The San Francisco call., 1905-06-14
Federal Grand Jury mdicts
Prominent Shipping Men
on Charge of Quitting
Seal Fishing Expedition
PIRACY is CHARGED
AGAINST THE LEADER
Captain Mclean of the Car
mencita, the Man Accused
of Heading the Work,
ClasSed as a Freebooter


shipping agents, n saflmaker, an ad-
venturer from Tahiti, and n sea can
tain yesterday for conspiracy to vio-
late the law covering the taking of
seals. The men indicted are Robert J.
Tyson, n shipping agent at I6 CaIifor-
MIA streets w. }. WOodside, shipping
agent AT is California street: w. J..
Wood, a sailmaker at 80 Steuart street
and =. Z. II. de Smidt, who claimed to
be planter from Tahiti, and CAPTAIN
Alexander Mclean of the schooner Car
mencfta, which he has used in this
work at different times under the name
of the Acapulco and the Jennie Thebin.
Mclean and De Smidt are now on the
Csrmencita somewhere in the Berine
Sea- The vessels register was taken
away last year and she is now cIassed
as pirate. The revenue cutter Bear
left Honolulu yesterday under orders TO
capture the outlaws. Tyson. Wood and
Woodside were arrested yesterday. but
were afterward released, each furnish
ing bonds for $1,000. Woodside declares
that he knows nothing about Mclean or
the Carmencita- Tyson admits that he
acted as agent for the schooner's own
ers, but asserts that he did not know for
what purpose she was being used. Wood
could not be found last night
In the latest operations Of Mclean of
the Carmencita is a story as strange as
Kpling's Rhyme of the Three Sealers."
No wonder, for Mclean of the Carmen
cita is Rueben Payne in the Rhyme of
the Three Sealers'' incarnated. The Car
mencita was involved in a fight in the
fog as desperate and as bloody as the
one described by Kipiing. The truth in
this case is stranger than fiction.
On May 5, 1904, the little schooner Car
mencita cleared from here under the
Mexican flag. She was bound for Vic
IOria on a codhshing expedition, so it was
-
vessel bound on a peaceful fishing
pediticn did not need complete an
arsenal as the Carmencita carried. Be
sides Captain Mclean had not the most
sayory reputation in ports from here to
the zone Of the Northern Lights. De
Smidt went along as ships doctor.
though he knows nothing of medicine.
Due north the Carmencita headed and
she did not drop anchor at Victoria Up
through the Bering Straits she sailed TO
the seal rOokeries at Copper Island. Rus
sian territory
4 landing was made in a dense fog one
morning. Mclean and his hunters were
busy knocking seals on the head when
the alarm reached the little colony of
Russians, who were put there by their
Government to protect seal fishing.
FIGHT BLINDLY IN FOG.
sudden vOIley crashed into the
band Of poachers ont of the dense gray
fog. Walter York, one of the Carmen
cita's crew, fell with bullet through
his breast, and a bullet shattered the
arm of John Friedlander, another of
the pOachers.
McLean's freebOoters returned the
fire and "a fierce battle in the mist en-
sued. Neither side could see the
other. A shout, a groan shot
brought a spluttering yoIley. Mclean
and his pOachers were gradually driv-
were Obtaineu.
This disaster did not discourage Nc
Lean. A cargo of sealskins meant over
quarter Of a million dollars. A cargo of
sealskins was what he started for and,
BY the gods, he was going to get them
The order was up anchor and the Car
mencita headed for the Pribyloff Islands,
an American rookery.
Here the posohers had better luck.
They got sealskins valued at many thou
sands-just how much the authorities are
not able to say-and put in at Victoria.
How the skins we're disposed OF is an
other story-one that the federal officials
are not yet able TO tell.
The doings Of Mclean In the regions
where Kipling says There is no law OF
God or man" somehow got to the ears
OF the Mexican Government, whose flag
the Carmencita few. The nag was or
dereo Cancelled and the register was TAX
en- away. W.. Wood was the one who
surrendered the register.
Mclean, by this proceeding. was made
o pirate In the eyes Of all Governments
he applied IN vain to the Sicaraguan
Government for permission to use its
Tag. Finally he decided. It seems. that
he needed no flag.
During March Of rhss year the Carmen |
cita. with the name changed to the Aca- |
pulco. put into brakes Bay. There she |
crew for "codfshlng" near Victoria, and |
sailed away.
Now the Carmencita is believed to be
somewhere in the Bering Sea with a crew
armed TO the teeth and eager to do the |
bidding Of Captain Mclean, the pirate |
From the tales that come from the land |
of the Northern Lights, Mclean does not /
care whether he takes the skins from the |
seals or from warehouse. He is as 1
reckless in regard TO the lives Of others |
as he is CT his own.
WILL RUN DOWN PIRATE.
But the revenue cutter Bear is ON the
way to scour the Bering Sea until the nj /
rate vessel is captured. For years Mclean 4
has lodged revenue cutters and. e1,n-
boats, but this time il seems certain that 1
The poacher Will be caught. All his cum |
ming VIII avail nothing this time Posi- /
tive evidence against him is In the hands /
CT the Federal authorities and the orders /
are. it is understood, TO take Mclean,
dead or alive.
The evidence against Mclean and his I
accused co-conspirators was gathered by
Secret Service Agent Harry n Mofit.
Despite The strenuous denials of Wood.
Woodside and Tyson. Motif declares thai
the evidence shows that the three helped
10 outfit the Carmencita for her illegal
cruise.
j. r. scott. Custom house broker. IS
one OF the principal witnesses for the
Government. He was at first Thought 70
be the owner OF the vessel. but II was
found that he was only acting for the
real owners.
Yes. / did have something to do With
the Carmencita," he admitted YESTERDAY.
Il cannot say just what IL was now he
cause the Federal Grand jury has bo,no
me TO silence"
Did you know the object OF the cruise
to Berlng Sea-" was asked