLERS.

BOGUS COFFIN AND WREATHS.

GERMAN FRONTIER COMEDY. LONDON, -April 30.' A funeral cortege, made up of a number of the most sorrowful-looking men, was seen making its way along one of the roads leading From Zurich,- Switzerland, into the adjoining German Grand Duchy of Baden. • Slowly and reverently were all these sad-visaged mourners following the "remains" that were about to be laid to rest. . Reaching the German frontier, the procession suddenly found itself held up. The German Customs officers had their doubts about the genuineness of this [ funeral, and they determined to investi- | gate matters before allowing it to'proceed. • • ' , They soon discovered • that their suspicion's were amply justified, for upon j the "mourners" being overhauled every man of them was found to have his pockets stuffed with saccharine. This discovery naturally prompted tine officers to extend their search. First of all the "wreaths" were looked at. There was an Unusually large number of these floral offerings, and very heavy ones tbey were found to be when picked up. The weight, however, was not that of the flowers, but of the saccharine that had been stowed into the circular-shaped receptacles around which the flowers had been carefully arranged. Quite satisfied now that they w«re up against a gang of smugglers, the officials hauled the coffin out of the hearse, removed the lid, and discovered, not a corpse, but more saccharine. The mourners, with all their bogus paraphernalia were, of course, taken into custody. ' •