The New York herald., 1869-05-26
THE QUAKER CITY.

Alleged Legitimacy Of Cargo and Intended
Voyage Of the steamer-Why the Ship Has
Been Detained-The Owners side Of the
Case-Spanish Gold and Nepotism Com.
bined.
The steamer Quaker City, about which within the
past few days 30 much has been surmised and said
and written still remains here an object in the
minds OF many OF earnest speculative inquiry. All
that has been written concerning her. however fails
to evolve the mysterious cause OF her detention by
the United States authorities. As Is well known the
alleged principal and in fact sole reason of keeping
her here is to defeat the supposed purpose Of her
going to Cuba as the bearer Of men and arms to aid
the Cuban revolutionsts The following statement
OF facts, as coming from responsible and well In
formed parties, will serve to show how wide Of the
mark all these revolutionary surmises are and also
develop the wheels within wheels of the seeming
complications in which the case is at present in.
volved.
The Quaker City was bought on English account,
and was fitted and took in cargo to 60 to Kingston,
Jamaica. The goods to be shipped had been ordered,
and the cargo and her intended voyage were very
way legitimate. Every facility was offered to the
United States Marshal to examine all her cargo, as
also to the United States revenue 0fioers and the
81 &c %as on Sor
satisfactory. On the 18th instant her clearance
papers were to pe made out at the Custom House:
Here obstacles were at once thrown In the way Of
her sailing. i was stated that there were certain
suspicious circumstances that must be satisfactorily
cleared up before she could be allowed to proceed on
her voyages byt what these suspci0uS circumstances
were neither the CQlsctQf Of the Port nor any Of his
subordinates would deigh 70 explain. After dancing
at enhance at the Custom House couple OF days 1t
was finally stated that orders had been received
from Washington directing her to be detained. Mr..
Grinnell added that II no further orders were re-
ceived by three p. NJ the next day she would be
given Asr Clearance Sapsrs, ana promised to have
the once kept Open TIL this hour So IN case fur
ther orders came she would hot be subjected to
longer delay. At the specified time the owner called
at the Custom House, when he was told by Mr. Grin
nell that the United States District Attorney had
prepared certain papers against her, and that he
mr. GrinnelD would not In consequence let her
clear.
And thus, as stated above, this steamer notwlth.
standing the alleged regularity OF her cargo and
here with no sort OF indication OF her being released
from her present durance Tor an indefinite time to
come Our informant gives as the reason OF her de-
tention that certain legal firm in this citya men,
Der OF which is son-tn-law OF Secretary Flsh-have
been paid $4,000 In gold as retaining fee for TAX
ing the necessary legal steps to insure her deten-
tion. This Is alleged to be the key to the entire
mystery-the wheels within wheels or the case. 1t
Is stated further, that since this difficulty in connec
ton with the Quaker City orders for the proposed
purchase OF four steamers here have been counter
manded and the same orders sent to England.