The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-10
DESERTED WIFE AND CHILD.
FORMER BRITISH VICE-CONsUL
ROBERTSON DISAPPEARS.

His Wife and Little Daughter Who
Are Preparing 10 Return to Eng
land - Carried Away Money Be
longing TO Two SaiIOrs-Failure TO
Pay over the Nevada Crews Money
said TO Have Caused His Dismissal.
Collected Fees for Paying on Sail
OrS-He Also Borrowed Money.
Walter Robertson, for many years Brit
Ash vice-consul at Savannah, has disap-
peared from the city and gone to parts IN
known. leaving behind him to take care Of
herself and little daughter. his wife, who
is now at Isle of Hope, leaving also several
obligations to those who have been his
friends. nsatisfed, and a number OF
claims against him on the part of those
who have had business transactions at
the consulate.
None of those who knew him on the
Bay have any idea of his whereabouts,
and his wife and daughter seem to have
been entirely deserted. He has been gone
now more than a week, but left behind
him no trace as to where he could be
found At last In despair, the loving and
devoted wife Is preparing to return TO her
people in England with her little daugh-
ter. Mrs Robertson, like her husband, is
English, and her family lives near Lon
don. She has been forced to
dispose of her household goods to
realize enough to return to her people,
and she expects to go within short time.
Robertson was suspended from office
Oct. % and Justice Samuel Reynolds
was Temporarily placed in charge
by the consul from Charleston.
II is said his suspension was
due to the fact that the money awarded
by the United States court to the sailors
of the famous bark Nevada, and paid to
him for them by order of the court, never
found its way to the sailors, who had re-
turned to England, and complaint was en-
tered on account of it. This led to an in
vestigation. which is said to have developed
other Irregularities in the office, and his
connection with it was severed.
Up to about a week ago. however, Rob
ertson remained in the city, and was fire.
auently at the office of Justice Reynolds.
Though Justice Reynolds refused to say
anything about the matter. it is currently
reported that the records of his office were
in very bad shape.
Two cases have recently de-
veloped. A short time ago Robertson col
lected about SIPS for sailor named Will
lam Jones belonging to the bark Edynfed.
Jones made very effort to get his money
from the vice consul before leaving port,
but was unable to do so. For another
sailor, William Peterson, belonging to
British steamship, he collected about $50,
and this sum likewise was never paid to
the man who was entitled to it. Peterson
is still in the city, and up to the time
Robertson left had made every possible
effort to secure the payment of the money
without success. 1t is said that he car
red the money or part of the money be-
longing to these two sailors with him when
he left the city. Peterson has not yet been
able TO secure employment and is here
without money or means of support
When sailors from British vessel were
paid off the payments were always made
before the vice consul 1t was currently
reported that he had been shaking down
the sailors, to use the vernacular, for
some time. In order TO see just what was
done in these cases, on one occasion one
of the ship brokers sent a man over to his
office at a time when the crew of one of
the British vessels in port was to be paid
off. The cash was there at hand, and as
he paid the men he would deduct so cents,
or 81, or 81, according to the amount paid.
Robertson is said to have been a great
borrower. Some of the ship brokers on the
Bay and others, report having let him
have money on many occasions, which
was never returned. So much trouble did
some of them have on this account that
they finally shut down on him altogether,
and refused to let him have another dol
lar.
What other Irregularities there have
been in his conduct while here as Brit
ish vice consul will, no doubt, be devel-
oped later. A fondness for strong drink
is said to have been the cause, in part,
at least, of his financial distress, but so
far as is known, he usually spent his
nights at his home at Isle of Hope. His
wife is deeply distressed over his disap-
pearance, and much sympathy is express
ed for her and her daughter in the trou-
Bile he has brought upon them
Robertson came to Savannah some ten
or twelve years ago from South Africa. A
man named Ansley was British consul
here at the time, and Robertson became
a clerk in his office. Ansley himself was
what is sometimes termed a high roller"
but II was other than money matters that
caused him to leave the city. When he
left he recommended that Robertson be
left here as vice consul. Robertson had
hence could not be appointed consul. He
was, however, made vice consul, and
practically retained that position until his
recent suspension. In South Africa he
was engaged in civil engineering, but soon
familiarzed himself with the duties of
the consulate.
There have been reports of Irregularities
In Robertson's office for a long time, such
as Withholding money due sailors and
collecting fees from them when they were
paid off But. somehow or other, he
managed to retain his position until the
question of the pay belonging to the sail
ors of the bark Nevada came up, and
then followed the investigation and his
removal.
1t has been about five years since the
Inflated bark Nevada put into Savannah
with a cargo of salt. There was some
trouble at sea on the bark between the
captain and crew, which got into the
courts. About a year and a half ago
decision in the case was reached by Judge
Emory Speer, and by order of court, the
money arising from the sale of the bark
was apportloned among the members of
the crew. The surviving members had