Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-07
stated in the dispatches from San Diego,
about efforts to capture the mysterious
craft
THE ITATA's DETENTION.
Particulars of Marshal Cards Seizure OF
the Ship.


The following account OF the seizure of
the Itata and subsequent developments
is from the San Diego Union of Wednes-
day morning:
Developments came thick and fast last
night in regard to the mysterious Chill
can transport and her doubtful mission
in this harbor. Captain Manzeum slept
on board his ship as the prisoner Of
United States Marshal George E. Gard,
under charge Of violating the neutral
ity laws, and the steamer lay quietly at
her anchorage in the stream with Dep
uty Marshal Spencer as captain pro tenn.
Marshal Gard arrived in San Diego
yesterday afternoon for the purpose OF
investigating more fully the Itata and
her mission, under instructions from
Washington. Much telegraphing had
been done between his Office and the
United States attorney general before he
left Los Angeles, and he had not been in
the city many hours before he was
handed the following dispatch from
United States District Attorney w.
Cole:
Los ANGELES, May 5, 1891.
Mar shal GeCr rye K. Gard
Detain the steamer Itata Information from
Washington is to the effect that she is in viola.
tion of the neutrality laws.
(Signed) w. COLE,
u. S. District Attorney.
This dispatch was sent on. instruc-
tions issued by the United States attor-
ney-general, who in turn was ordered to
take such action by Secretary of state
Blaine. 3o
Marshal Gard hired launch at about
6 o'clock last evening. went out to the
Itata and asked for Captain Manzeum.
He was directed to the captains cabin,
and found him surrounded by few
friends, talking over the situation. In
PRODUCING himself, the marshal said ::
Captain, am the United States mar
shall for the southern district of Califor-
mia, and | am under orders to detain
your ship for violation of neutrality
laws" at the same time drawing from
his pocket his commission and hand
ing it to the captain to prove his author
ity.
Manzeum apparently was expecting
some such visit, and took his arrest very
cooliy. 81 do not want to come in con-
flict with the United States govern
ment," said he, "and am therefore at
your service"
Marshal Gard, Deputy Collector of
Customs Spalding, of San Francisco, who
had accompanied the marshal aboard
the Itata, and Captain Manzeum, soon
after the latter's arrest, left the ship in
charge of Deputy Marshal Spencer and
came ashore.
THE ROBERT AND MINNIE.
Marshal Gard did not consider his busi-
ness in San Diego as finished when he
had placed the captain of the Itata under
arrest, however, but began Immediately
to gather all the information he could as
to the whereabouts of the mysterious
Robert and Minnie, the schooner which
is supposed to have arms on board for
the Chilean insurgents, and which was
reported to be heading for this port. Be-
fore leaving Los Angeles the marshal
sent deputy to Catalina island in
tug, with instructions to detain the
schooner If she was there, but the bird
had flown. The report sent back by the
deputy marshal was that she was head
ing southeast, and a fishing boat
brought the information to this city
last night that the schooner had been
seen shortly before noon, about ten
miles north of the Coronado islands and
twenty miles from shore. This infor-
nation was conveyed to Marshal Gard
by Union reporter, and the marshal
Immediately began to make preparations
to go after her. The tug Tia Juana was
chartered, and at midnight last night
was lying with steam up at the ferry
wharf to proceed to sea as soon as the
marshal could come aboard.
THE MYSTIC MAN-oFwAR.
The same boat that brought the in
formation about the Robert and Minnie
also reported having passed within a
mile OF big steamer with long, low
black hull. The name could not be
made out, but the steamer was described
as being half again as large as the Itata,
and as having the appearance of a man
of-war. This ship was also sighted from
different points in town by various per-
sons yesterday. She steamed off and on
by the mouth of the harbor several
times few miles out at sea, and ap-
peared to be waiting for some craft to
come out. Strange to say, however,
when the Pacific Coast steamship Po-
mona came into port at o'clock last
evening neither the schooner nor the
steamer were to be seen.
Captain Hall and the first mate of the
Pomona were interviewed by Union re-
porters last night, but they both said
that they had seen nothing. Captain
Hall, when the steamer was described to
him, said that he had passed the Pacific
Mail steamer City of New York from
Panama to San Francisco. about thirty
miles south of San Pedro, and that she
answered the description OF the missing
boat. But as the latter craft was seen
off Point Iona as late as l O'Clock yes
terday afternoon, it could not have been
the New York.
The fact that the Itata has been tax
ing supplies aboard marked "Esmer-
aida, has given rise to the supposition
that it is that steamer which is waiting
outside for the departure of the Chilean
transport. The Esmerala is one of the
finest and largest boats in the Chilean
navy, and is now in the hands of the in
surgents.
MARSHAL CARDS TIMELY INTERFERENCE.
Before the mishap which happened to
Captain Manzeum last evening, it was
evidently his intention to sail out of the
harbor before daylight. He was careful
to give it.out during the day, however,
that he was not ready to start, and
would remain In the harbor until today.
Captain Manzeum's statements up to
date, however, have been strangely at
variance with subsequent developments.
When first interviewed by Union re-
porter on his arrival, he was careful to
state that he was here merely on a COM