The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-10-11
AMERICAN PIRATE CAUGHT
Arrested in Victoria by the Canadian
Authorities.
CAREER OF CAPT. ALEX. MCLEAN

Many Months For PelnGio Sealing.
Eut He Evades Arrest by Chang
in: the Name Of His Vessel AMI
Lying a Foreign Flag.
Washington, y. C.--Captaili AleXan'
der Mclean. the only known living
American buccaree:. who sailed the
Pacific with 4 rev made up Of mcE
said to be as choice a band OF rob-
bnrs and cutthroats rs have manned a
pirate craft Since the days Of Captain
Kidd" has been arrested in Victoria,
3. c., By the Canadian authorities.
This news was very gratifying to the
officers of the Department of Com
merce.
Mclean has Dren Indicted in San
Francisco on charge of conspiracy i'll
fitting out the schooner Carmencita iii
violation of the sealing laws. The
American Federal authorities have
been after him for many months. and
it took the combined efforts Of four eX-
ecutive departments to land him.
Complaint against Mclean Of pelagic
sealing was made to the Department
of Commerce several months ago. Ihe
case was submitted TO the Department
OF Justice. Later Mclean was ind!ct-
ed. Efforts were made for a long time
to catch him. but they were futile.
Then Chief Wilkie. of the Secret Ser
vice, was asked to help out.
Information reached here week or
so ago that Mclean and his crew were
anchored near Victoria A revenue cut
ter was sent after him. The Attorney
General handed down an opinion that
McLean'S offenSe was not eXtraditahle.
and then the officials decided to resort
to diplomacy. Negotiations were
opened up with the Canadian authori-
ties. with the result that Mclean was
arrested, and he will be handed over
to representatives of tho United States
ar once. He will be taken to San
Francisco and there tried Oh the in
iictment returned against him more
than year ago.
Captain Mclean has had an exciting
career. He was master Of ship
known as the Carmencita, sometimes
of San Francisco and sometimes Of
other ports. The Carmencita had no
regular abiding place except the high
seas. According to information in the
hands of the Department of Commerce
Mclean has been engaged for at least
q year in unlawful sealing in the Ber-
fng Sea and adjacent waters. But he
was not to be caught easily. He was
aware that the law provided that the
United States may take into custody
any American vessel detected in IN
lawful sealing or suspected of operat-
ing in violation of the law.
After the authorities began looking
for the pirate crew under the command
Of Mclean that worthy changed the
lame of his vessel. She was regis
tered under the Mexican laws. few the
Mexican flag. and was called the Aca-
pulco. The United States authorities
:ould not lay hands on vessel OF a
foreign nation and Mclean. well salts
fed with his cleverneSS. sailed to the
prohibitive zone and slaughtered seals
N season and out of season. On his
last trip he brought back 250 skins,
which were offered for sale in Victoria.
The Mexican registry of the Acapulco
was complication that seriously
bothered the officials here for a while,
but the matter was finally adjusted
through diplomatic channels, and Nc
Lean will soon be back in San Fran
cisco.
I The search for Mclean was begun
in May, 1904 His movements were
known a greater part of the time, but
his course in his pelagic sealing cruises
was conducted so cleyerly and with
such sharp observance of the letter OF
the law that it is said he made these
very technicalities cover his alleged
evaSiorS.
From Seattle there sailed q few days
ago a revenue cutter, whose command.
ar was instructed TO capture the pirate
craft and to make her strike the Jolly
Roger" if the Acapulco displayed it.
The officers and men of the revenue
cutter spent hours cleaning their pis-
tolls and polishing their swords. and
had visions of q hand-to-hand encoun-
ter with the pirate chief and his crew.
But they were disappointed. as Cap
tain Mclean and his gang We're placed
under arrest in Victoria. The men and
the ship will be turned over to the
United States for whatever action this
Government deems proper.
According to reports received here,
Captain Mclean has been guilty of pi-
ratical acts other than killing seals in
ISOLATION of law. At one time he is
said to have fought a brief engage
ment with a Russian war vessel, in
which he was wounded. Mclean had
another encounter with the natives at
Copper Island. near Unalaska. The
authorities here attach great impor-
tance to the capture Of Mclean. and
every effort will be made to punish