The Portland daily press., 1872-03-06
Loss Of q ROckIand Vessel.

| The dreadful cold weather which came ON
Monday night, accompanied by biting north
west wind which gradually increased to gale
before morning, was severely felt by mariners
on the coast, who during the afternoon had
been exposed to a binding snow storm After
the clouds cleared away the wind chopped
around to the westward, and as the wind in
creased the temperature kept falling, rendering
the night one of the coolest of the season.
| During this fearful weather an inward bound
schooner named the Clara Bell, of Rockland,
Capt. Amesbury, struck on Cape Cod, three
miles north of the Highland Light. She went
on at o'clock Tuesday morning, and as the
vessel was thought to be in great danger of 60
ing to pieces, the crew made an attempt to gain
the land The weather was excessively cold,
every drop of spray at once freezing upon the
clothing of the men, making the prospect ex-
tremely dreary The crew, however, made a
desperate but unfortunate effort to reach the
shore. Out of the seven persons comprising the
officers and crew only one man succeeded in
the attempt. All the Others, including Capt.
Amesbury and the mate, persisted in the sea.
The seaman who was saved hardly escaped with
his life, being badly frozen. AT last accounts
none of the bodies had been found. The ves-
sci, which was bound from New York to Bos-
ton with a cargo of coal, is total loss The
Clara Bell was good vessel of about 1870 tons
burthen, five years old, and hailed from Cam
den. She was valued at $4,000, and there was
but little insurance upon her. The captain was
part owner.
Capt. H. S. Amesbury, who commanded the
Clara Bell, was very unfortunate during his
seafaring life. About seven years ago, when
captain of schooner trading to the West In
dies, he had the misfortune to lose his vessel on
one of the uninhabited Keys near Turks Island,
and In company with his wife was three hours
in the water before they succeeding in making
landing Here they remained fourteen days,
suffering great hardships, but in the meantime
succeeded in constructing raft upon which
they foated towards another island in the vicin-
lty, where the boat belonging to the vessel had
drifted ashore. They embarked in this boat
and, arriving at neighboring port after much
difficulty, finally succeeded in obtaining pas
sage home. Capt. Amesbury was young man,
about 81 years old, much respected for his ener-
getic character and correct habits. He leaves
widow and two or three children, who have
their home in Rockport, Me.
NOVEL METHOD OF COLLECTING DEBTs.-
Some time since enterprising parties in Cincin-
natl instituted an agency for the collection of
bad debts upon the novel system of shaming
the debtor to discharge his obligation The
most effective of the methods employed by this
agency was to send to the debtor place of bus
ness or residence conspicuous turnout, the
wagon being inscribed in glaring characters
with the name and purpose of the agency, ac-
companied by a couple of able-b bodied, armed
men to prevent any violent outbursts of indir-
nation ON the part of the victim, whe is per-
sistenty visited until the money is forthcom-
ing. This agency has branches in Covington
and Newport; and in the former city few days
ago one of these collectors, having exposed his
pistol was arrested and taken before the may
or's court ON a charge of carrying concealed
deadly weapons. In his charge to the jury the
Judge sad:-
Whatever right creditor or his agent may
have repeatedly and persistently to solicit pay
ment of debt, no person may lawfully enforce
or attempt to enforce the collection of any
debt by any other means than those that the
law provides and prescrbes for the enforce
ment OF payment of debt; and any attempt to
enforce the payment of debt by force violence or
threats of anything other than lawful legal pro-
ceedlngs to that end, or by Intentionally or
wllfully exposing the debtor to intdnau contempt
or rtdtc,tte In the community by words verbal
OF written, or by any painting or device or con-
trlvance whatever, the natural or probable con-
sequence of which would result in such expos
ure, is unlawful"
The verdict was guilty, and the defendant
was fined $50 and costs. Soon after this the
chief proprietor of the agency was arrested on
charge of threatening a debtor and trying to
provoke him to breach of the peace, and it
appears that this species of coercion is to be
stopped.