The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-11
THE TOMiHAWK.
6hode Island End Of Her Snug.
Cling Operations.
OWNER A PROMINENT WEALTHY
YOUNG MAN.

Captain of the Yacht is Offended at the
Way He Has Been Used-Rhode Island
Society Circles Much Interested.
On November 2 the PRESS published
the story of the smuggling operations OF
the yacht Tomahawk in Portland harbor.
The story has created considerable interest
in Rhode Island, where the yacht was
owned, and on Wednesday morning the
Providence Journal published the follow
ing account of the persons engaged in the
enterprise:
The recent developments in the matter
of the seizure of struggled drugs at Paw
tucket by an officer of the United States
treasury department have resulted in
throwing considerable light upon the
career of the sloop yacht Tomahawk, and
her owner, Gilbert M. King. who is &C.
oussd with the yachts former skipper.
Capt. Albert P. Newell, of smuggling
several thousand dollars worth of
phenacetine, sulfonal and antipyrine from
Canada into Portland, Me-, and have
caused sensation seldom equalled in this
city.
Gilbert NJ. King has been well known
resident of the city, and, being the son of
Deacon William J. King, a millionaire
and descendant of one of the Oldest and
wealthiest families in the state, his con-
nection in the smuggling case has at
traoted widespread attention. He was a
we'll known member Of the Rhode Island
Yacht club, and flew the burgee of that
organization from the well-known sloop
Magnet, which was burned at East Green
witch three years ago. The following year
he purchased the cutter Tomahawk,
which figured in several races with the
cutter Minerva in the Rhode Island Yacht
club regattas. Last season the Tomahawk
was seen but little in the waters of Maria
ganset Bay. Ample reason for her abb
sence is furnished in the story of the
smuggling operat ons in which she
figured. King occupied the old King
mansion on College Hill with his aunt,
was we'll kown man about town, was
prominent in society and clubman of
reputation.
The sudden sinking of the Tomahawk
on August II last off Highland light as
the result of mysterious leak was the
cause OF considerable talk among local
yachtsmen, who We're acquainted with
the staunchness of the comparatively new
cutter. She sprang aleak suddenly while
in perfectly calm sea, according to the
story of Captain Newell, who was her
master at the time, and sank SO soon after
that the crew had hardly time enough to
lower boat and save their lives, losing
all their fleets. In the light of recent
events this sudden and mysterious leak is
,ignifcant, and revives the talk current
1t the time of her sinking.
1t was not until King became
frightened and confessed smuggling the
drugs from Canada to Portland in the
Tomahawk that the government officials
became aware that the smuggling was
going on. When the Tomahawk sunk the
insurance company refused to pay the $500
for which she was insured, claiming that
she was in waters which annulled the in.
surance when she sank. This caused King
some uneasiness, and when business
man Of this city, who had mortgage on
the yacht, commenced to press his claim
he was further troubled 1t came to his
ears that this business man knew that
there was quantity of struggled phena-
cetine in East Greenwich. Becoming
afraid that this would leak out and
ultimately be traced to him he consulted
his lawyer. The lawyer advised that he
confess the entire matter to the govern
ment authorities and thus secure immuni-
ty from punishment. King went to a
German company, with headquarters in
New York, which has the sole right to
import the struggled drugs into this
country and told them the story They
called in Fred W. Hentz OF the treasury
department, and King made a confession
to him, telling him where he would find
the Struggled phenacetine, sulfonal and
antipyrine.
In his story of the smuggling operations
King told of the part Captain Newell of
East Greenwich had in the matter, as
we'll as the part which the crew of the
1oinahawk took.
Captain Newell is somewhat indignant
at the yacht owners attitude, and last
evening he told his story of the whole
affair TO journal reporter in East
Greenwich. There is a strong probability
that the real facts i'll the case are likely to
get a good airing before the parties i'm
plicated in the matter again become very
close chums.
Captain Newell said: early last May
Gilbert M. King, owner of the yacht
Iomahawk, which was then lying at
anchor in East Greenwich harbor, pro-
posed the trip down east to purchase GER
tain drugs. he said that he had got $1,000
from the trustee of the William j. King
estate, but that sum was not enough to
carry out the proposed venture. He asked