The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-14

Mclean, lowering his voice, IL we get
caught at it there'll be the devil to pay
Ives, sir
80 IL any little packages come aboard,
be quick about it,
"Well, Mclean and Colonel Smith
hadn't any more than got out OF signt
than Captain Whitten weighed anchor
and sailed dround the corner. lie hadn't
been there very long before the little
packages began to arrive. Some Of them
came In coal lighters and others In boxes
and barrels and crates. 1t didn't take
very long to stow them away, however,
and pretty soon the Zaflro dropped an
chor in the harbor again. Mclean and
Colonel Smith came aboard.
Sir said Captain Whltten to Mclean,
those little packages
Don't bother me, sir hundred Nc
Lean in a rage. I'm in great hurry to
get back to Admiral Dewey with impor-
tant cablcgrams'
80 they sailed awoy. when they
reached Manila, Mclean called Captain
Whltten up and said: "Sir, l must hasten
TO the flagship and report TO the admiral
When return shall inspect your cargo.
II find anything In II contraband of war
] shall order you into irons.
"Well Mclean didn't get back until
the next morning. and when he went over
the cargo he found nothing contraband.
In the meantime every officer and man
In the squadron had square meal That
was the first OF many trips On one of
the trips Mclean came pretty near get
ting into serious trouble. The Spanish
consul at Hong Kong got wind of The
lighters and the boxes and crates, and
Just before the Zafiro made ready TO
! leave the harbOr he complained to Mr..
| BLACK. the English governor of the city,
| that she was laden with Contraband OF
| war
Governor Black, who had seen Colonel
/ Smith buy two loaded Golfers in the har-
| Dor aud sail them away without even Dat
ting his eye had to take cornizance of
! the complaint, so he sent revenue cutter
| out to the Zafiro and confisCated about
| forty tons of green groceries, coffee,
! sugar condensed mix and clothing The
| stuff was taken ashore and Mclean was
| ordered before the governor to explain its
| presence on his ship. That was where
/ Mclean proved strong. That was where
/ he showed that he was not only a sailor,
but an international lawyer as well. He
| tished around I'm the contraband goods
| until he had found a package of under
| shirts which he had bought for his own
use. He held one Of the shirts up before
the governors eyes and said:
| Your honor the neutrality laws pro-
vide that nothing shall be taken aboard
vessel belonging to either Of the bel
! ligerent parties for the maintenance of
the fleet. l ask you, sir, is this undershirt
calculated to aid in the maintenance of
| the fleet? Most assuredly not. Why?
Because, sir, ! can so back TO Manila
, and kill Spaniards just as well without
an undershrt. sir, as | can with one. The
undershirt, sir, is a LUXURY, and as such is
exempt from the operation of the law. Sc
are these cabbages and these quarters OF
beeves; they are all luXuries and come
| in the same class
Governor Black looked wise and an.
nounCed-for the benefit of the Spanish
consul who was present-that he would
have to take the matter under advise
ment. That night he sent word to Nc
Lean to get the stun on board and oct
Of the harbor as quickly as possible. for
although ne had ordered ii released, ht
had cabled his decision to the home gov
ernment and was afraid 1t would be re-
| versed.
Mclean worked until o'clock in the
morning. and then sailed The result
was that the men in the fleet were res
cued from salt horse for another week"