New-York tribune., 1909-04-22
FIRED on i $. CRAFT
pySHTNG BO4T SEIZED By
C4NIDLfE CRUISER.
gr Exciting { baSe aRd Capture Off
;'ancoprcr-CGptain Files
IL Protest.
Il Protest.

,-.rco,,ver Auril 21-The Dominion govern
-, cruiser Kestrel arrived in port to-day
IN the American haljbut fishing schooner
-..-lAs Levi Woodbury.. which captured
,s,.- the cruiser had fired four rounds from her
mime gun bullets cutting the schooner's
-. and sails and had threatened TO sink the
-u,ra6 Toacner. The seizure was made on
s-,as, afternoon in northern waters.
T7re bullets tore through the air in the di-
sion II the woodbur, each time the machine
rra was fired as the vessels headed at full
s..sd from the west coast of Vancouver Island
AID pointed toward the middle Of the Pacific
--rse Of the rounds were intended merely 70
al attention 20 the command TO heave which
,sa been issued 10 the American schooner. but
=, lasr series If shots meant business. The
-,n vss pointed at the schooner. which WAS
80, et a distance Of about TWO hundred yards
md still making for the open sea rapidly as
,ossihle The bullets. which aimed high.
4,ad the mainsan OF the schooner and one
~ +un Knocked splinters off the manmast
ranain Sinclair feared that he would be sunk
:. he did not stop. AT the same moment the
,.cepd gun Of the kestrel was swung into range
:. +be fishing boat The Woodbury's engines
rs-s then stopped. and her sails. torn by the
p-tsh bullets hauled down. Even then the
american captain would not surrender. He de-
.aned 10 fasten a bawser about his vessel but
few minutes later an officer and three men
from the kestrel boarded the Woodbury. and
she vas taken in tow
THE CANADIANS CONTENTION.
CAPTAIN Newcombe of the KestreI says that
n he ever had clear case against an American
ressel this is one Early on Sunday afternoon.
hs says. the hestrel was steaming in from
oaatsno Sound. on the west coast, when he
spisd an American vessel fishing between East
and West HsycoCk islands These islands are
about ten miles off Cape Scott. the northern
most point Of Vancouver Island. The islands
Ers five miles arart, so that from aptain New
eonrhe's figuring II impossible that the
American boat could be more than two and a
half miles from either shore. AS a matter of
fact Nevcombe says that when he first oh
served her the vessel was within a mile Of the
cast island BY the time she had picked up her
6ories she was within a short distance OF the
island.
+ Captain Sinclair Of the Woodbury. apparently
cid not notice the arrival of the Kestrel on the
scene until the government vessel was about
;hree miles distant. Then the American ran
alqng Kicking ur his five dories, the fishermen
cat:ng their gear without wasting time TO pull
a fathorn OF II in Within twenty minutes after
the Kestrel was sighted the last dory had been
ssesed urr and the Schooner. with her motor
power working to its fun ca pa city and her sails
spread 10 a full western breeze, turned toward
he highlands of the Pacific. The cruiser gradu-
ally orerhauled the American schooner, and by
ths time they were four and a quarter miles off
shore the Kestrei was alongside and the cap
tsns Of the two vessels were conversng-
THE CHASE AND THE SURRENDER.
Captain Newcornbe had been vigorously sound
inz blasts from his siren as the signal for the
american to stop. but she kept her course
Tie first round of the machine gun was fired
Ehen the race had been well begun, and the
aer two were directed 10 send the bullets
across the bow u the Yankee vessel But the
captain Of the latter made no attempt 10 stop.
When Captain Neycombe got abreast the
American he opened communication through a
Speaking trumpet. stop. l will put hole
Trough yJl,'- he shouted.
I don't think So replied Sinclair
Then the gun was aimed 10 hit and Captain
Sinclair realized that further fight was useless
The Woodbury. is a schooner about 100 feet
aas and IS Of l20 tons burden She has been
fshin~ out of Seattle for number Of years.
she had about one thousand pounds of fish on
board when taken There was no time TO clean
~ AkN ana lne cargo was ueSliOtSu
Captain Sinclair. master Of the Woodbury..
visited the United States Consulate day and
ledged complaint with Colonel West. the
american Consul
Captain Sinclair. in discussing the seizure,
SAD: We left Seattle on Monday, April j.,
srd after stay of TWO days at Bellingham pro-
eee6eG north with crew OF twenty-five hands.
We we're seized about 30 p. m. on Sunday,
april i. The Canadian cruiser steamed along
tloe and ordered me to heave to asked why
ena vas told that my vessel was under seizure.
ordered the engines stopped and the Kestrel
senf her first officer aboard. / asked what the
Batter was. and he told me l was seized, and
fused to do So as l was in the Pacific ocean,
"a The high seas. and the kestrel passed a
hsRser 10 my schooner and towed me TO Bull
hatbor. where we stayed that night.
as near as ] can tell" the captain continued.
vas steering a southwest course, and was
soar or FIVE miles in that direction from Hay
eeck Island when seized We were not fishing
x The time All my dories were aboard and
sss making passage. | told the first officer
7" the Kestrel when he boarded me that | was
e he high seas and he agreed that was then
z ne Pacific and not in territorial waters
Did the Kestrel fire on you?' was asked
4 DON'T know anything about that Captain
sinclair replied. some of my men told me
usl ne We're fired on bui ] am not prepared
" say anything about ;hat"