United States v. 218½ Carats Loose Emeralds

HOLT, District Judge.

This action is brought for the forfeiture of certain emeralds alleged to have been brought into this country in violation of the customs laws. The claimant, Manuel J. Suarez, a resident of Bogota, in the republic of Colombia, South America, arrived at New York on October 3, 1906, on the steamship Oceanic, from England. His native language was Spanish. He could not speak English, but had some knowledge of the French language, although how much does not clearly appear. On the arrival of the ship the customs officer who took the declarations of the passengers asked him, in…