The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-22

toward 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
conveTsing.
Captain Newcomb had signaled sew
erai times for the Americans to stop.
but they kept on. The first gun was
fired when the race had but wei begun.
and the next two were directed to send
the bullets across the bows of the Yam
kee vessel. But the captain of the lat
ter made no attempt to stop. When
Captain Newcomb got abreast the
American he opened communication
through a speaking trumpet.
Threat of Canadian.
Stop, or I viii put a hole through
you" called Captain Newcomb.
i don't think So" said Sinclair. in a
reply that came plainly over the raging
water
Then the big gun went off and a lit
tie section of the Woodbury's sail was
In shreds. When the second gun of the
hestrel had been unswiveled and
trained on the schooner, Captain Sin
clair realized that further flight was
useless and surrendered. He refused
however. to help navigate his vessel to
port, and would not even make fast a
hawser. His engineer declined to turn
over the gasoline equipment. The war
ship then took the Woodbury. in tow and
headed for Vancouver arriving this
morning, when the prize was tied up
at a wharf
The Woodbury. is a schooner about
100 feet long, and is of 12O tons burden
She has been fishing out of Seattle for
a number Of years. She had about 900
pounds of fish on board when taken
There was no 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
lodged complaint with Colonel West.
the American consul.
West Will take sworn dispositions of
Captain Sinclair and members of the
crew and investigate the case. If he
thinks the seizure was not justified he
Will lodge protest. Until matters are
Strengthened the crew of the schooner
will remain aboard her. She is owned
by the Standard Fish company of Seat
tie.
American Captains Tale.
In an interview today, Captain Sin
clair said.
I'VE left Seattle on Monday. ApriI p
and after stay of two days at Bel
bingham proceeded north with a crew
OF twenty-five hands. all told. About
80 p. m. on Sunday, April is, the Ca
madam cruiser steamed alongside and
ordered me to heave to. I was told nv
vessel was under seizure. | ordered the
engines stopped and the KestreI sent
her first officer aboard. I asked what
the matter was, and he told me il was
seized, and he wanted me to 90 into
Bull harbor. I refused to do so. as I
was in the Pacific ocean on the high
seas, and so the Kestrel passed a haw-
ser to my schooner and towed me to
Bull haTbor, where We stayed that
night.
As near as can tell. was steer
ing a southwest course, and was four
or five miles in that direction from
HaycOck island when seized"
Were you fishing at the timer
asked the correspondent.
NO; all my dories were aboard and
1 was making a passage. 1 told the
first officer of the Kestrel when he
boarded me that I was on the high seas.
and he agreed that I was then in the
Pacific and not in territorial waters"
rs it a fact that the Kestrel fired On
you?''
i don't know anything about that.
Some of my men told me we were fired
on. but 1 am not prepared to say any
thing about that"
rs it your opinion that the seizure
was unjustified?"
We claim that when the Kestrel
grabbed US we were on the high Eeas."
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