The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-27


but Failed to Get Away--POrt Collector
Heads tho Chase to Rescue RAni.
Despite the fact that seven revenue
cutters rode at anchor a stones throw
away and that the officers and men on them
had been notified by watermen that a
genuine case of "shanghaing" had &C.
Cured right under their noses, the French
bark Marechal de Gontaut, bound for
Yokohama with cargo Of case oil, was
allowed to slip out of this port yesterday
morning with an American boy on board
who according to the story he told
had been kidnapped by two South
street boarding house runners and Snug
gled aboard the ship in the early morn
ing. Late last night the revenue cutter
on board, was seeking the bark of
Sandy Hook on the strength Of report
that she had anchored.
The boy made a desperate fight for his
liberty while the Waterfront Scandinavian
was alongside of the bark before she sailed
yesterday morning. He succeeded in leap
ing from the high deck of the vessel into
the bay and swimming to the Waterfront.
where he found stanch ally in the person
of John Mcdonnell, the engineer.
Mcdonnell, an Irishman by birth. but
an ardent American citizen just the same,
peeled OF his coat as soon as the boy told
him that he had been -sbanghaied." and
when three French sailors came aboard the
Scandinavian to take the fugitive back,
sailed into them for all he was worth. He
txhf nr Nbe, flya, hon wh MI
the boy was seized and taken back on the
bark. which Immediately afterward weighed
anchor and put out to sea in tow OF tho
tugboat Mutual.
The Marechal de Gontaut had scarcely
got her anchor up before the news of what
had occurred spread along the Staten
Island shore. The boatmen around Iomp-
kinsville, who dart in and around the fleet
of revenue cutters anchored there for the
yacht races just now, looking for fares,
shouted the news to the decks OF the cutters
while the frenchman was still in sight.
But no move was made TO catch her.
From the cotton dock in Tompkinsville
two shipping men called up Police Head
quarters in this city and notified them
that i bark was making to sea with kid
mapped American boy on board. Police
Headquarters rang up Pier to notify
Capt Dean Of the Pat rol TO go in pursuit.
but the Patrol was elsewhere--on cruise
up the North River, il was said. The police
at Stapleton, Staten Island, were ordered
to investigate, and two precinct detectives
were assigned to look into the matter.
The detectives went to Tompkinsville,
asking what had become of the French
bark When she was pointed out to them
about a mile beyond the Quarantine sta
ton, making slowly for the Hook, they
went back TO the police station and wrote
ont a report that they were too late to do
anything in the matter.
This report soon got back to Police Head
quarters in this city Then inspector
Brooks called up Collector Stranahan and
asked him il he had n revenue cutter handy
which could pursue the Marechal de Con-
taut and bring back the boy, If such boy
was on board. Collector Stranahan SAID
he had no cutter available for such service.
At that time the French bark was still in
side the Horseshoe and making such slow
work getting to sea that she could easily
have been caught. The fleet of revenue
cutters were riding gracefully at anchor
of Tompkinsville, waiting to patrol the
yacht race course to-day, and parties or
sailors from several of them were busy
ashore loading baskets of champagne and
mineral waters on the launches preparatory
to stocking the cutters with refreshments
for to-day
1t was 1890 o'clock yesterday morning
when the unfortunate lad on the French
was IL o'clock when Waterman around the
fleet of revenue cutters told men on their
decks about the kidnapping, and 1t was
IL 80 o'clock when the police were notified
At ITO clock, almost two hours later, the
Marechal de Gontaut passed out by SANDY
Hook.
After the bark was we'll out to sea there
was considerable hustling to learn whether
there was any chance OF the Marechal de
Gontaut still being within three miles or
Sandy Hook, up to which point the Govern
| ment has Jurisdiction
What stirred the authorities up mos'
was the tale told by Abraham Rooney,
the Sandy Hook pilot, who took the
MARGINAL de Gontaut to sea. Rooney
returned to Tompkinsville on schooner
| last night He said that all the way down
| the bay the Thompson boy, who was locked
| in the cabin, screamed for help, shouting
| that he was being kidnapped. He beat
and kicked on the cabin door until even
Rooney protested against his being i'm
prisoned. Capt. Dennierre, however, so
! the pilot said, declared to him that the lad
| had signed papers and that he didn't pro-
| Dose TO give him a second chance TO jump
overheard until the bark was well out at
| sea- ,
At & o'clock last night it was reported
| from Sandy Hook that the Marechal de
| Gontaut had returned because south
| east storm seemed to he gathering and
| that she was anchored near the Lightship.
| Whether she was inside the three-Inile limit
| was not certain.
When that news was taken TO Collector
Stranahan at his house he and his secre-
tary, Mr.. Stewart. and Deputy United
States Marshal went to the Battery and
boarded the revenue cutter Calumet. The
Calumet steamed to TompknsvilIe. where
| the partv made transfer TO the Gresham.
and the Gresham started for Sandy Hook
| to see whittier the Mar6chal de Gontaut
was still there. II was announced that
! if she was inside the jurisdiction the Thomp-
| son bow would he taken aboard and brought
| back, and IL there was any ground for It {.
| Can't Dennerrr would he arrested. Al
| o'clock this morning the the cutter had not
! returned
Oficiallv, only one hoy was "shanghaicd'
| aboard the French bark but during tho
fight on the Scandinavian this lad. whose
| fate depended on the outcome, told Engi-
neer Mcdonnell that four other boys had
been kidnapped and were locked ny in the
| hold OF the bark He said that they were
| all Americans and that they had been Kid
! named by two South street clearinghouse
| runners. ,
Around Tompkinsvillc, whcr" many sail
| ing vessels anchor to wait for crews, no
| surprise was expressed over this story.
| The boatnen there said that they had heard
| of many cases OF the kind in the last fCw
months and that they believed the thing
was being done constantly by boarding.
| house keepers in Manhattan. The captains
| of sailing craft have been having great
| deal Of trouble recently in getting crews.
I rTharn aoaYpa n Ia q SpnrCity Of cpmDptcDt