The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-12-21

VICTORIA, b. c., Dec. News has
been received from Yokohama that AL
bert a. Lewis, Charles A. Hill and F.
NJ. Howard were tried there for forg-
ing and uttering private documents
and sinking the ship Agenor of Seattle.
Lewis was chief clerk of Sale & Fraz-
err, a Yokohama export firm. and con-
ceived the scheme. He arranged
charter for the Agenor which was ac-
quired by Sale & Frazer on her arrival
at Kobe from Seattle, to carry wheat
to Kobe from Yokohama. Represent
ing that he had sold the wheat to a
Kobe firm, he then cabled proposals to
Lloyd's at London for the insurance of
the cargo.
Lloyd's not knowing the conditions at
the time, refused the risk. Then Lewis
arranged with Capt. Topple, retired
mariner, to survey the vessel, and
when this was forwarded to Lloyd's
they cabled, accepting the risk at $780,
600. Subsequently he wired Lloyd's for
a further $4,000 risk, saying additional
cargo was being shipped.
By manipulation a small quantity of
wheat was shipped and false bills Of
lading covering a full cargo were made
out. Then Lewis and Hill took passage
on the Agenor, the latter as pilot, and
they made false entries in the logbook.
steering the vessel toward places
studded with rocks off Yukiura, in the
Tokushima Prefecture.
The vessel at last struck rock. sus-
tanning small damage. AS the preme-
dtated total wreck had not been eff
fected the schemers bored holes in the
hull to complete the sinking of the
ship. The holes Were bored by How
ard. the ships carpenter, and the
pumping apparatus was destroyed by
him to prevent the ships being saved.
The Agenor foundered during the
night, all hands having reached the
shore easily in the boats, and Lewis
gave Capt. Mowatt and the mate $4,000
and let them proceed to the United
States before reporting the wreck. This
aroused the suspicious of Sale 4 Fraz-
err who caused the police to arrest
Lewis, and the barratry was then ex-
posed.
FALLS OF CLYDE IN GALES.
For forty hours on November rs and
after the elements had inflicted con-
siderable damage TO her rigging, the !
big ship Falls of Clyde was hove to,
head on to one of the worst northwest ,
gales that Captain Matson has expert
enced on this coast Not only was the
gale raging high, but the sea was
tremendous and swept the ship at
brief intervals. The jigger staysail, the
main topmast staysail, the foretop
staysail and the outer jib We're carried
away, and the foresail was split. More
damage would probably have resulted
If the ship had not been put about.
The Falls of Clyde was twenty days
on the way from Hilo and brought
$4,000 bags of sugar.-Chronicle, De-
cember G.
BABCOCK LOSES HER CREW.
The ship w, F. Babcock, which ar
rived in distress last week and which
was brought into the harbor on Mon
day to be provisioned, suffered a furth-
err reverse yesterday II the words of the
crew to leave were carried out. which
seems to have been the case. AS soon
as the vessel entered the harbor the
men formed the idea of leaving the
ship, processing themselves satisfied
with what they had already seen OF
her. This being an American port
there was nothing to prevent them
from demanding their discharge, and
the Babcock will sail from here, when
she gets away, with an entire new
crew, including mates.
SHIPPING NOTES.
j. b. Morris, who has been first as
sistant engineer OF the liner Siberia
since she was placed in commission,
has been granted leave of absence, and
may go out as chief engineer of some
other Pacific Mail steamer.
], Hamilton is with the S. s. China
this trip as chief steward. taking the
place of w. Hollingum, who is laid or
through sickness. Hamilton was the
second steward on the S. S. Mongolia
when that vessel was ashore at Midway
ana was much surprised to learn since
his arrival here that the Board OF IN
auiry had Cancelled Captain Porter's
license.