Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-03-13

menced. The schooner Chapman had
been for two weeks ready for her coast
ing voyage, and, as she did not 60 to
sea, the United States officers became
suspicious of her, and placed watch
where they could observe everything
occurring on board. They also search
ed the vessel, but found everything
correct, and would have dismissed the
watch had not a we'll known southern
er, while intoxicated, Dragged of what
they were going to do. This was re-
ported to the revenue officers, and ex-
ira precautions were taken. At the
time Miss Elliot arrived in San Fran
cisco, Neville gave orders for the
captain to take the men who had been
engaged in San Francisco weeks be-
fore, and who were then at different
sailors boarding houses, to put to sea
and Join her consort off the island of
Santa Cruz. These men went on
board in the night, and next morning
the ship got under way, showing only
the usual number of men on deck. But
the United States revenue cutter stop
ped her, and conveyed her to an an
chorage under the guns of Alcatraz
island. The officers and crew of AZ
men were arrested.
In order not to have his plans
blocked, Neville started two men over.
land on horseback for Santa Barbara,
to take boat from there to the island
and notify the captain of the Vesta of
the seizure of the Chapman. The
captain of the Vesta was ordered to
intercept the steamer, and was told
that Neville and his confederates
would be on board to assist him, and
that they would disable the machinery
of the vessel, in case the guns of the
schooner did not compel the steamer
to stop while they took the gold from
her. But "the best-laid schemes O.
mice and men gang aft a-gley." When
the two messengers crossed to the
island from Santa Barbara, they found
the captain and all hands of the Vesta
"blind drunk" and before they could
be sobered up and got ready, the John
L. Stephens went steaming by with
the government gold.
It seems that United States Marshal
Rand had got wind ofthe contemplated
raid to capture the gold on the steam
er, and he warned the officers of the
steamer of what might he attempted,
and placed on board IL of his depu-
ties, dressed as old Californians. These
men took passage in the steerage, and
professed to be returning to their east
ern homes. They had holsters with
pistols belted around their waists, in
the usual California style. They made
the acquaintance of Neville's men, and
two of them agreed to guard Neville as
the steamer was to pass through the
Santa Barbara channel. Each deputy
marshal had his man picked, and, if
the attack had been made by the
schooner Vesta, they would have shot
Neville and every one of his gang.
The plot miscarrisd, and the steam
er passed on her wa- to Panama with
out any trouble.
The syndicate of English friends of
the Southern Confederacy lost all that
Neville had expended in fitting out
the expedition, with the exception of
the proceedsof the sale of the schoon-
er Vesta and her supplies at Hong
Kong, whittier she went after the fail
ure of Neville's plans. The confeder-
ates of Neville who sailed with him on
the steamer were paid off by him at
Panama, and he and Miss Elliot took
the French steamer at Aspinwall for
the West Indies and Europe. The
newspapers of San Francisco gave an
account of the "tempest in a teapot"
when the schooner Chapman was seiz-
ed for attempted piracy.
The vigilance of Marshal Rand on
this occasion saved the government
81, 900, OOO.-Argonaut.