The San Francisco call., 1905-06-26
Cell Holds a Cana
dian Of High
Station.
Captain Reginald Sal
mon Faces Serious
Charges
Claims He Is Victim of a Con-
spiracy Hatched by Off
GERS Of the Dominion.
Special Dispatch to The call.

NEW YORK, June 25-Captain Regi-
maid Salmon, former Wreck Commits
sioner of the. Dominion of Canada, cousin
of Vice Admiral Salmon. retired. of the
royal British navy. and nephew of Sir
Arthur Denny, Bart, is prisoner in the
tombs.
This highly connected Englishman is
the central figure in a complicated and
amazing scandal of international pro-
portions, involving Hon. Raymond Pre-
fontaine, Canadian Minister of Marine;
Captain Osprey G. p. Spain, present
Canadian Wreck Commissioner and COM
mander of Canadian cruisers, and his
wife, Mary Beatrice Spain, for years
leader of the Government. House society
In Ottawa and close personal friend of
Lord and Lady Minto.
Mrs. Spain, who months ago left her hus-
band under a formal though secret agree
ment of separation, is in this city, living
In poverty at Isl Second avenue, while
bravely concealing her misfortunes' from
her distinguished friends and family con-
nections.
;ylpfatyc Salmon is content to remain a
-pfixoner In the Tombs rather than make
public his humiliation by an appeal for
bail to any OF his aristocratic Canadian
friends, all of whom are wondering what
has become Of him. He is charged, .un-
dor an almost obsolete section of the
Penal Code. with having impersonated
Captain Osprey 6. V. Spain and MAIN
tained marriage relations with the real
Mrs. Spain in this city. There is a sec
ond charge against Captain Salmon on
which he is held together with DR.. An
drew Fulton of Brooklyn. to await the
action of the Grand Jury.
Emphatic denial of both charges is
made by Captain Salmon. Mrs Spain
and DR.. Fulton, while astonishing coun-
ter, charges are made of an alleged con-
spiracy, Matched in the highest oficial
circles of Canada, to wreck and dis
honor Salmon's career and to blight the
reputation of the defenseless woman he
has ventured to befriend.
1t now appears that, in October of last
year, Captain Salmon publicly resigned
the post Of Canadian Wreck Commits
sioner. boldly assigning as his reason that
the Canadian Minister of Marine Ray
mond Prefontaine, had attempted to in
luenee the decision in an important col
lision case involving big sum of money
and the responsibility for the loss of five
lives.
Captain Spain quietly proceeded to New
York, where he employed detectives and
lawyers and finally succeeded in landing
Salmon in Jail under a charge supported
by alleged confessions which promise soon
~ OO Lie SoDJCSS VI tiiC St1NOSt
Salmon and Mrs. Spain insist that proof
will be forthcoming of conspiracy en-
gineered by powerful Governmental ring
in Canada to crush Salmon. fearing fur
ther exposure at his hands.
A singular feature Of this case is the
fact that the prosecutions charges are
based to great extent upon alleged con-
fessions procured by Sir Charles w.
Gwynn, a young lawyer. According to
this witness, Captain Salmon. Mrs. Spain
and Dr. Fulton all confessed their mis-
deeds in full to him. Although Captain
Salmon is still awaiting action by the
Grand Jury. Lawyer Gwynn has sailed
for Europe and no one knows the date of
his return.