The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-22
WAS LILLE KIDNAPPED q
EVIDENCE SHOWED THAT SHE WAS A COY
BUT NOT A SCREAMING CAPTIVE.
Could hree Men Without Arms 0verawe
Twelve Men with Mirchesters and
Cannon =? That's the Question.

NeWbern, y. C., March 2l.-(SpeclaI.)
So much has been written and said
about the capture of the Lille" that
it may be well to give thefacts
The Shell Fish Commission. after or
ganizing. appointed IL committee of their
number to go to Meadows wharf and
take peaceable possession of the steamer
lille They proceeded To visit her and
arrived at her mornings mt IL: 80 Il. m.
They Went aboard without any objec-
ton being raised and found Captain
Doughty in the aft saloon and the crew
III other parts of the steamer. The
chairman. Clayton, said to the captain
that he had come aboard to take charge
of the steamer in the name of the State
of North Carolina. reading to him the
law as passed by the last Legislature
The captain replied that he knew moth
ing about it and asked that as he had
been placed in charge by Mr.. Theo.
White. to wait few days and in that
time Mr.. White would come Mr. Clay
ton said the recent law enacted made the
Shell Fish Commission cuStodians Of the
steamer Lille and that they assume
charge. placing Il man aboard as ship
Keeper and then the committee proceeded
to take inventory of equippage, etc.
which consumed one ana halt hours.
All this time no protest was offered by
the captain. The committee reported
back to the Shell Fish Commission that
they had taken quiet possession of the
lillie. During the afternoon session
information came to the board that the
captain and crew had not vacated the
Lille. The committee returned to her
and called on policeman to aid if neces-
sary in putting the crew ashore. 1t
seems that the captain had obtained leg
al advice during the afternoon and was
going to hold on to the steamer. At the
request of the captain the policeman took
hold of his arm and assisted him ashore,
alsc the engineer. This ended it. Messrs.
White and Duncan came and instituted
legal proceedings for forcible trespass.
There were five of the crew aboard with
seven Winchester rifles and cannon,
while the committee, three in number.
unarmed, went aboard, no resistance be-
ing offered. 1t is claimed by the defend
ants that they had quiet possession from
11:30 a. IN. till $40 p. M, the ship
keeper remaining aboard all this time.
In evidence the captain could not remem-
Der anything that happened in the morn
ing and some things that happened in
the afternoon. His memory was ex-
ceedingly treacherous on some material
points that bore out peaceful possession.
These are about the facts in the case.
The ex-chief shell fish Inspector contract
ed a bill of repairs to the Lilies ma
chinery amounting to $3.50 or $500 and
the work was near completion. Mr.
70, no
prove the same and advised that he libel
the steamer, claiming that he
is still in authority as chief inspector,
advising the machinist to libel her for
hill and thus obstruct the oyster in
dustry-a bill that he had contracted
himself The Lille is still in possession
remain and the obstacles thrown in the
way will not amount to anything serious.
The local poet has immortalized the
incident and Collector Duncan's part i'll
it in the following touching lines:
Oh. the Lille is beauty,
Chasin' dredgers is her duty,
And she bristles with cannon, great and
small.
AS war-ship she is doughty,
Shes IL fitin', scrapin' boat, hey 2?
But the Democrats they got 'er, guns
and all.
Oh. Duncan came a-runnlng.
And he swore he want Albumin.
When he followed Just hold 'er till l
come,
For I'll be there in minnit, -
But he found he wasn't in it,
For the Democrats they had 'er, by
gum.