Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-05-14
ESCAPE OE THE lIATA.
The Captured Chlllan Steamer
Quietly Puts Out to Sea.

pIcutiOnh
San DIEGO, CAL, May About $50
| O'Clock last evening the Chilian steamer
ltata lifted heranchors and quietly steamed
down the bay and out into the ocean, car
rying with her Deputy United States Mar
shal Spencer, who, so far as known, is still
| on board.
The departure of the Itata was not unex-
pectcd,, though it was not supposed she
| would leave AS soon as she did. II was
rumored late in the afternoon that She
was prepared to leave the harbor, and the
absence of any of her crew from the strcet4
added weight to the story. At 3 o'clock
| the captains gig, which had been lying at
the foot Of II street, pulled of for the
vessel with Six men aboard, and as soon
as the boat was hoisted to the deck the
ltata weighed her anchor and steamed
down the stream.
Marshal Gard was not aware that the
captain had any intention of disregarding
his authority, for he left for Point Iona
in the 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
| that the ltata was following him. Marshal
| Cards errand on his second trip out of the
harbor was to take the schooner Robert
and Minnie anywhere she might be found
in the open sea outside of Mexican juris-
diction as a piratical craft
INTENDED TO SEIZE THE SCHOONER.
The marshal's launch left the wharf at
| o'clock Besides Marshal Gard, there were
| aboard A. @. Spaulding. of San Francisco;
4. M. Conoughy, Captain Crawford and
four soldiers from the barricks, armed
| with rifles and ammunition belts, who had
been detailed to go on his expedition at the
request of Marshal Gard. 1t is known
that the marshal received instructions
| from Washington that he had authority to
tu In ha pp IL,
seas under neutrality and piracy laws, but
by whom these orders were issued could
not be ascertained. Marshal Gard was
very reticent when questioned on this
point, simply saying he meant business
and he intended to bring the schooner
back if he came up to her
At o'clock Wednesday morning Mar
shal Gard and party left for Coronado
Islands, where the Robert and Minnie was
last seen on Tuesday. Just outside sail
appeared, which the tug made for. As
soon as her master saw the Tia Juana he
put about and ran south, in order, it was
supposed to get into Mexican waters be-
fore he was Overhauled. The meeting
place of the schooner and tug was "a miles
south of the international line, about 10
miles southwest of Point Iona. The tug
passed to the windward of the Robert and
Minnie, and those aboard had good
chance TO observe her closely. On her
stern were the words Robert and Minnie,
San Francisco" The schooner was sailing
under fore and mainsail, with no jib or
topsails, and was so heavily laden that she
made but slow progress There were but
four of her crew visible, and these watched
the movements of the tug anxiollsly
through glass from their position on the
poop. The schooner being in Mexican
waters, Marshal Gard returned to port to
telegraph for instructions.
THE PLANS WERE WELL LAID.
There has at no time been any real doubt
in the minds of those best informed that
the ammunition which the Robert and
Minnie carried was intended for the
Chilian transport and that it would be
transferred to the hold of the Itata for use
by the insurgents as soon as the big
steamer obtained what supplies she needed
in port. II is definitely known that COM
munications have passed between Captain
Ferrall of the schooner, and Captain Maui
zeum of the ltata both while the Robert
and Minnie was at Catalina and since her
arrival off this harbor. The Chilians laid
their plans well, and they were carried out
to the letter, regardless of the interference
of the United States authorities
Just after midnight this morning Mar
shal Gard and party returned from out
side and reported that the Robert and
Minnie had completely disappeared. The
deputy marshal, who had been placed on
a small boat at the entrance to the harbor
to watch for developments, reported that
when the ltata started out Pilot Dill was
sandwiched between two armed Chilians,
while four cannon guarded both bow and
stern. He reports that at least so Chilians
were drawn up in line on the decks, show
ing that while the vessel was in port she |
was plentifully supplied with men. arms
and ammunition. While here she dis |
played only one small cannon and crew
.af lh6 l,n .,
when the vessel left the harbor she turned |
north and steamed toward San Clemente. |
Deputy Marshal Spencer, who was on |
board the ltata when she sailed, was put |
off at Ballast Point and returned to the |
city last night, concealing his identity |
until to-day.
THE CASE A SERIOUS ONE.
WASHINGTON May 7.-Attorney General |
Miller this afternoon made public the sub |
stance of the correspondence that has |
passed between the officials here and the |
authorizes at Wilmington and at San |
Diego, Cal, relating to the insurgent vessel |
ltata and the schooner Robert and Minnie.
The information agrees substantially with
that received in the press dispatches from
those two points. The representations
upon which orders were originally given
to the Collectors of Customs at Whining
ton and subsequently to the United States
marshal at San Diego to detain the Robert
and Minnie were made to Secretary Foster
and the Attornev-general by the Chilian
minister, and were to the effect that he
had information that the neutrality laws
were being violated.
The kilograms received by the Attorney
general indicated that the steamer ltata,
after escaping from Snh Diego with the
deputy marshal aboard, had sent him
ashore at point on the coast about eight
miles below the city The telegram mem
toned probability that the Robert and
Minnie would go to San Clemente Island
and there transfer her arms and ammuni-
ton to the ltata. The Attorney. general
refused to indicate what further steps he
had taken in the matter since the escape of
he two vessels or to discuss the PROBABLE
ny of any international complications
arising in connection with the matter
The Attorney-general had several con-
ferences on the subject with the Secretary
of the, Navy, and this gave color to the
story that efforts were TO be made to re-
,apture the ltata.
Can You take the vessel on the high
leas without violation of law ~ reporter
lsked Secretary Tracy.
)haticallv. j
"Will you do itg' asked the reporter.
II have no answer to make to that ques-
ion, replied the Secretary. You can't !
KIN hare before you catch him." {
This seems to summarize the present I
ituation. The ltata will be recapturcd if
possible. But she has long start Of any
,ursuer. Probably the new cruiser Charles {
on is the only vessel in those waters that
would be able to cope with the audacious
md well-armed Itata. But the Charleston S
$ at San Francisco a day would be re-
Iuired to coal her, and then she would
tart from a point several hundred miles
lorth of the place the ltata left. So that !
Practically the Chilian vessel has at least I
hree days start Of her pursuer. The navy i