The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-24
LAPALOMA WRECKED.
Sunk Near Victoria With the
Thieves Who Stole Her.
QUICK PUNISHMENT or CRIME.
IRE Little Steamer obs.saed rron Ole
johnson ~ chiee BY gsnke mes
Carries Them 90 Death.

vtcroRsA. Oct. 23--fspecid. LIN the
p0er-faTgEIfsEscEE Of Friday last wss
tod strange story OF confidence game
bv whieh the little steamer La Paiona.
owned BY Ole johnson, Of Chico. fell Int
the possession OF tao shaypess. one OF
whom introduced himself IS Capt. y. Sey-
mour. Tonight brought information from
Gorton Head that would indicate that the
pair Of ssin6Iers hare paid with their
lives the penalty OF their crime. the
steamer having been lost with all on board
during Sunday night.
When johnson resigned possession OF
his steamer about ten days ago IL was
under The impression that her charterers
required her. IS they represented, 20 carry
mails between Everett and certain island
ports. The steamer was, however, taken
10 Seattle instead Of Everett. and from the
Sound brought TO Victoria. Here all
trace Of the craft was lost. as she slipped
from the dock while James Davidson. who
had been put ON board 10 protect the
owners interests. was enjoying himself
about soxn. Those who with him have
been industTiously searching for her aloEg
the Victoria water front since then have
been unable TO gain the slightest clue TO
her whereabouts. The connecting link.
in the story are supplied by Fred Eiiard
and Charles barron. These young men
hare been living near Gordon Head, where
the waters of the straits seek shelter
ia a pretty little horseshoe bay.
whose thickiy wooded banks descend
prscipitously TO deep water, and where
they have been probably employing Them
selves In poultry culture. The bay, owing
A.. 4 tsTx. g all xaf
toned 70 nayigabie paths ashore. as well
o. 10 the fact that Ii Is hidden from the
view Of passing steamers. is Q popular re-
sort Of smugglers- II was to this snug en-
trance that the La paloma was taken. and
there she lay at anchor last Thursday, FRI
day md Saturday.
On Saturday Barron saw two men row
out TO the little vessel. board her and
make fast their boat assern. They did
not return 90 shore. On Sunday gale
ragged. and yesterday morning, when a
chance visit was paid to the beach by one
of the young men out hunting. il was
found strewn with evidences of recent
wreck On one side. when the tide was
low, rested the housework OF the little
steamer intact. with the name board, LA
PaloIna.' A little further on we're
found two engine room oil cans. the
fragment Of a wheel, evidently from the
pilot house, mans felt hat, and dis
trihuted at intervals twelve life-preservers,
each bearing the makers name. but not
that OF the ill-starred vessel to which they
belonged. The inevitable conclusion
reached is that the deckhouse was washed
away during the stormy night and the
hull. quickly filing, took with IL 10 the
bottom Seymour and his companion.
Search will be made for the bodies tomor-
row.
The La paloma was little moro than a
steam iauneh, and was owned by Ole
johnson. of Chico, kitsap county. John
son was bunkoed out OF the boat by Frank
Goodrich. alias Capt. Seymour. alias Will
hanson, who obtained possession OF the
boat at Chico last week. He said he was
steamboat captain. and he wanted To char
ter the La Palona TO carry The mali be-
tween Everett and the islands. Johnson
let Goodrich and another man take the
boat. They brought her TO Seattle. After
they had gone Johnson had misgivings, so
he followed the buEko men and tried to
regain possession. They talked down
his suspicious, and said they would let
him put any man he chose en- board when
they took the steamer TO Everett John
son selected James Davidson and went
home TO Chico. Instead of steamng 10
Everett Goodrich went direct TO Victoria.
tied the boat to n wharf aud with his part
ner vent up town. Davidson thought IL
rather odd. but had never been In Victoria
and wanted TO see the town. lie also
wanted to watch the boat. so he remained
on board ali alone until the steam
had pretty we'll run down. After he
thought there was no chance 10 get the
boat on without ralzIng steam he went M,
town 10 see tue sights. When he returned
an hour later the beat vas gone. He
hunted eli over the haFbor ior il. bat
could not ind any trace OF the craft which
he had been sent 10 guard. Davidson
then returned 10 Seattle