The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-18
FILlBUSTERS OFF SAFE.
SILVER HEELS roo SPRT FOR
MARINEERING MARSHdLS.

Through Hell Gnte anu Went Down tho
sound with iiairn IN Gale Kicking Her Along.
A Maine schooner, the two.mastor Silver
Heels, with a cargo OF arms and ammunition,
presumably for the Cuban patriots, got away
from this port yesterday morning, despite tho
fact that Il revenue cutter loaded with United
States deputy murshals and PinkcrtOn dctec-
tives had been sent out to intercept her. The
authorities never got as much as Il peep at tho
flibuster, which, at 12:IO A. W.. hauled out of
Pier SO, East River, the moorins place of tho
Bridgeport Steamship Company, and in tow OF
the powerful ocean tug II. Z. Wise, went up
through He'll Gate into the Sound, and then a.fly-
ing with half q gale from the westward behind
her. Meanwhile the revenue cutter Chandler
was s~lcuthing around the lower bay, following
innocent t~ugboa;s and formidable freight-car
floats and working industriously to get some
track OF tho wicked tilibustor, which was then
miles away in the other direction. 1t was when
the expedition got back that an ingenious deputy
marshal suggested that the Cubans must have
sent out for q blind the 20O.foot car float which
the cutter had followed for nearly an hour.
This proposition met with instant approval. and
while the marshals expressed their disgust at
tho escape OF tho flibustcr. they were equally
fluent in admiration Of the cleverness which
had fooled them with q car float when they were
hunting a schooner.
The unitea States authorities In this city re.
ceivcd orders from Washington early Saturday
afternoon to have n revenue cutter and u force
OF men ready to intercept a 6libustor. which, 1t
was believed, would mako an attempt to get
away from New York In the night. The Span
fish agents in this city, whose business it Is to
look out for fibustering schemes. got wind Of
one two weeks ago. They understood 1t was 10
be the biggest expedition attempted since the
outbreak Of the war, with the exception OF the
one which Gen. Calixto Garcia took out when
he jumped his bail in this city aud went home to
fight for his country. They made extra efforts
to get track Of the vessel to be used, and after
ten days work discovered, It is said, that
the Cubans were negotiating for tho British
ship Premier, which had been lying in Erie
Basin since August last. Repeated visits of
Cubans to the Premier convinced the Spaniards
that she was the vessel to DO used, and several
days ago they notified the Spanish Minister at
Washington Of the fact. Steps taken at Wash.
ington necessitated o change in the plans of the
Cubans. This change was made cleverly and
with intention to fool tho spies. Tho work Of
fitting out the Premier went on. but the Cubans.
belonging in Rockland. Me.
Just how the Spaniards found this out is not
for the Spanish Minister at Washington notified
an oh Sabulud nlbTnlDR luaI bOIlc
time during the day the silver Heels would make
an attempt to leave New York on a hlibustering
this news was telegrnphed TO Surveyor Croft
and United States Marshal McCarty here, with
get away for a foreign port without clearing in
the proper way and proving that her errand was
a legitimate one.
With these orders came a good deal Of detail.
showing that the Spanish agents had worked
well AM, were conversant with all of the plans
Heels would be towed TO Pier 80, East River, as
soon as it was dark. that she W uld there take
Oh a cargo Of arms and ammunition which had
been brought down from Bridgeport ON one of
the Bridgeport steamers and was stored near the
the coast was clear. There was more detail
about the expedition the names of the officers
OF the sloop. and the plumber Of men who
Cuban army. but the officials refuse to make
this public. They didn't want to tell anything
possible TO conceal the fact that something un.
usual was going to happen.
Federal building when the kilograms from
Washington arrived; Surveyor Croft came up
McCarty went to Commissioner Shields's office,
where they were Joined by Detectives Thornhili
and Murphy OF the Pinkerton agency and an
other Pinkerton man whose name is not known.
Pretty soon. eleven deputies who had been
rounded up Joined the conference. The mystery
was thick enough to cut when dinner wns
brought in from a restaurant 20 the party. But
what 1t was all about the reporters could learn
About 8 o'clock a deputy LETT the Federal
building, on a run. Two more won't out a few
the force walked down Broadway to the Bat
terry. Every deputy had n revolver and a pair
OF handcHns. lhcy were Jed by Marshal Nc
carly, who was going TO sea in q high hat and u
frock coat.
AT the regular revenue cutter landing tho
Chandler was waiting with steam up. The fire.
quenters OF the Battery water front smelled a
mouse when the deputies came. and a crowd Of
them assembled ut the landing to see what was
The deputy marshal who had left tho Federal
at the foot OF Pike street, to Watch the schooner
and to give the Zip when she sailed: Tho two
taie ogn y te w who to no sff him T were under under instrue-
peared in the East River and TO see to it that
she didn't land at some other pier than 80 with
O'Clock when the Silver Heels came around the
Battery from the North River in tow OF tho
Wise. She went straight to Pier 80 and made
fast. Where she came from no one but tho
M MorrIdani ana the surveyor knew and they
correct was proved by the prompt appearance
The pIerto which the schooner tied up was an
iGeal one for the work in hand. There arc build.
ings on either side OF it on shore, and from the
SSHreet the vessels moored to ii cannot be seen.
OF T.. but nothing that went on escaped him.
Anu at exactly l2:4O O'Clock he had the s~atisfac-
tow UH y | seeing the schooner start away again in
The mans orders, according to the best infor.
NATION obtainablc yesterday, were to telephone
In a sort OF cipher TO tho Barge Office. A man
~" ~ R RoS,eu there TO- take tho message, and at
"."o "o,hs, .,SlNer Heels he WAS to I'M
derstand that the schooner had left the dock
ana was to carry the news aboard the Chandler.
instead OF doing this, however, the man at the
a ssi,or waited a, for = Belt limo car. reaching ihe
the silver Heels had left her moorinps. Stroll.
thg ielsnrely aboard the Chandler he Informed
Ihe waiting officers that the hlibuster was some.
where up tho stream,
Mhrshal McCarty gave the order to move at
once and the Chandler backed ont. The Mar.
Snats ana detectives gathered in tho bow OF the
ooat and looked around as though thew ex.
RTsbutea TO see !he silver Heels a few yards away.
mere was nothing in sight but a Staten Island
terryboat, a couple OF tugs. and a lighIer TING
Mnrshal and the Captain OF tho cutler held a
TTonsH'taIion ana decided TO go up the East
a mssTa IheS started at a slow pace, going from
Sne siae OF The river to the other, like a sail.
yoat tagging, so that nothing could get by
.hem. When t Q cutter got up to Pier 81,
nUthhng on the New York side could bo distin,
csaJ n' me newspaper men who had sue.
Seenen IN getting oil board The Chandler nat.
bs aaItty supposed that the next thing that would
90 uone, IN view Of the TACT that there wasn't a
S ~ looking craft in sight, would be 10
had re- II I,o' o. sec whether the schooner
had gone ~ ''"Fh "hlch way she
inc Hlifpr did No .s,.l alt