The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-08
A STERN CHASE is A LONG ONE,
But Blaine and Tracy will Catch
ltata.
The InsurSent Vessel that Steamed Away
with the United States Marshall that
was Holding Her-Tho ltatn has II Good
Start-A Lively Chase After "Robert
and Minnie."

About $50 last evening the Gillian
steamer Itata lifted her anchor and qui-
city steamed down the bay and cut into
the ocean, carrying with her Deputy
United States Marshal Spencer. The
departure of the Itata was not unex-
pected. though it was not supposed she
would leave as soon as she did. 1t was
rumored late in the afternoon that she
was preparing to leave the harbor, and
the absence of any of her crew from the
streets added weight to the story.
At o'clock the captains gig, which
had been lying at the foot of III street,
pulled off for the vessel with six men
aboard, and as soon as the boat was
hoisted on deck the Itata weighed her
anchor and steamed down stream.
Marshal Gard was not aware that the
captain had any intention disrcgarding
his authority for he left for Point Lama
in launch Tia Juana just one hour
ahead of the big steamer, and had passed
the point and proceeded some distance
out to sea before he could have been
aware chat Itata was following him.
Marshal Cards errand on his second
trip out of the barber was to take
schooner Robert and Minnie, anywhere
she might be found in open seas outside
OF Mexican jurisdiction as piratical
craft.
The marshal's launch left wharf at
o'clock. Besides Major Gard there
were aboard A. c. Spaulding, of San
Francisco; A. NJ. Conoughy, Captain
Crawford and four soldiers from the bar
racks, armed with rifles and ammunition
belts, who had been detailed to go
on the expedition at request of Mar
shall Gard.
At o'clock Wednesday morning
Marshall Gard and party left for Coron-
ado Islands, where Robert and Minnie
was last seen Tuesday. Just outside
sail appeared which the tug made for,
as soon as her master saw Tia Juana he
Lut about and ran south in order, it
was supposed, to get into Mexican
waters before he was overhauled. The
meeting-place of the schooner and tho
tug was two and n half miles south of
the international line about fifteen miles
southwest of Point Lama.
Tho tug passed to the windward of the
Robert and Minnie and those aboard
had good chance to observe her
closely. On the stern were the. word =;
o..
The schooner was sailing under fore
and main sail with no jib or top-sails
and was SO heavily laden that she made
but slow progre IS. There were but four
Of her crew visible, and these watched
the movements of the tug anxiously.
The schooner being in Mexican waters
Marshal Gard returned to port to tele-
graph for instructions. There has at
no time been any real doubt in minds OF
those best informed, that tho ammuni-
ton which the Robert and Minnie car
ricd was intended for Gillian transport
and that it would be transferred to the
hold of Itata for use by insurgents as
soon as the big steamer obtained what
supplies She needed in the port. 1t is
definitely known that communica Sions
have passed between Captain Ferrall, OF
schooner and Captain Mauzeum, of Itata,
while "Robert and Minnie" was at Cata-
lima, and since her arrival off this har-
Dor.
The Chilians laid their plans we'll
and they were carried out to the letter
regardless of interference of United
States authorities.
Just after midnight, this morning
Marshal Gard and party returned from
the outside and reported that the Rob-
ert and Minnie had completely disap.
peared
The deputy marshal who had been
placed on small boat at the entrance
to the harbor to watch developments
reported that when the Itata started
out Pilot Dill was sandwiched between
two armed Chilians, while four cannons
guarded both bow and stern. He re-
ports that at least eighty Chilians were
drawn up in line on decks, showing
hat x.,1,i In, ft,r,
was plentifully supplied with men,
arms and ammunition. While here
she displayed only one small cannon
and crew of about sixty men.
WASHINGTON, May - Special AT
torney General Miller this afternoon
made public the substance of the cores
pondence that has passed between the
officials here and author lies at Will
mington and at San Diego, California,
relating to the insurgent vessel Ilata
and schooner Robert and Minnie. He
refused to give out for publication full
text OF the correspondence.
The information given by the Attor-
ney General agrees substantially with
that received in the press dispatches
from those two points.
Representations upon which the or
ders were originally given to the collec-
tor OF customs at Wilmington and SUBJ
sequently to the United States marshal
at San Diego to detain Robert and NJ in
ME were made to Secretary Foster and
tho Attorney General by the CHILEAN
minister, and were to the effect that he
had information that the neutrality
laws were being violated. The tele-
grams received by the Attorney General
indicated that the steamer Itata, after
escaping from San Diero with tho
deputy marshal aboard, has sent him
ashore at point on the coast about
eight miles below the city