The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-06
A BIG SURPRISE
IN PORTSMOUTH
Mr.. Ashton Did Not Even
Know He Had OPP
position.
SCHOONER LOST, CREW SAVED
Fleiscl1nan's Mother Sees Him
on Board the Receiving
Ship.
SCHOONER LOST, CREW SAVED
Especial to Tho Times. Dlspatcl,.)

NORFOLK, VA, May 5.--'rhere was
never d greater surprise In Portsmouth
Than when the news came from Richmond
that Joseph II. Saunders had been elected
,uperintendent of tho public schools.
John G.. Ashton has been superintendent
Tor twenty years, and he was the unaniJ
nous choice OF the members of the school
board; hence Superintendent Ashton and
nobody else was aware that there was
any opposition to his reelection. 1t is
stated that Mr.. Saunders will rcinquisll
q part of the salary OF superintendent
and receive but $40, In addition to his
salary OF $L500 as principal Of the High
School, and thus justify the displacement
Of Mr.. Ashton on the ground OF economy.
s5 SCHOONER LOST; CREW SAVED.
The steamship ontario, of the Mer-
chants' and Miners Transportation Line,
arrived here to-day With the news OF
the loss of the thrce-masted schooner
John c. Gregory. Captain Barnes. The
Ontario brought in Captain Barnes and
the crew of seven West Indian sailors.
and reported that she had run down and
sunk the schooner during a dense fog
at sea yesterday morning The schooner
was bound from Norfolk to Pictou, Nova
Scotia, with a cargo OF crcosoted piles.
Tho steamer cut a great cash in the side
OF the schooner and she began TO fill
Immediately. Captain Barnes and the
crew put OFT In a boat, and were picked
up by the Ontario. The Ontario was
bound here from Boston.
The two lookouts on the steamers deck
heard a bell In the fog Just before the
crash, but were unable TO locate the exact
y point whence the sound came The ship
was however, proceeding at slow speed.
The Ontario's boat was launched imme-
diately, but the schooner screw also took
to theirs, and the two met at sea. The
shipwrecked were hauled aboard the
steamer, cared for and landed here
1t was not thought wise for the steamer
\ To approach the wreck to place q light
upon It, fearing an ENHANCEMENT or COLL
sion In the fog. SO the schooner was BAN
doned. Captain Barnes said that the
Gregory's stern was out Of water when
he abandoned her, and Captain Howea
expressed tho opinion that because OF the
nature OF the schooners cargo she IS
! probably still afloat and constitutes
grave menace to navigation.
MOTHER MEETS HER SON.
There was a pathetic meeting Of mother
and son on the receiving ship Franklin
& this morning. Old detectives said they
had been shot at and they were able to
face the many dangers and to witness
the dreadful scenes which arc the incl
dents Of their profession, but when the
mothers voice shouted the name OF the
y son she had supposed to be dead. IN that
ship, and the son answered with wall
OF contrition, and then both fell into one
+, anothers arms in joy,it was too mucn
for them. They had to turn their backs
to conceal their own emotion.
Alois FIcischman, his wife and Miss
Uttermyer the sister OF Mrs. Fleischman,
OF New York, arrived here this morning
and went 10 tho Franklin to visit the
runaway boy. Leo Edwin Fleischman.
The boy was brought from below on the
ship WHARF the meeting, the recognition
and the affectionate and affecting inter-
view occurred. and then he was re-
turned as they left the ship to his place
lin the brig. The New York party re-
turned to the Monticello Hotel. where
Mrs Flelschmnn went to her room to
+ rest and recove. from the loss Of sleep
and the excitement OF finding her son.
Preparations were begun Immediately
TO procure the release OF the, boy from
the navy, of which he says hef has had
enough" and there Is no doubt that he
will be discharged. Mr.. Fleischman and
the ladies will go to Washington to-
night and begin the application there for
the release Meantime the boys icondi-
ton here will be rellcved:sas much as
possible. AS to the reward of $1,000 for
the finding Of the boy, Mrs. Fleischman
says she will distribute that among
those who have assisted in the Identified
ton of her lost boy, and she mentions
Captain Eva Booth, of the Salvation
Army, with affection for the interest she
took in finding the boy and for publish
Ing his picture In the War Cry, which
led to the Identification OF LEO Terrell"
on the Franklin as Leo Edwin Fleisch-
man. the runaway boy Of New York.