The morning call., 1894-10-26
THE FLEECE SOLD.
Close of a Celebrated VeS=
sells Career.
TESTIMONY OF HER MATE.
He Is Heard Before the Consul
at Yokohama.
MORE ABOUT CAPTAIN OUINTON.
Several thousand Dollars i'm Claims
Pressed Against the Craft by
Her Crew.

The end of the case of the celebrated
trading schooner Golden Fleece is rapidly
approaching. Consul McIvor. the repre-
sentative of the United States at Yoke
hama. has ordered that she be sold to sat-
isfy the claims of the vessels crew. There
Is something like $500 due the men, and
poor chance they have of getting their
money in full
James Is. Laurie, who claims to have
acted as sailing-master OF the Fleece after
Captain Quinton left her, made state
ment to the Consul, the full text of which
was received yesterday by the steamer
China. He alleges that he had written re-
peatedly 10 Messrs. Wright, Bovine IL Co.
Of San Francisco, bu: had received no re-
plies to his letters. Laurie did not seem
to be aware of the failure of the firm,
Judging from the tenor of his c0mmunica-
TONS
The sailing masters claims against the
vessel amount to S1210 40, which are for
wages and Incidental expenses. Laurie's
story of the Fleece's voyage was then heard
by the court of inquiry, and was IS follows:
The schooner left San Francisco on the
Goth of October, 1892, in charge of Captain
Quinton. On the 18th of June, 1893,
Quinton left the vessel. and Supercargo w.
v Smith was appointed In command.
Subsequently Smith wearied of mis- task
and handed his command TO Laurie.
Laurie held rather an anomalous posi-
ton. He was shipped as second mate at
| a salary of so yen per mouth. but was COM
pelled to acl as sailing master for Captain
Smith"
On the 10th of April 1898, Smith gave
orders TO his man to take tue vessel TO the
| Caroline Islands. In Laurie's testimony
| he stated that 'the master of the Fleece
was w. V. Smith. 1 left him at the Pelew
| Islands and DO not know where he now is.
| When we went t. the Pelews we found
| that we could not load the schooner win
! fish, as was our intention, and it was there
that Smith ordered me to proceed to the
! Caroline group, get cargo OF cocoanuts.
nav the Chinese crew off and proceed 10
| San Francisco.
81 took the vessel as far as the Turk
! Islands and secured what provisions ana
cocoanuts that could. | held consulta-
ton with my men and asked them if they
| thought that we could make Honolulu
with the ship in the condition that she was
then in. We concluded that we could not
| and decided to head for okohama.
| "We had hard time getting to Yoke
! hama. Our sails were worn and torn and
! the running gear was in a bad condition.
son arrival al Yokohama l made a
statement to the Consul that the crew
needed food and clothing, and that some
thing would have to be done for US. 1 also
cabled to the schooner's agents i'll San
Francisco, and. receiving no reply, took
action 10 libel the boat"
The testimony of Laurie further devel-
oped that when the Fleece left San Fran
cisco her charterers had power Of attor-
ney to sell her for $500. No one even
made them an offer for her.
Other witnesses in behalf of the Consul
late told that the Fleece is still a good YES
sci and worth fully $4,000. All things
taken into consideration, the Consul or
dered the craft sold to satisfy all claims.
| Ii is strange that little was said about
Smith and the doctor" during the trial.
| Laurie made no reference TO the formers
marriage to an island princess, nor did he
mention Doctor Duncan's having left the
Fleece to return to Paris. Wright, BOVINE
& Co.'S successors will probably take nc
steps toward securing the schooner, as il
would hardly pay them to liquidate her
debts and bring her to this city.