New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-27
STRANAHAN TO RESCUE.
TAKES SH4GH4IED Lad.
Boards French Bark off Sandy
Hook from ReUcnue Cutter.


rce inst before / o'clock this morning with the |
bov. having left the French bark in charge of 7
revenue officer with instructions not to let her |
sail until he had reached a decision as 20 what |
action he would take toward the officers Of the |
ship.
The BOY said he was Hugh Thompson, and |
that his father was Christopher Thompson, Of |
No 80 Front-st Brooklyn. He had voluntarily |
shipped on the French bark thinking that it
was cruiser He wanted to be a sailor on a
man Of war After he found that he was on a
merchant vessel he tried TO escape. as related
below. but was captured and made prisoner.
He declared that the officers of the ship were
beating him numerically when Collector Stran-
ahan boarded the vessel.
Collector Stranahan left the Barge Office in
the Calumet and went TO Tompkinsville. where
he boarded the Gresham When she arrived
alongside the French vessel he made his identity
kEoWn ana, going aboard. demanded that the
.shanghaied' boy be brought before him After
hearing the boys story he decided TO bring him
back TO the city. The ships officers made no
protest
Collector stranahan said that he might bring
charges against the captain for sailing without
articles
Aroused by what was apparently one Of the
most fragrant. open and defiant Of the many
cases of "shaughaiing' that have recently been
Stranahsn. last night, at 1875, boarded the
revenue cutter Gresham, with deputy United
States marshal and two Secret Service men.
sped down the bay to he French bark Marechal
de Gontaut. Captain Denniere, outward bound
for Yokohama, at anchor four miles southeast
Of Sandy Hook boarded her half hour before
midnight TO investigate the case of a boy sup
posed 10 be Hugh Thompson, who had tried 10
escape from the vessel in the afternoon, but
had nd do Vvis
All the way to the Hook the pilot in charge
Of the French bark heard the cries OF the boy
for help and release issuing from his prison.
Baffied in her attempt to get beyond the
waters u which the TorL authorities have Juris-
dctioE by head winds. the French bark was
forced tc anchor four miles southeast of the
Sandy Hook Lightship. Earlier in the afternoon,
when the case was first called to the Collectors
attention. he said there We're no revenue cutters
available. and that he feared the bark would
get beyond the three-mile limit before she could
he caught on learning last evening, however
that the vessel was at anchor near Sandy Hook
he at once prepared 10 take official action.
The revenue cutter left the French bark at
20 a. m.. and started toward the Upper Bay.
II took her about two hours to reach the Bat
terry where Collector Stranahan landed
II MAS too late Tor him TO be rescued when
II was learned by the harbor police and the
Treasury Department that the lad had been
shanghaied' on the French bark. The Mare
chal de Gontaut mas been lying off Tompkins-
vile for several days. Yesterday waterboat
put out 10 her As she was about TO put of
from the bark q youth about seventeen wears
old rushed on deck and shouted TO the crew
de said he had been forced to sail against his
"iIl. that ne had not signed any ships papers
and that he did not want 10 go TO sea He
jumped from the deck Of the bark aud was
ieaped from The bark and forced him to return.
lie told the engineer of the water boat the
Scandinavian that he was Frank Thompson
lie was dressed in black serge suit patent
leather shoes white shirt and high collar He
said that while in Manhattan on Tuesday night
ne met three men who said they we're sailors
and had several drinks with them They said
they had just arrived from StapIeton. Thomp-
son told them that he had a friend on an
American bark lying of TompkinsyiIle. and the
men at once said that bark was their ship
They offered to take him to the bark, so he
might see his friend in the morning
The four boarded the French bark the boy
thinking he was going on the boat in which his
friend had shipped At daybreak he was set
to work and not allowed 10 go
The engineer of the water boat Michael
CNeil, tried To help the lad to escape. He was
sitting aft when he saw the boy drop into the
wafer boat men had no right to board the
Ffenchman 70 rescue the boy. the Scandinavian
Nas rushed to the shore at full speed.
The boys plight reported To Frank B.
West Of TompkinsvilIe, but the MarechaI de
Contant had got under way before the water
boat reached the shore. West at once tele-
phohed 20 Police Headquarters. which tried to
gei int" COMMUNICATION with Captain Dean. of
Jhe police boat Patrol She could not be reached
by telephone
according 20 the crew Of the water boat the
ooy looked ike an American. and seemed 10 be
me only one aboard that could speak English
hey say they demanded the release Of the boy.
an4 that no attention paid them
. ~ hen the pilothOat which had taken out the
@1afechal De Gontanf. returned 10 her anchorage
Oh slaplei0n last night. her skipper. Captain
,DoHeD. said that soon the boy was GOT
DICK on board he was locked UP in the cabin
&c lnat during the trip down the Bay he could
near the boy calling out be set ashore After
Aptain Lowell left the bark she drifted about
80 ~ while without any wind. She finally
tooPpen ner anchor near the Sandy Hook Light
lip' and was still riding there when the sta
m. neat started for the inner harbor.
q X Grace & Co. are consignees Of the bark
&C vas chartered by Philip Ruprecht & Co
.s.siilaTn OIL. foreign shipping Department. to
Ae cargo OF case oil and wax % Yokohama,