Evening star., 1909-04-22
American Skipper Defiant
Though Sail Is RiddIed

VANCOUVER, b. C., April -Ine
Dominion government cruiser Kestrel ar
rived in port yesterday, 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 sur
| rendered.
| The action took place Sunday afternoon
in northern waters alleged to be contigu-
Gus to Canada.
Five shots 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 Vancouver Island on. into the Pacific.
| The first round was merely to call atten-
| ton to the command to heave to whtcn
| had been issued to the American schooner,
but the others meant business.
Shot Pierces Mainsail.
The gun was pointed at the fishboat.
which was then at distance OF about
200 yards and making for the open sea az
rapidly as possible. The shots. which
were aimed high. ripped the mainsail OF
the schooner and one or two knocked
splinters off the mainmast. Q
At the same moment the second gun OF
the Kestrel was swung across her deck
to get into range. The Woodbury. then
hove to and her sails. gashed by the Brit
ish missiles, were hauled down.
But even then the American captain
would not willingly surrender He de-
clined to make fast a hawser to his ves-
sell but few minutes later an officer
and three men from the Kestrel boarded
the Woodbury. and took charge.
Capt. Newcomb of the Kestrel declares
that IL he ever had a clear case against
an American vessel. this is the one.
Early Sunday afternoon. he declares.
the Kestrel was steaming in from Quat-
sno sound. on the west coast, when he
espied an American vessel fishing between
East and West Haycock Islands. These
islands lie about ten miles off Cape Scott,
the northernmost point Of Vancouver
Island.
Within Three-Mile Limit.
The islands are themselves five miles
apart, SO that from Capt. Newcombe's
figuring it is impossible that the American
boat could be more than two and a half
miles from either shore. BY the time she
had picked up her dories she was within
a short distance of West Haycock Island.
Capt. Sinclair of the Woodbury. appar-
emily did not notice the approach OF the
kestrel until the government vessel was
within about three miles.
Then the American ran along picking
up his five dories. the fishermen cutting
their gears. Within twenty minutes after
the Kestrel was sighted, the last dory
had been picked up. and the schooner,
with her motorpower working to its full
capacity, and her sails spread to a fine
breeze. turned toward the highlands OF
the Pacific. The cruiser gradually over
hauled the American schooner. and by
the time they were four and one-quar-
eter miles off shore the Kestrel war
alongside. and the captains Of the tive
vessels were conversing.
Capt Newcombe had been vigorously
sounding blasts from his siren as the
signals for the American to stop, but
she kept on her course. The first round
of the machine gun was fired when the
race had been we'll begun, and the next
two were directed across the bow of the
American vessel. But the captain of the
latter vessel made no attempt to stop.
stop. or will put hole thro teh yorj'
called Newcombe. through a mesaphoSe.
American Skipper Defiant.
Il don't think so.'' SAID Sinclair. in re-
ply that came plainly over the water.
Then the gun spoke. and cash opened
in the Woodburys sail. When the Sec
ond gun of the Kestrel had been trained
on the Woodbury. Capt. Sinclair realized
that further flight was useless. and
hove to-
He refused. however. to help navigate
his vessel to port. and would not even
make fast hawser. His engineer de-
cined to turn over the gasoline equip
ment The warshp then took the Wood
bury in tow and headed for Vancouver.
arriving yesterday morning. when the
prize was tied up at 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 1000
pounds of fish on board when taken.
There was no time to clean the fish, and
the cargo was DESTROYED.