Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-06
TRIED TO TAKE IN THE TOWN.
A Pseudo Sea Captains Operations in
Savannah and What They Amounted

Savannah and What They Amounted
to.
On Monday evening a stranger having
the appearance of a sailor entered the
store Of w. II. Ray, at the foot of East
Broad street, and ordered a quantity OF
provisions and ship stores. He claimed
to be the master of an English bark lying
at Sapelo outward bound. Mr.. Ray
booked his order. He then made con-
tract with the Captain OF the little schoon-
er Maid o the Mist to carry his stuff,
with eleven men and himself. down to his
ship, stating that he had an invoice of
ship stores coming out on the New
York steamer. He agreed to pay the
Captain Of the schooner for the trip and
went aboard the vessel and slept that
night. In the meantime he made con-
tract with small slOOp which was lying
astern OF the schooner Isaac II. Tillyer to
perform the same service. Mr.. Ray had
sized his customer up, and did not send
any OF the goods he ordered aboard the
schooner
The stranger was very talkative, and to
all appearances made a complete expose
OF his ships business. The next morning
he went aboard the schooner Isaac II.
Tilyer lying at Taggart's coal wharf
waiting chance to 90 on the marine
railway. He stated to the Captain that
he was from Atlantic county, New
Jersey, and gave his name as
Shaw. Capt. Smith of the Tillyer
comes from an adjoining county, and be-
came rather interested. as he thought that
he knew everybody in that county, but
could recall no one by the name of Shaw
except very prominent citizen. The
stranger said that he was the master of
an English bark, loading lumber at Shell
Island for River Platte, and that he would
have to 20 by way of SapelO. He also
said that his vessel had been chartered In
LOndOnat SLIPPER thousand. This statement,
as well as the statement that he was a
native of this country and master of an
English vessel, made Capt. Smith suspi-
ciOus. He gave as the reason for his be-
ing in charge of an English ship thathe
had been a second mate for three year,,
and had passed an examination and re-
ceived a masters certificate through
some means, owing chiefly to the length
of time he was in service. This eXplana-
ton was not altogether satisfactory to
Capt. Smith, who was too well aware of
the rigOr of British maritime law to take
IN the story. The strangers statement
of the price OF his freight was
tOI high, the actual rates being
considerably lower in view of the fact
that vessels have not been chartered for
several months for more than SIS per
thousand. The stranger talked good deal
about himself, on short acquaintance,
and the willy Captain made up his mind
that he was talking for his breakfast, as
be had come aboard early enough. He
thought perhaps ne might have come to
borrow money, but didn't mention the
matter. Capt, Smith says that he had
every appearance Of a man who followed
the sea, but his statements about himself
and his ship were too contradictory to
put much faith in him.
At the drug store of Mr.. OsceOla Butler
the man stated that Re was Capt. Doug
las, Master of the schooner Outward
Bound" which was at anchor at the Up
per Cotton Press, and that he desired to
have his medicine chest restOcked. He
ordered two dozen bottles of apollinaris
water sent to his vessel, and asked them
also To get his medicine chest and bring
it to the store and restOck it. The man
sent to deliver the apOllinaris water and
get the chest made a thorough search
along the wharf, but was unable to find
Capt. Douglas, or the Outward Bound"
At the grocery and ship chandler es-
adjustment of Mr.. Henry Schroeder
he also said he was Capt. Doug
las, master of the "Outward
BOund," and said he wanted to buy some
supplies for his vessel. He looked at a
great many goods and priced them, and
acted like a close buyer. He said he ex-
pected money from his father, who had
gone North, and left without ordering any
goods.
At the store of Russak & Co., on Bar
nard street, he also introduced himself as
Capt. Douglas, and showed a more lib
eral disposition as a purchaser. He or
dered $3.50 worth Of goods, and appeared
ready to buy almost anything that was
shown him. He said that his vessel, the
"Outward Bound" was at anchor at
SapelO, and that he would take the goods
down in boat. He said he expected to
sail for Glasgow, and that he would re-
turn and pay for the goods and have them
sent to Taggart's coal yard. He pocketed
a plug of tobacco and went away, and the
firm heard no more of their liberal Gus
toner.
Capt. Douglass was next heard of at
the store of Lowell & baltimore. Here he
told ABOUT the same story regarding his
ship that he told Russak d Co. He said
in addition that his ship was chartered in
England, and that his father owned sew
en-eig6ts of it and he owned One-eighth,
and that he intended to load with lumber.
--a- 1900 -s-r<- - ~ -,
lie cable announces that the Prince of
lie ordered Tn elegant stOYe III shlp,0
and when told it would cost $40 said it
didn't make bit OF
difference to him what it
cost. He promised to return and make
a payment on the stove and that was the
last they saw of him.
He also visited the stores OF Palmer
Bros. and other persons and ordered
goods. He is described as heavy set
man of medium height with light COM
pleXiOn and beard on his chin.
A stranger presented a check at the Sa-
vannah Bank and Trust Company on
Wednesday drawn for 1925 with the sig
nature of a well-knOwn Bay street mer-
chant attached. The teller suspicioned
something wrong as the merchant kept
no account in the bank, and accordingly
telephOned him to know if it was all right.
The gentleman at once sent his clerk
to the bank and requested the party who
presented the check to accompany him to
his office. He did so, ard the check, at
glance. was pronounced a forgery, and
buncling one at that. The stranger said
that he had advanced another party $50
on the check, and that he desired to get it
cashed. He disclaimed all knowledge
himself of any forgery, ana
said he had every reason to believe
that the check was genuine. The mer-
chant refused to prosecute as the job was
so poorly done, but advised the stranger
to do so, which he promised he would.
hut thus far nothing has been done. The
stranger who presented the check was OF
foreign appearance, and is thought to be
an italian. From his description OF the
party of whom he obtained it it is thought
to be the man Shaw.