The San Francisco call., 1895-12-13

| Columbi bian fleet, as against a bakers dozen
| in the San Francisco fleet, and their ag-
gregate catch for 1895 exceeded that OF the
Americans by several times.
1t is because of this marked success
which has attended the Victorians that a
concerted effort is now to be made by the
sealers of this port to ascertain why Col
lector Wise persists in strainipg every 1T
tie technicality, as they say, against the m.
Attorney Thomas D. Riordan who has In
hand the cases of the two schooners, Bow
head and Winchester, is now prepar-
ing vigorous protest to Secretary
Carlisle against the manner in which his
clients have been treated.
Like what happened to the Kate and
Annie yesterday, they were seized upon
arrival here from their seasons cruise. ex
cept that the customs officers did not at
once board the Kate and Annie for the
reason that her cargo of skins had been
left at Astoria.
Captain Luchens' craft will be tied up
the final Wi ling up OF the "red tape"
that usually accompanies such proceed
lngs.
The owners of the Bowhead and Win
chester mean to fight When their ca o.
tains. w. P. Noyes and Frank Johnson, re-
spectively were taken before United States
Commissioner Heacock, it was shown that
they had not been guilty of any criminal
intent, and the cases against them were
promptly dismissed
Their broker, William H. Thornley, tes-
titled that he had gone with them to the
Custom-house on December Z, 1894. to OBJ
tain special licenses and received the in
formation that no regulations had been
received and the only blank contracts in
existence at the Custom house were for
sealing in the Bering Sea.
II Uas tho pdiro rbep that
the special licenses were unobtainable no
prosecution would be attempted. The
sealing regulations for 1895 did not reach
the port until January Is and no effort had
been made by the Collector to anticipate
the season.
On their way over to the Japan and
Saghalien island coasts the two schooners
caught about ITO skins seventy miles off
the bay of San Francisco and little north
of the southern boundary of the award
area. Captains Noyes and Johnson had
not received any instructions to the con-
trary. No sooner had they returned to
port after their cruises, however, than
their vessels and entire cargoes were seized
and they were placed under arrest.
The Bowhead, with 6S4 skins, was seized
August 13, and the Winchester, with 1853
SKINS was tied up September 5. Since
those dates a cost of $40 day has been
accumulating against each vessel, until,
like nightmare of figures, the sum of
1920 has begun to obscure the value of the
Bowhead and a painful vision of $1,000
makes the Winchester look small.
The skins were appraised at between So
and $40 each, though the net market price,
exclusive of cost of transportation, In he
English market was only Sc "a, the gross
price being IS, and the owners OF the Bow
head were made to give penal bond of
$6156, that for the Winchester being $6777,
before the cargoes could be withdrawn for
the market.
This litigation. it is said, practically
forced William Bendt, the principal owner
in both schooners, to the wall. The Gus
toms authorities lay the blame for this,
and also for Captain A. G. Suthefland's s
death, on to the United States District At
torney's office, while from the latter it is
learned that it is governed by the wishes
of the Collector as complaining witness in
the prosecution of the libels filed by Mr..
Foote soon after the seizure of the vessels.
All Captain Sutherland's money was tied
up in his schooner, the Sophie Sutherland,
which was the first one to be seized by the
Collector, and a mortgage was hanging
over him. He worried so much over the
matter that it brought on his death
In the case of the tug Hercules, charged
with receiving a transfer of ITO sealskins
from the Winchester just outside the
heads, Judge Morrow soon dismissed the
Governments libel.
All of these facts that are pertinent to
his purpose Mr.. Riordan will communi.
cate to the Treasury Department.. He is
acting under instructions from the owners
of the Bowhead and Winchester. The per-
sons interested in the two vessels are
William Bendt Philip Barth, Joseph May,
George J. Mccormick, J. F. Cunningham,
w. P. Noyes, Lewis E. Spear, George
Fogel. Isidore Burns, G.. Overton, Miss G..
Kerrigan, L. Fjord, Frederick Wilde,
James J. Doyle, Mrs. L. E. Mullen, l..
Abrahams. J. J. Slayer. S. S. Scarborough
and G. D. Cook.