The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-28
an EFFORT TO STOP THE SALE.
A PUZZLING TELEGRAM FROM THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL.

nirected the REINFORCEMENT OF the
sale of the AduIa-It Afterwards
developed That He Was Not Aware
of All the Facts In the Case, and
the sale VIII Not he Interfered
Nith-The Adula to BE Put on the
block at IL O'clock, Noon, TO-mOr-
row.
II looked for a while yesterday as If there
might be some interference with the sale
of me British steamship Adula, scheduled
n take place tomorrow at u o'clock noon
What looked like trouble came in the
shape of telegram from the Attorney
General Friday night. The telegram was
addressed ~. s. Army Savannah, Ca. !"
and it was some time before it was dis
covered for whom 1t was intended. It was
new was intended, and late in the evening
the telegram found its way to Mr.. W. R.
Ieaken assistant district attorney
This telegram instructed the district at
torney to have the sale postponed, with a
view to reopening the case for further tes-
tmony. Mr.. Leaken hardly knew what
10 make of it. 1t was difficult to under
stand why the Attorney General should
Interfere with the action of court, and
The conclusion was reached that the At
brney General did not have a proper I'M
Outstanding of what had been done in the
case.
Mr.. Leaken wired the Attorney Cen
l.,
Judge Speer had heard a motion for the
reopening of the case for taking further
testimony, and had refused it. It was al
60 stated that Judge Speer mad ordered the
sale and that it could not legally be in
terfered with except by order from a high
er court. The circumstances bore the ap-
pearance of having been brought about
through the British authorities at Wash
ington intervening in behalf of the owners,
the Atlas Steamship Company.
Having sent the telegram of explana-
ion, Mr. Leaken anxiously awaited a re-
ply which was received yesterday about
noon. The second telegram was signed
by the assistant attorney general and told
him to take no further steps to interfere
with the sale of the steamship. The
Adula will therefore go on the block at
the appointed time.
1t is difficult to tell yet who will put in
bids for the Adula. 1t is said Messrs.
C. w. Howard & Co., and an agent of the
Plant steamship line may be among the
bidders, and it Is quite probable that
there will be others, among them probably
representative of the Fiagler lines
The sale will be conducted by Mr.. Chas.
H Dorset, and will take place promptly
at noon, in front of the custom house
The Adula is said to have cost ESQ 600
sterling when she was built at Belfast in
1883. She is a steel and iron screw steam
er, one iron deck, official tonnage 772 be-
low deck sos, and net tonnage 372. She is
z2.5 feet long 29.1 feet beam and draws
twelve feet. She was used by the Atlas
Steamship Co. of Liverpool in the West
Indian trade, and is reported as being
IN fine condition.
The court has fixed the minimum price
for the Adula at $4,000, and no bid for
less than that amount will be considered.
The successful bidder must be prepared to
deposit 10 per cent of the amount of mis-
bid, or something over $500, and the bal
ance of the amount bid must be paid into
the registry of the court within twenty
days from the date of sale The penalty
for failure to pay the balance within the
time stipulated is the forfeiture of the
cash deposit.
About all of the war vessels which were
bnSWnefe near Guantanamo pay ON the
day of the capture of the Adula have filed
claims with the court for their share in
the prize money. The greater part will
probably go to the cruiser Marblehead,
which made the capture, and many other
vessels Of the fleet will come in for a
share
It is difficult to predict what will be the
fate of the Adula. She win henceforth,
no doubt, sail under the American flag
rl1af~aa in he tx2riee
trade, She may be used again for trade
around Cuba or Porto Rico or she may
De put on some regular line as a light
freight and passenger boat Her ca
pacity is small, and she would hardly do,
therefore, for any of the big lines