The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-21
American Fishing Schooner Cap
tured by British Cruiser.
Caught Plying Her Trade With
in Prohibited Lines.
SHOT WITH BIG GUNS
Yankee Captain Tried Hard to
Make His Escape.
Surrendered Only When Threat
ened With Being Sunk.

Vancouver. B. c., April 2L-The Do
minion government cruiser Kestrel ar
rived in port today having in charge the |
American halibut fishing schooner. |
Charles Levi Woodbury., which she cap
tured after firing four rounds from her |
machine guns and threatening to sink |
the alleged poaching vessel unless she |
surrendered
Ihe schooner was struck and slightly !
damaged. The captain of the American /
vessel did not surrender however, un- I!
til his schooner was boarded by a force /!
from the cruiser.
The action took place Sunday after !
noon in northern waters. alleged to be !
continguous to Canada. Five bullets (:
tore through the air in the direction OF
the Woodbury., each time the machine
gun was fired as the vessels headed at
full speed from the west coast of Van
oouver island and pointed towards the |
middle of the Pacific.
Three of the rounds were merely in |
tended to call attention to the COM !
mand to heave to. which had been is
sued to the American schooner. But the |
last series of shots meant business. The |
gun was pointed at the fish boat
which was then at a distance of about |
200 years and still making for the open
sea as rapidly as possible. The bullets
which We're aimed high, ripped the
mainsail of the schooner and one or
two knocked splinters off the main
mast. Captain Sinclair feared that he
would be sunk right there if he did
not stop
Her Sails Hauled Down.
At the same moment. the second gun
of the Kestrel was swung across her
deck to get into range of the fishing
boat. The Woodbury's engines were
then stopped and her sails, gashed by
British bullets, hauled down. But even
then the American captain would not
willingly surrender He declined to fas-
ten a hawser aboard his vessel but
few minutes later an officer and three
men from the Kestrel boarded the
Woodbury. and took charge
Captain NewcOmb of the Kestrel de-
clares that if he ever had clear case
against an American vessel this is one.
Early Sunday afternoon. he declares,
the keStrel was Steaming from Quat-
sino sound on the west coast when he
espied American vessel fishing be-
tween East and West Halcock islands
These islands lie about 10 miles off Cape
Scott the northernmost point of Van
couver island. The islands are them
selves five miles apart, so that from
Captain Newcomb's figuring. it is i'm
possible that the American boat could
be more than two and half miles
from either shore. AS a matter of fact
Newcomb says that when he observed
her, the vessel was within a mile OF
ed up her dories she was within short
distance of West island.
Captain Sinclair, of the Woodbury..
apparently did not notice the arrival of
the Kestrel on the scene until the gov
ernment vessel was within about three
miles.
Wasted No Time.
Then the American ran along pick
ing up his five dories, the fishermen
cutting their gear, without wasting
1 Tr% r.ff in h in
30 minutes after the Kestrel was
sighted the last dory had been picked
up and the schooner with her motor /
power working to its full capacity and |
her sails spread to a fine western |
breeze, turned towards the highlands |
of the Pacific. The cruiser gradually |
overhauled the American schooner |
and by the time they were four and a
quarter miles off shore, the Kestrel
was alongside and the captains of the |
two vessels were conversing.
Captain Newcomb had been vigor- |
ously sounding blasts from his siren
as the signal for the American to stop,
but she kept on her course The first
round of the machine gun was fired |
when the race had but we'll begun and
the next two were directed to send the
bullets across the bows of the Yankee |
vessel. But the captain of the latter
made no attempt to stop. When Cap
tain Newcomb got abreast the Amer !
lean he opened communication through !
a speaking trumpet
| Big Gun Went OFF.
"Stop, or I will put a hole through
you" called Newcomb.
Il don't think so,' said Sinclair, in
a reply that came plainly over the
water.
Then the big gun went off and a
| little section of the Woodbury's sail
was in shreds. When the second gun
of the Kestrel had been unswiveled
and trained on the schooner, Captain
! Sinclair realized that further flight
was useless and surrendered He re-
fused, however, to help navigate his
vessel to port and would not even
make fast a hawser. His engineer de-
clined to turn over the gasoline equip
ment The warship then took the
| Woodbury. in tow and headed for Van
| couver. arriving this morning when
the prize was tied up at wharf.
The Woodbury. is a schooner about
| 100 feet long and is of 120 tons bur-
den. She has been fishing out of
| seattle for a number of years. She
| had about 1000 pounds of fish on
/ time to clean the fish and the cargo
was destroyed
| CAPTAIN Sinclair. master of the
Charles Levi Woodbury.. visited the
United States consulate today and Iodg-
ed a complaint with Col. West, the
American consul
West will take sworn deposition OF
Captain Sinclair and members of the
crew and investigate the case. If he
thinks the seizure was not justified he
will lodge a protest Until matters are
straightened out the crew of the schoon-
er will remain aboard her She is own
ed by the Standard Fish company of
Seattle.
Weafter Indications