The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-16
THE ALEXANDER JONES,
She Was Again Halted at Jacksonville on
Friday by the United States Cruiser
Vesuvius-What Captain Adkins Says.

| The following is from the Jacksonville
| Florida Times-Union of Saturday,:
| The tug Alexander Jones, made con-
spicuCls by her alleged connection with
the filibustering operations in the neigh
borhood of Fernandina last Sunday ar
rived at Jacksonville last night, towing in
| the schooner Marion. The Jones picked
up her tow a few miles 10 the eastward of
Cumberland sound bar soon after lavinS
Fernandina yesterday morning at 10
o'clock.
Captain J. j. Adkins has charge of the
Jones. He was visited last night by a
Times-Union man and asked about the re-
cent sensations connected with his trim
little vessel.
he said. 1--WE had no idea of flibustering.
nor have we yet. Now, today we left
Fernadina, seeking fer work, ard got it.
I suppose it will be said that we will
filibuster. 1 do not like the reputation at
tached to my tug by the false accusations.
I cannot go anywhere without someone is
On my track, prying into matters that are
purely CT a private nature.
~"Tonight, as we came over the bar, an
officer from the cutter Boutwell, came
aboard and asked for me and my name.
if the cutter should blow our whistles. [
replied to this request that l thought |
knew what 10 do WREN such a number OF
whistles are blown. We passed the We
suvius anchored outside. l expects 10
leave port in a short time
He was told that if he stayed in these
waters very lOl1S, lie WOu'u ne SuSDSCIeu
of connection with the Cubans, and the
genial captain said: eff that be the case,
1 think I shall leave in the morning"
The Jones is an old timer, and not quite
so large as the Three Friends, while she
is considerably larger than the Dauntless.
Her cabin is painted a light color, and the
commodious quarters for both men and
officers render the tug a paradise com
pared with many of TIE vessels OF her
class. The speed of the Jones is not very
great-in fact. it is entirely to? slow for
her to engage in any undertaking where
fleetness is required.
The Times-Union of Sunday says:
The steamer Kate Spencer and Three
Friends came up the river Yesterday and
remained during the day. Both tugs had
q brush with the vessels belonging to
Uncle Sam as they passed them by.
The Kate Spencer crossed the bar early
in the morning and headed northeast in
search of a tow. When off Cumberland
the Kate refused to sop according to the
signals. The Colfax, then seeing the
hardness on the part of the tug to slow
old story of running out the cleaning
pieces of brass through the well-defined
portfolios, etc." was gone through with
in every detail. The Spencer finally stop
ped her engines and the ColfaX approach
ed her.
The officer of the Colfax instructed the
Spencer never to run after being ordered
to halt. He asked the Spencer's crew
where the vessel was going, and Oh re-
ceiving the reply that she was hunting
for a tow, the question. 'Wha kind OF a
tow?" was asked. and the crew then an
swered. Amy kind" The Colfax left the
Spencer after the questions had been an
swered satisfactorily and proceeded to-
ward the bar.
Yesterday afternoon as the Three
Friends attempted to come up the river
the cutter Boutwell, stopped her progress
at Sisters creek, and the officers asked
several questions regarding the tug'S deS-
tinatiOn and business.
After her arrival in port she was tied up
at John Clark's wharf to take on coal.
During that time Captain Mccormick,
United States deputy marshal. was seen
and asked what he had seen while down
the river. VIVA nave l seem? Well. the
Vesuvius was still riding at anchor out
side wallowing in the heavy seas like a
mahogany log. BY the way. I saw the
tug Alexander jones going out this morn
ing and I'll tell you she's a vessel we saw
off Cape Canaveral when we were coming
up the coast with the Yellow Kid and two
lighters in tow. l thought at the time
the strange vessel sighted was up to some
meanness and now. since her connection
with the rmu / feel certain that the
Jones has carried mere than one cargo OF
arms and ammunition to the filibuSter.
Yes. we passed her and she steered
clear of us for awhile. So much so. in
fact. that / could only see her smoke
stack, but that was characteristic of the
craft, and / recognized her this morning.