The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-28
MELLO HESITATED.
The Critical Moment Passed and He
Cannot Strike Now.
AN AMERICAN CITIZEN TAKEN
FROM A REBEL SHIP.

ne dau Been FreSSeO Into cerVlce ana a
Demand for Him Came From the
American Commander-MelIo's Men
The Loss of the Javary.
New York, November 27.-According
Indian Prince, which arrived yesterday
from Brazilian ports, the Javary, which
was sunk by shot from one of Peixoto' s
forts, had to be towed about by tugboats
when he was at Rio, presumably because
of disabled machinery, while one of her
two turrets could not be revolved. and
was consequently useless.
II do not think that Mello can hold
out much longer" Capt. Barclay said:
=" He is short of provisions and ammuni-
tion, and the men who are cooped up
aboard ship and cannot go ashore are
dissatisfied and discouraged. Indeed
they are bordering on mut..Ly.
His mistake was in not striking while
the iron was hot. A short, stiff fight
when he was fully equipped would have
accomplished what he. must now fail in. 4
The Indian Prince had cargo of cattle
from the Rio Grande, which one OF
Admiral Mello's staff, who came along
side in launch, offered to buy with a
check. Capt. Barclay refused to sell and
succeeded in discharging the cattle in
lighters, which the launch made fruit
less efforts to capture.
The launch did cut away lighter
from the Sandman Prince and towed it
out to Mello's feet under a sharp fire
from machine guns from the forts and
shore batteries. The Indian Prince and
fire and showers of bullets whistled
through their rigging and fattened
against their sides. A fireman on the
Sandman Prince was shot through both
legs. He was removed to the British
warship Sirius.
A native Brazilian named Charles,
who is citizen of the United States,
was captured by Mello and impressed in
to his service as pilot Charles then
had command of a tug belonging to the
coal firm of Wilson & Sons, which was
confscated by Mello.
A foreign merchantmen, desiring to
get out of range of the com batants,
asked for the use of one of Mello's tugs
to tow him to a safe anchorage. Charlie
was assigned to do the job, and after
completing it he steamed in toward land
instead of back to the fleet
.. A fort opened fire on the tug which
carried Mello's white flag at the bow,
and sent shot through her below the
water line. She began to sink, and
Charles beached her. He went back to
his old employers, Wilson & Sons, and
for duty.
This time the tug he commanded
carried an American flag at the bow and
a British flag over the taffrail The flags
of the two nations didn't protect him,
however.
One of Mello's launches captured him
and took him aboard the Aquidaban.
AS he stepped aboard the warship he was
recognized as the runaway pilot. An
officer drew his sword and struck Charles
twice, cutting open his right forearm
and slashing his scalp He fell on the
deck.
The British and American consuls
heard about the incident and the next
day launch from British war vessel
and another from the Charleston came
alongside the Aquidaban.
The British officer said that as the tug
belonged to British subject Mello
would have to give it up, and the
American officers said that as the tugs
pilot was an American citizen MeIlo
would have to give him up. Mello cheer
fully complied with the demand of both
officers, and the war went on.