The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-22
GALE TOSSED VESSELS.
A TUG AND TWO BARGES NEARLY
WRECKED OFF THE ". c. COAST.
How Norfolk Merchants We're swIndled
BY Soft sonp Confidence Non-So
Gold Bricks In II.

NORFOLK. VA. Jan. 2i-Special.-The
ocean tug Pennwood. Captain $. j. Fooks.
| of Baltimore, pit into Norfolk yesterday.
| after having a narrow escape from being
wrecked off XIII Devils Hin. about three
| miles from Mays Head, n. c., Saturday
| night.
The Pennwood, with two barges Of the
Trinidad Sugar Company, of Trinidad,
Cuba, and the tug Manila in tow, was
bound from Baltimore to Cuba. They
passed out the capes OF Virginia Saturday
morning, and all went well until Satur-
day afternoon. when near XIII DeVlI
Hill. on the North Carolina coast, a ter
rlble gale from the north, with tremen-
dous seas, struck his tug, and the tow
lines parted This happened at o'clock.
and from that hour until daylight Sunday
morning the barges. with the crews
aboard, drfted about at the mercy OF
wind and waves. until the wind changed,
when they were blown ashore near the
Efe-saving station.
The crew from the lfe-saving station
took the half-frozen men off the barSeS
and cared for them at the station.
THE vEssELs FOUND.
In the meanwhile Captain Fooks. who
had been looking for the vessels all night,
came across them ashore, and proceeded
at once TO Norfolk, where he notified the
agents in Baltimore of the disaster.
Wrecking companies VIII proceed TO the
scene and try and noat the tug and
barges which are ashore. That no lives
were lost Is considered by Captain Fooks
as almost miraculous, as the seas were
continually washing over the vessels and
threatening almost at any moment to
swamp them. Protest was noted here to-
day by Captain Fooks.
SOAP swISDLT.
Richmond has had her gold-brick swim
die, and now Norfolk claiming TO be the
most metropolitan and cosmopolitan city
In the State, comes forward with soap
job, the biggest thing on record a few
days since two dapper young men APP
peared - Norfolk as travelling statesmen
for soap manufacturing concern in New
York. They showed the merchants of
Norfolk excellent samples OF soap. which
was sold at starvation prices, and mer-
chants to the number of twenty or more
bought of them largely. AS the prices
were low, the sales were made for cash
on delivery. One man sold the goods,
another collected the money. The first
layer of soap In each box was the gen
uine article. but the rest was bogus stuff
and worthless. A peck OF 1t would not
wash a pocket handkerchief The mer-
chants complained TO the police, and as
Il result two men, named william Orr
and Schell, were arrested. They had 500
between them. and employed the Rev
Sam Small as counsel. The Police Jus
tice agreed to turn them out on a bond
Of s25 each.
THEY GIVE BOND.
Mr.. Small requested the business man
ager of the Pilot. Mr.. w. w. Gibbs 10
go on their bail bond. AS the money
had been turned over to Mr.. Small. Mr..
Gibbs ran no risk of losing the $50. and
ne at once signed the paper. \ little
later one of the men was again arrested,
charged with swindling a man out OF 50.
He sent for Mr.. Small, who took the
case in hand. and, as a result, Dir.
Gregory, a justice. agreed to bond them
for So. Mr.. Small put up the money. as
the fellow, when taken in, was without
a cent.
THE MIN DIsARPFAR.
Everything went well till this morning |
when the cases were called in the Police |
Court. Chen there was CONSERVATION, ap- |
among the police. The men had |
\ short while after this an |
Mr.. w. W. Gibbs sent
around the so. He was seen at the Pilot |
office by your correspondent. who said
he would like to interview him. He said:
You can report that Mr.. Gibbs has moth
ing TO say"
The police are at work on the case.
aad believe the operations much larger
han so far reported. The swndle has
many of the gold-brick tricks in II, and
has not vet fully developed