The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-08-15
CHEEKY VENEZUELA.
Filibustering Expeditions In
crease -Fired on the
English Flag.

The United Press Special Correspondence.
BARBADOS, West Indies. July ~
S95.-Breeches of international Law IKE
flibustering expeditions seem to pc 'oh
the increase in the Caribbean sea anu
| the latest as we'll as one likely to attract
| very considerable attention In both heH-
| ispheres. is the firing upon a BRUSH
| schooner, in British waters, by a Ven
ezuelan gunboat.
A United Press correspondent reported
| on fully Is. the fact that Venezuelan n
boats were cruising in British waters Of
the Island of Trinidad and were serious
ly i~nterrupting the sailing craft employed
in the regular trade between that colony
and Venezuela.
The V~enezuelans seem to have a frea
hand for the timebeing for though the
facts of several cases where the Nene-
zuelans had stopped vessels trading into
Trinidad were reported to the Trinidad
Government, no steps were taken either
by the Trinidad authorities or the I'M
perial government to put a stop thereto
and now the British Government have
to accept with the best grace possible
the huniiliating fact that a British yes
sci, owned by a British subject and man
QeQ Dy q BT1UlSnH crew mas DtSu AiACd
upon while the British ensign was flying
from the mast head and that the lives
of these British subjects were in the
hands of the commander of a warship
belonging to a nation well known to be
on any other than friendly relations with
England.
FIRED ON THE FLAG.
The schooner Ellen, which is owned
.-l - ~, C--4a.- ,,-.11 - D,f-
isher, and registered at Trinidad, has
passed under the muzzle of Venezuelan
gunboat, and though the captain sent
the English flag to his mizzen-mast head
the venezuelans simply ignored it, con
tinued their firing, renting the sails of
the British vessel in several places, and
declined to cease firing till the British
vessel had hove to-" and allowed tie
Venezuelan cruiser to come alongside.
Captain Truxillo has just reported as
above to the harbor master at Port of
Spain. He was asked to make a sworn
declaration of the facts as, stated, and
which he Immediately did.
ANOTHER INSULT OFFERED.
The captain explained that he was
on a voyage out from Trinidad to the
Venezuelan port of Maturin and when
4[lAh WV 1AAA1CS VI ullI4GiO q 0lIGA-|
lelan Guarda Costa cruiser fired a shot
at his vessel. The British ensign was
sent up on the mizzen-masthead, but
no notice was taken of it. He kept the
vessel on it's course believing it would
De all right. when the Venezuelan sent
d shot through the schooner's sails.
There were several passengers on board
and they, as well as the crew. became
50 scared that they threw themselves
down upon he deck to escape the
shot which was raking the vessel. He
was compelled to ''heave to- and the
Venezuelan came alongside. Captain
Truzillo. the passengers and crew, were
forced to enter a small boat were
kept there for nearly four hours when
time the Venezuelans had searched the
ship, but finding nothing to detain her,
they were allowed to continue the voy-
age. The captain says had it not been
for the earnest entreaties of his passea-
gers he would have returned n laid a
complaint with his government, but he
lost no time in doing so when he re-
turned.
Captain Truxillo adds that before leav-
ing Trinidad he had not only obtained
his papers from the Custom House but
also the certificate of the Venezuelan
Consular Agent.
= The Trinidad Government has reported
the matter to the Colonial Office, Lon
don, n the sequel is anxiously awaited.