Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27
CATCHING A P0ACHER.
The American Cruiser Mohican
Brings Her to With a Shot.
AN ENGLISH WARsHIP LOOKS ON.
Yankee Vessels Forced to Tie Up Because of
Having No Coal.
SUPPLIED BY BRITISH COMMANDER

VICTORIA, B. c., Sept. 26.-The poachel
Otto was captured on Monday, September
81, by United States steamer Mohican, il
sight of an English cruiser. She was in
company of another sealer-Oscar and Hat
tie. After an exciting chase of an hour and
a quarter blank charge fired by the Mohi
can brought her to. She was boarded by q
boat from the Mohican with two officers,
who examined the papers and indorsed the
registry, which was found irregular, having
the masters and owners names incorrect.
Upon Ensign Beale reporting the same to
Captain Cotton, the latter seized the Otto
and put prize crew, with Ensign McDon-
aid in charge, on board, with orders to take
the Otto to Ounalaska to be turned over and
dealt with by the British authorities.
The Mohican at once went in pursuit of
the Oscar and Hattie, now ten miles off, but
she was saved by the darkness, and ran into
land when within two miles of her The
captain of the Otto had never been officially
warned, but she was seized by Captain Cot
ton. of the Mohican, at the request of Com
mander Turner, OF H. NJ. S. Nymphe, the
senior British naval officer, who informed
Captain Cotton, as senior American officer,
(Turner) had requested the Collector of
Customs of Victoria to warn the Otto, then
lying in port and about the sail to Bering.
A CoDF1sHING EXCUSE.
Commander Turner said he considered her
q warned vessel and requested Captain Cot
ton, as senior American officer, to have her
seized wherever seen. Captain Reilly, the
master of the Otto, says he was never
ad bx- &c
and Lieutenant Cately, commanding H NJ.
S. Pheasant, who took the order to Col
lector Milne, says the latter told him the
Otto was going codfshing, not sealing. In
spite of this the Otto's clearance papers are
for Bering Sea for hunting, signed by Milne.
He must either have been grossly careless
or wilfully deceived Lieutenant Cately.
On the morning of September 2 the Mo-
hican overlook the Otto and towed her into
Ounalaska, where she was handed over to
Lieutenant Cately, of the Pheasant, as the
only British officer present. He took all
her papers away and gave her orders to
proceed to Victoria to be dealt with. .
Captain Cotton, the senior officer in CON-
mand, who arranged the plan of the cruise
against the seal poachers, has displayed
marked executive ability throughout, as his
work shows One hundred and sixteen
vessels were reported to him as having
cleared for the sea- Or these SO were
known to be sealers, 53 having sailed from
British Columbia, an increase of 20 from
thence over last year. Of the 80, "A have
been warned, two reported lost and six
seized, leaving only 20 unaccounted for.
NO COAL FOR YANKEE SHIPS.
On the evening of September Is steamer
St. Paul arrived at Ounalaska with orders
IN CapfaiD Cation IN dicporoh ha Marian NJ
once to China and the Alert as soon as pos
sible: Captain Cotton Immediately coaled
The Marion from the Thetis, taking so tons,
and she left for China via Honolulu on the
7th. He then applied to the North Ameri-
,an Commercial Company for coal for the
Alert, they having 200 tons ashore at the
lime, but G. R. Tingle, agent for the COM
pany, who are the present lessees of the |
Seal Islands, had given instructions that
none was to be supplied to the American
men of war, so there was nothing for Cap |
ain Cotton to do but wait the arrival of the |
Nymphe and get permission from Com |
nander Turner to coal from the British sup |
'ly on board the Costa Rica-
In the meantime all the American men-of-
var were tied up at Ounalaska waiting coal |
IN the sth the Nymphe arrived, and Com
nander Turner at once gave Captain Cotton
permission. The Alert Immediately coaled;
aking 80 tons, and left for China on the
9th. Il. NJ. S. Porpoise left for China on
August &c, and the Pheasant for Victoria on
september IA. At present only the Marion,
Nhetis, Nymphe and cutter Rush are in the |
ca. Captain Cotton had to keep the Mo-
Iican and Thetis in harbor together so as to
'e able in case of emergency to get enough
oal together to make one vessel at all events
erviceable.