The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-24

There are few names better known In an
unenviable light among shipping men in this
city than that of Francis LIE Roy Norton,
the barrator," Commander in the Cuban
Navy, Spanish secret service man. ETC., and
an inmate of Ludlow Street Jail since Decora-
ton Day.
| The frequently changing roles played by
Norton, OF captain, master, owner, agent.
chsrterer, make it difficult to decide in which
character he has gained most evil renown.
Several of his fraudulent and protested
drafts are now in this city, and suits will be
probably brought against him on them. In
surance companies in France, Italy and Eng
land, are also endeavoring to recover moneys
of which he has defrauded them. Special
Treasury Agent Bracket seized a number of
opaIs and other precious stones from Mrs. F.
L. Norton, for alleged smuggling, when she
arrived with her husband On the steamer City
of Austin last Monday from Key West.
| THE CUBAN PRIvATEER PIONEER.
James E. Ward & Co.,, Of Wall street, who
have just arrested Norton, advanced him
$4,000 on mortgage on the schooner Resolute,
which vessel Norton afterward called the Pho
neer. The money for the purchase of this
vessel came from the Cuban agent in this city,
Mr. Msyorgo The Pioneer loaded cargo in
this city for Jamaica, which was duly de-
livered, and for which Norton. received the
freight. Norton then sailed for Port an
Prince and there ran up the lone star flag Of
the Cuban Republic. mounted gun, showed
some ammunition he had on board, and pre-
tended to be privateer. The Pioneer on hez
return passage was seized by the United States
revenue cutter Moccasin, off Block Island,
and taken to Newport, Rhode Island, where
she WAS seized and sola k1 the United
! States authorities, as Norton doubtless In
tended she should be- Norton was subse-
quently arrested at the suit of j. E. Ward for
obtaining money under false pretenses and
locked up some fifty days. when he confessed
Judgment and was released. He then entered
the Spanish secret service. While so en-
ployed he engaged Simon Gratz, a Philadel-
phian, to help him and obtained q "safe con-
duct pass for him from the Spanish Consul,
Uriarte, to go out as aspy on the Cuban ex-
petition which Gratz said was being fitted
out. Norton and Gratz were in constant
communication with Messrs. Craig Webster,
the Spanish Government lawyers in this city.
NoRToN's RECENT swINDLEs
| In March, 1874, Norton and one George
Mcfarland obtained possession of the yacht
Juliette, form erly of the New York Yacht
| Club, and sailed in her frmo Stonington, Ct,
for the Islaud of Bermuda.
| The Juliette arrived in Bermuda in due
course, and two ladies joined the expedition
Having taken in fresh stock of provisions,
they, with pleasure at the PROV and beauty
at the helm" started for Curacao, but put
into St. Thomas. Leaving st. Thomas they
proceeded to Curacao, where they got the
boat coppered and drew upon 81. Clews & Co.
for $508, gold, at sixty days sight. McFar-
land also drew upon George Mcfarland &
Co., London, an imaginary firm, and both
bills were in due course of time returned to
Curacao protested. Before the dishonored
bills came back Norton & Go. gave power
of attorney to Jesserum & Zoon, of Curacao,
authorizing them to sell the vessel if the
drafts were not paid.
| THE WRECKED BR1GANr1NE FLORENCE.
Their next o1eration was at st. Thomas,
much dreaded by marine insurance COM
| p mics, where they purchased for trifing
sum the British brigantina Florence, of
eighty-four tons burden. hailing from Barba-
dos, and which had been wrecked on Anne
gada reef, near Tortola, and taken to st.
Thomas by the wreckers. Norton had her
registered at St. Thomas in his wife's name,
Margaret Norton. Here Norton chartered
her to firm in st. Thomas to load q cargo of
mahogany from St. Domingo City for Liver
pool. When the charter party-was signed
Norton received the equivalent of E2OO, drawn
on Barring Brothers, of London, as an ad-
vance against freight. The draft for this
money was signed by Lawrentzen, the captain
of the Florence The said vessel then pro-
ceeded on her voyage for St Domingo.
THE PURCHASE OF THE SURPRISE.
Norton, with money in his pocket, then
"purchased, as he termed it, the condemned
British brig Surprise, of 134 tons burden,
for $500. He gave bill to the seller on
Barring Brothers, London, covered by mort
gage on said vessel The bill was, as might
I la hoh oI
chartered her to load q cargo of mahogany at
st. Domingo City for Genoa, in Italy. He
assumed command of the vessel and pro-
ceeded to st. Domingo City and found that
the Florence had already got her cargo on
board and was ready to proceed to sea. Before
she left Norton instructed her captain to wait
for him off ST homas. The Surprise then
loaded her cargo, and Norton received as an
advance on his freight the sum of $1,000 He
then proceeded, not to Genoa, but to his rem
devious with the Florence off st. Thomas.
ACTS Or BARRATRY.
The vessels met and instead of proceeding
to Genoa and Liverpool respectively they
proceeded to Yarmouth, n. S., without loss
there, that they had put in through stress of
weather, and placed their vessels in the hands
of Churchill, Davis & Co., shipbrokers.
THE CARGO OF THE SURPRISE SOLD.
After few days the respective cargoes were
advertised for sale on the fictitious plea that
the cargo owed certain charges for general
average. The cargo of the Surprise was &C
tually sold, Norton purchasing upward of
seven-eighths of it. Norton received about
$77OO for the mahogany.
The next act of Norton was to have the
vessel transferred to his brothers name,
Lambert Norton who appeared upon the
ccono of this time This arranoamant waa
merely temporary, and she was again trans
ferred to Olsen, q Dane and mate Of the
vessel, and put under the Danish flag. Nor
ton then made q charter, in November last,
with T. & E. De Wolf, of Halifax, to proceed
to st. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia, there to
load lumber cargo for Liverpool The Sur
prise, after being repaired, proceeded to St.
Margaret's Bay and loaded with about 10000
feet Of lumber, aud proceeded, of course by
stress of weather, not to Liverpool, but to
Martinique. in the West Indies, where Nor
e -1x1 &c 20 H.