New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-11
AIMS FOX VENEZUELA.
THE SOUTH PORTLAND CANNOT SAIL
, SUSPICIOUS CARGO OF MUNITIONS OF WAR De


! LARGE quantity of munitions Of war, when Ii IL
supposcd are intended for the use Of the reVoiu-
tionists i'm Venezuela, but which are osfensipi9
| being shipped 10 Crt of Spain, 1rinldad, "
suppy the ordinary demands of commerce, was
prevented from sailing by Collector hendrioN'
Yesterday, and an officer was put on noa'u u
the vessel 10 detain her, pending an inves'ea'io"
into the alleged intentions, Of her master u
violate the neutrality laws.
The South Portland is well known to inc
customs officers under another namH Sc WIS
formerly called the Caroline Miller and durlh3
the IIaytian revolution il was charged that sic
WAS engaged in carrying arms to liay'i IN 'loi"-
tion of law The steamship has schooner rlS'
is 100 feet over all, 30 feet beam, IA feet D
inches hold and he's n carrying capacity oi I'oVV
TONS She had crew Of eighteen, and her
master is Arthur Smith, who has been hcr iha''
for eight months The proposed voyage was MS
first az captain James McCadin, Of Mcoaldlii
Brothers, OF No 10 Broad-str is the managing
owner Of the South Portland. He recently char-
,ered her for two months through W. w. HUH
hut &. Co. ship brokers, of No. l35 Pearl-st. 10
Frauccsco Gonzales Gonzales has the prlNl"Sc
of renewing his lease, Of purchasing the N'"s'i
for $4,000. Gonzales purchased at dilere"'
places and shipped in his own name TO hi'"-
self at Port Of Spain the following crHo
Ono million three hundred and ninety-one cart
ridges. 100000 caps, 1000 muskefs, 10 ril's'
10 swords 80 machetcs, Gatling gun anu >
Calling cases. In addition, D. H. Garcia 'o'i,
mission merchant. Of No. - Broadway purchase"
for Gonzales and consigned TO him seven cds'
of firearms and II. 600 cases of cartridges. Inc
vessel also had on board large quantity OF
provisions and miscellaneous articles slch aS niis"
be needed TO support body OF troops
The South Portland was at first LOADING a.,
Thirty-sccond-st., South Brooklyn, but ai'cr"uf"
removed to Atlantic Basin and there her cargo
was taken on from the pier and from hgh''l'
,owcd alongside. On Friday word was sent TO
Special Agent Whitehead that vessel at Atan''c
Basin was taking on board large qnah'l'S VI
arms lie at once sent Special Agent Morton
Pritton 10 investigate.
Mr.. Rritton found the lighter Columbia OF
Ncw-york beside the ship with a quantity OF
uspioiouslo looking boxes on board. The lighter
belonged TO the Manhattan Lighteragc Company
- No ,oa Waust II was learned that she
had como there during Thursday night. Mr.. Britton
osked Can,an Smith what he was loading with
lie said he did not know Neither lid he know
whore he WAS going On Thursday he had re-
coived a telegram from j. McCaldin ordering
him "a takc command Of the vessel and super
;r.cnd her loading He had also been told to
pronare for SIX or eight passengers, but who thcy
were or where they were going he did not KNOW"
IIs was sure however that they were old men
The captnin said he lid not expect 10 know any
thing about his voyage until the clearance papers
wore paccl IN his hands out In the harbor. 'n'
~ the crow. when asked their destination, sald
nc did not know. lie thought they might go
10 the West indies. The Special Agent ana 20
lcctor held Il conference, and the result oi n,r
pr,t,6u.s inouirjcs was sent to Washington. lhc
Treasury Department ordered the Collector T.
refuse TO clear the South Portland.
The vessel finished loading nj D. N. on Friday.
BRIGHT and early Yesterday mornin. she WIS Ang
of Ellis Island ready 20 sail. TIA" captain went
70 w NJ Smallwood, a CuStom-llousc broker anu
asked him 10 get a clearance for HIM Mt. small
wood said that was not in lls line. ana tnrhe'
the commission over TO Campbell " "arnih'T' 'i
No. 90 Exchange Place. They went 10 the custom
House and asked for clcaranc" papers. copy "'
,ho order not 10 clear the vessel was shown t.
them much 10 their surprise. "onzalcs hlii'S'I'
soon aferward visited the Custom llous'. but ac-
complishcd nothing. An officer was put on hohfh
thc South Portland, with orders 10 see that she
doe. not sail without clearance plpcrss
Gonzale, is indignant at the N>@Is ue,cm'I"m, nm,
al Caracas Venezuela, and that ne has "A bTiIch
bousc M Port of spain. The arms he is shipping
To Trinidad to be- sold in the ordinary conrse oI
trade in the island -
The representatives Of Venezuela. however, tell
n different story SenOr Don Nlcanor Boi"t-i"faZ"'
the Minister from Nenc7uela was In the city yes
tcrdav When seen at the Venezuelan Consulate
he said that his Government discovered by means
Of intercepted letter, some time ago that "oh-
zalcs. and two or three other persons whose names
le refused to hiVulyc, were cOnsplring 10 take
arms 10 Venezuela for the use Of the revolution
i-ts lie was ordered To watch these men
Through the Consul at New-\orl; be put det"c-
tives on their track, and discovered the name OF
the vessel Gonzalcs had chartered. II was then
living at Thrty ercOnd-st., South Brooklrn. S"nor
I,ole-PeraZa, while away on lIs vacation, com
municatcd his information 10 the Secretary OF
State The Minister saVs that Gonzales has no
standing in Caracas as a merchant but that h" If
a Spaniard and more of an advcnturcr tl!an
merchant His sympathy with the GodoH or rrvo-
lutionary party led by Crcspo was well known.
he also aiys that Captain Smith il not an
American. but Spaniard known as revolution.
ary svmpathzer in Venezuela under the name Of
Arturo Smith.
II ha- been said that J. " Larraldc X Co.. Of
40 81 Newest, were the purchasing agents Of the
arms Thcv do not admit this however. j. u.
Garcia who purchased and consigned simc Of the
coods said that he had no knowledge of the pllns
of Gonzales He simply acted as Il commission
agent, and supposed that the vessel had sailed on
Friday.
ADMIRAL WALkER ORDERED TO SAIL.
HE WILL GO TO VENEZUELA IN THE CHICAGO
TO PROTECT AMERICAN INTERESTS.
Woelipcon S.nt 10 - Admiral Walker was instructed