Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-10
OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Dispatches Which Passed Betwee

O1SparCneS Wnicn FaSSeQ Between
the Collector and Washington.
Just week ago the collector at Will
mington sent the following dispatch to
Secretary Foster, OF the treasury de-
partment at Washington:
American schooner Robert and Min
ME arrived at harbor, south side OF
Catalina island, in tow of tug Vigilant,
from San Francisco, April 25th, with
1000 cases of arms and 1000 cases of
ammunition of American manufacture.
Master states a transport is to meet
schooner at this point and transfer
cargo for shipment to South America.
Schooner and cargo now closely watched
but not seized. Please wire full instruc-
tions early"
The collector was in reply instructed
by the department as follows: mo
reason appears from your telegram for
your interference in the matter of trans
fer of certain arms and ammunition
from American schooner Robert and
Minnie to transport for shipment to
South America. 1t is not in violation
of the neutrality laws. See title e.
r. s."
COLLECTOR BERRY's EXCUSES.
1t has been held all along that Col
lector Berry, of San Diego, had not
properly searched the Itata on her ar
rival in San Diego. That such was the
case is plain from an interview with
Collector Berry, published in the San
Diego Union yesterday, in which he
makes the following remarkable state
ment, remarkable because just before
making it he states that he had knowl-
edge OF the presence of the Robert and
Minnie off San Pedro:
my first news OF the Itata was re-
ceived on Sunday evening when, on re-
turning from a call upon sick friend,
your reporter informed me of her pres
ence in the harbor. On Monday morn
ing l learned from my special deputy,
Mr.. Higgins, that she had arrived on
Sunday about 2 O'clock; that he had
boarded her within an hour afterwards ;
that her papers were all regular; that
her captain said he was en- route to San
Francisco and was going thence to Van
couver, British Columbia, to 60 on the
naval dock there to be cleaned, and that
he had put in here to take coal and
ships stores. There being a treaty OF
commerce between the United States
and Chile, no irregularity in the Itata's
papers, and no reason, in view of the
published decision of Secretary Spaud-
ing, to question the good faith of the
Itata, the usual custom house permits
were issued to her and she proceeded to
take on coal and ships stores"
GARD AND THE CUSTOMS OFFICIALS.
A number of special dispatches have
been sent from San Diego putting Mar
shall Gard in ridiculous light, and
these it is claimed were inspired by Col
lector Berry, of San Diego, who is said
to be unfriendly towards the Marshal.
Gard was shown one such dispatch by a
San Diego Sun reporter, and in reply
said:
81 did my entire duty" said he, "and
in seizing the vessel acred strictly
according to my orders. had no
authority to inspect the cargo of the
ship. Ii the custom house officials had
done their duty, contraband goods would
have been found on board and instiuc-
tions would then have come to put
troops ON the Itata and revenue or war
vessel would have been ordered here at
once to keep the Chilean in port. de-
pended on the custom-house to do its
part of this business, and instead OF
that it's officers sneaked out to sea in a
tug trying to thwart my plans for the
capture of the Robert and Minnie. The
story that / spent my time drinking
wine with the captain of the Itata is
another falsehood. / made but one visit
to the vessel and then had no more than
glass of sherry. AS to the arms and
munitions of war on the transport l
hold written report to that effect from
my deputy marshal and will have no
difficulty in proving the fact"