Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-09
PRANKING WITH A 01AN.OF-wAR
Paul BOyton's Practical Joke on the
"Garnet's" Crew.

Garnet's" Crew.
NJ" YORK, May 9-Capt. Paul BoytoT
went down to Staten Island at 30 o'cloch
last night with party Of 10 friends ano
reporters, whom he had promised to SHOW
how easy it would be for live dynamitel
to put a torpedo underneath a British
man-OEwar. The Captain had with him
rubber bag, which, when inflated, looked
like an ordinary torpedo, capable of hold
ing l20 pounds Of dynamite. This was
duly inflated, Dallasted with bricks and
charged with note conveying to the
commander of her British Majesty's
man-of-war Garnet ''the compli-
ments of Capt. Paul BOytOn and
staff" The Captain crawled into his
swimming suit, tOppled over into the
water, and, with his light paddle, struck
out through the moonlight, dragging the
bogus torpedo behind him. The reporters
huddled into a small boat, rOwed out to
within haIling distance Of the Garnet and
waited for the Captain, who had gone on
ahead, to come back. Shortly excited
voices were heard on the Garnet, mixed
with loud laugh from the water, and
! Capt. BOytOn came scOoping out OF the
shadow Of the vessels hull, triumphantly
blowing a bugle which he wore around
his neck.
When he got to the boat all noise had
ceased on the man-of-war and it was de-
cided that all hands should row over and
see how snugly the torpedo was anchored
under the bow Of the Garnet. Capt. Boy
ton padded alongside the TOw-boat, told
how he had been hailed from the Garnet
and had told them, after getting out of
pistol range, that a torpedo was fast to
them.
''Ha, hap said he, ''we've got the laugh
on the British Government this time and
don't you for"
Before the Captain had time to finish
his phrase something black came gliding
over the water and part Of the crew of the
Garnets steam launch had him by the
neck. He jerked away, whereupon two Of
the half-dOZen guns which had been
pointed at the boat were aimed at his
head. The Captain then expressed his
readiness to go anywhere the owners of
the guns might desire, and, aided by the
Englishmen, scrambled up into the launch.
The officer in command ordered everybody
in the boat to climb in with him, too, but
the American who had been hired to row
declined to be prisoner.
~ was born and brought up in Wash
ington street, in the First ward of New
York." he said, land can lick the first
man that tries to take me out of this boat.
y
my property, and I'll sue the British Gov
eminent for that, anyhow"
Thus encouraged every man in the boat
picked out some one in the launch whom
he invited where it was warm. wild
mixture of United States and British
English filled the air for ten minutes.
At its conclusion the British held
a consultation, withdrew the gun
from BOyton's ear and allowed
him to climb into the boat. The Ameri-
cans rowed back to Staten Island and the
launch returned to the ship. Half an
hour afterwards it was decided that the
English ought to have discovered the tor
| pedo by this time and B0yton and the re-
! porters started out to ask them if they
had. Their reception was rather warm
/ than cordial. 1t consisted of an order to
keep OF, backed by 20or 30 guns and ma
chine which somebody said would throw
two or three thousand bullets a minute.
The men in the boat decided to retreat
and did so, with the steam launch IL full
pursuit. The nose of the launch struck
the bank as the reporters clambered on
shore. Once more the guns were pointed
and his British Majesty in charge of the
launch ordered everybody to come down
and be prisoner. But he did not. Ne
Weigh, the Staten Island constable, hap
pened to be prOwlng around, and that son
of the free soil walked down to the waters
edge, jerked out a 32-calibre revolver,
pointed it at all the guns and ordered
the crew in general way to 90 home.
The officer in command started to say who
he was, but McVeigh wouldn't have it,
Said he: "No gang OF Englishmen can
come over here and point guns at Staten
Island. If you give me any CUFF Pll take
you all in" The pistol pointed with a
steady point, and after a brief consulta.
tiOn among the men the launch turned its
nose the other way and went back to the
Garnet.
Capt. Hand, of the Garnet, to-day re.
ported the occurrences Of the night to the
British Consul in this city, and as by that
time the joke had become apparent TO the
Britishers they laughed it off and no in
ternati0nal complications are feared.