The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-23 00:00:00

THAMES POLICE.

SMUGGLING CIGARS.—SEIZURE OF A SHlP.—Yes-
terday Emmelino de Arrandiago, master of the Spanish
ship Joven Victoriana, and Antonio Martinez, a sea-
man, and one of the crew of the Spanish ship Pepita,
both lying in the St. Katherine Docks, were brought
before Mr. Broderip, charged with smuggling cigars,
by which they had incurred penalties of 1001. each.
Mr. Potbury, of the Customs Solicitors'-office,
attended on the part of the Crown.
The case against Martinez was first heard. He
was charged with carrying 281bs. of foreign manu-
factured cigars, which had been unshipped before the
Customs duties had been first paid.
George Little, a revenue officer, stated that he was
stationed on board the Joven Victoriana on Monday
night, and hearing a noise on deck he left the cabin,
and went up and saw the defendant on board his own
vessel, the Pepita alongside. He saw the seaman on
board the Joven Victoriana, whose faces he could not
distinguish, hand to the defendant several boxes,
which appeared to be cigar boxes. They were brought
out of the forecastle of one vessel and received by the
defendant, who took them into the forecastle of his
own. He was unable to obtain any assistance at the
time, but, on the following morning, he made a
communication to his superior officer, who seized the
cigars.
Robert Macdonald said he was also a Custom-house
officer' and in consequence of what he heard from
the last witness, he rummaged the Pepita, and under-
neath a quantity of canvass and sailcloth he found
three boxes, containing cigars, and in a chest belong-
ing to the prisoner he found two more boxes of cigars
and about two pounds of loose tobacco. The pri-
soner gave him the key of the box, and admitted it
to be his. On searching the fore peak, immediately
below the forecastle, he discovered five hundred cigars
secreted among the coals, making in all 281bs. The
defendant admittted the whole of these to be his.

Thomas Cornell, appraiser of condemned goods in
the port of London, said the cigars were real Havan-
nahs, liable to a duty of 9s. sd. per pound. The value
of them was 21. 17s. 6d., and the duty 131. 18s. 9d.,
making in all 161. 16s. 3d.
de-
fendant, h
evidence
been interpreted to the de-
fan he stated hedatving
through the same medium that he
was innocent, and that, when the officer came on
board, he acquainted him with the fact of cigars
being concealed, and showed him every place where
they were found.
Mr. BRODERIP said he had no alternative but to
sentence the prisoner to pay a fine of 1001. to the
Queen, and to be imprisoned until it was paid.
The Spaniard, with a sorrowful air, said he was in
his captain's debt, and not worth a farthing. He was
then committed to Clerkenwell prison.
Captain An andiago was next called upon to
answer an information, which charged him with being
on board a certain vessel liable to forfeiture, not
driven into this port by stress of weather, or other
immediate causes, and having on board divers contra-
band goods, viz., 141bs. 8 oz. of cigars, the same being
imported in packages less than 3001bs. weight each.
Robert Macdonald stated that the Joven Victo-
riana was alongside the Pepita, and that overhauling
the captain's state room he discovered seven boxes of
Havannah cigars, secreted under a quantity of bis-
cuits in a locker. They weighed 141bs. Boz. On
asking the captain what quantity of cigars he had
reported, he said he had taken them all out of the
locker, and given a true account of all he supposed he
had on board. Witness pointed to the seven boxes
and the captain said they belonged to him. The
officer said the Joven Victoriana had been seized by
the Crown, and was now under detention.

Mr. Phillips, a professional gentlernan,:who at-
tended with the brokers of the ship and others, who
expressed great anxiety for the captain, asked if it was
usual to rummage a ship before she discharged her
cargo ? The officer—Certainly it is; we rummage
ships the moment they arrive.
Mr. Potbury—Vessels are rummaged at Gravesend,
coming up the River.
The officer, in answer to other questions by Mr.
Phillips, said the seven boxes of cigars had been put
in the locker, and the 3001bs. of biscuits loosely thrown
over them to conceal them.

The defendant made a long statement in reply to
the charge, the substance of which was, that he took
the cigars on board at Havannah, and that he intended
to insert an account of them in the ship's manifest,
but owing to the neglect of his boy, they were not
removed from the locker, where he had deposited
them pro ternpore.
Mr. Potbury said, the presumption was, that the
cigars, the subject of the last information, had been
smuggled out of the Joven Victoriana into the Pepita.
Mr. BRODERIP said this information was different
from the last, and the mere fact of the defendant being
on board a vessel in which tobacco in packages less
than 3001bs. weight was found rendered him liable to
the penalty. The proof of a guilty knowledge was
not at all necessary, nor was any proof required that
the tobacco belonged to the captain. He sentenced
the defendant to pay a fine of 100/. to the Queen.
The captain was led away in custody of Roche,
the gaoler, and in about two hours afterwards the
penalty was paid, and he was liberated.