Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-29
CHARGED WITH STEALING
A BOX OF PRAYER BOOKS
CURIOUS CRIME LAID AT DOOR OF
YACHTSMAN
Gifts for Natives of Tristan Group
He Is Said to Have Dumped Into
the Sea-Cabin Boy Dressed in
Skirts Intended for Tristan Girls
snecial Gable to The Herald.

special cable to The Herald.
LONDON, Oct 2S-It would be diff
ficult to imagine a more piquantly in
adequate situation than that provided
at Bow street yesterday, when a bold
maritime adventurer was charged with
stealing a box of prayer books on the
high seas.
The defendant was Thomas Caradoc
Kerry, owner of the famous yacht Pan
dora, who took the Kings mails to the
remote islands of Tristan Da Cunha,
and is said to be the only Englishman
who ever crossed New Guinea from
sea to sea. His address is given as the
Royal Colonial Institute, Northumber-
land avenue.
To the eye of romance it seemed that
If man with such a career ever had
to answer a charge of misconduct it
should be piracy at the least. Instead
of that it was a charge of stealing a
box of missionary prayer books. Mr..
Kerry is a rich man with a large bank
account and the Pandora cost him
$4,000.
According to the statement of Mr..
Kerry, the promoter, in 1904 the coll
onial office gave him the right to take
guano from three uninhabited islands
of the Tristan group. They charged
him SIS a year and made it a condi-
ton that he should carry mails and
parcels for the islanders free of charge.
The Rev. Frank Stone, chaplain to the
missions to seamen, interested himself
in the matter, obtained several gifts
for the islanders, and sent them to
the Pandora. They included Bibles,
books, cocoa, clothing, foodstuffs, and
tools. Some of the gifts came from the
Duchess of Bedford.
The goods were shipped at the West
India dock, and the Pandora steamed
down the Thames. Before she reached
Gravesend two parcels of books de-
signed for the islanders were thrown
overheard. Three days from Las Pal
mas more gift books We're brought on
deck, and Mr.. Kerry told the sailors
that they could select what they wanted
and throw the rest overheard. The box
containing the prayer books and other
devotional volumes which are the sub
ject of the charge was given to a
seaman. The books We're cast into the
deeps.
At Tristan Da Cunha some gifts were
sent ashort, but nothing like the guam
tity which was sent out. Neither did
Kerry seem to treat them as gifts, for
two dead bullocks were taken to the
yacht by the islanders, in return for
two barrels of flour.
On the return voyage call was made
at Ascension island, and some of the
books intended for the people of iris
tan Da Cunha We're presented to the
library. Kerry also went to Sierra Lee
one, and there sold to the steward of
a cable ship-the Britannia-some tools
sent as a gift for the people of iris
tan Da Cunha by a Mr.. Morrish. A
bargeful of cocoa sent by Messrs. Fry
for the islanders of Tristan Da Cunha
was sold at st. Helena.
Among the gifts sent from England
were some muffiers, some women's un-
derclothing and some flannel. These
things were torn up and given to the
seamen wherewith to clean the brass
work and paint of the yacht.
1t could be proved Furthermore, said
Mr.. Muir that the cabin boy, a lad
named Hamblin, was dressed up in
woman's clothing taken from the pres
ents, and that on Christmas day he
waited at table on Kerry and his COM
panions dressed as a girl.
To the duchess of Bedford, Kerry
wrote:
England in my exploring yacht Pan
dora, and found the islanders all we'll
and happy. They particularly request
me to convey to your grace their most
sincere thanks for your grace's very
kind present, which they very much ap-
preciated."
AS matter of fact, said Mr.. Muir, all
the books given by the duchess were
brought back to England, and were In
the yacht still, saving such as had been
taken away by the police.
1t was clear, said Mr.. Muir, in con-
clusion that Kerry was the bailee of the
goods, and in fraudulently converting
them to his own use he was guilty of
larceny.
after hearing the opening speech"
said the magistrate, Mr.. Marsham, "I
shall require increased bail" This was
fixed at Kerry's own recognizance of
$1,000 and two sureties of G5OO each.