Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-30
OCTOBER 80, 1910.
THE MYSTERY OF THE MARIE
CELESTE
CELESTE

have been specialized upon for forty
years without reaching a satisfactory
solution.
1t will be recalled that the ship was
found off the Azores in 1872 deserted
by all her crew and apparently in per-
feet condition. All that is known or
this battling case may be quickly tod.
Sne had sailed from New York on
November Z, commanded by capt.
BENJAMIN S. Briggs. The captains
wife and one small child were aboard.
The ship carried a cargo of petro-
leum ana that was found to be IN
tact when the deserted big was
boarded. She was only twenty-elght
days out of New York when d1scoV-
across the Atlantic had been pros
porous.
The obvious theory that the ship
had been deserted in a storm Woulo
not seem tenable because the rigging
did not indicate rough weather, anu
everything about the boat was founu
to be remarkably shipshape. In the
cabin a sewing machine, used by the
captains wife, was found with
piece of sewing still held beneath the
needle.
the toys which the captains child
had been playing with were scat
tered about the floor. The captain
gold watch hung beside the CABIN
clock.
Had there been mutiny the appear
ance of the cabin would have been d1r-
ferent A careful examination of the
vessel failed to reveal any blood
STAINS or signs of violence of any
kind so that the theory of pirates
could not be sustained.
Although the early history of the
Marie Celeste has been so widely pub
lished and discussed, the second chap
ter of her remarkable career, which is
no less dramatic, is almost unknown.
on a subsequent trip the snip was
loaded with a variety of merchandise,
billed at exaggerated prices and delo-
erately run ashore and wrecked in the
Caribbean sea in order to collect the
insurance.
This remarkable sea mystery was
discovered and proved in court by
Arthur N. Putnam a New York APP
praiser who is a Veritable sherlock
Holmes in ferreting out sea mys-
teres Mr.. Putnam conceived MS sus-
picions from some letters relative TO
the insurance which passed through
his hands.
Although the case was so rare as to
seem improbable, Mr.. Putnam made
the trip to the scene of the aleSeu
shipwreck under very trying clrcum-
stances. donned a diving outfit and
explored the wreck himself, and Sc
cured valuable evidence by interview
ing natives and local officials in this
remote section who had been in any
wav connected with the crime. FROM
these Investigations Mr.. Putnam pre-
pared his case, returned to New YORK
and started a search for the original
crew, then widely scattered. Througn
indefatigable efforts the captain ana
crew were finally rounded up anu
tried.
II was a clear case of barratry, as
developed in the trial. The Marie
Celeste had been loaded with a re-
markable variety of worthless stores;
There were many barrels of fish spolleo
long past eating. There were cases OF
wine which had been long discarded.
The ship was piled up on reer
some distance off shore on per ec ly
clear day, with the sea unusually calm.
II was shown in court that the m te,
who was at the wheel, rep rte1 TO the
cantain several times that they were
off their course. The captain told lin
TO obey orders and keep quiet.
When the ship finally struck the cap
tain ordered the crew to cut away tne
mast to lend dramatic effect to the
shinwreck story, while grog was hand
ed out freely to all on b ard. There-
upon the crew quietly rowed ashore
and reported the loss to the authorities.
The scene O. the sh'pwreck was well
chosen. It was extremely remote, and
nee essitated a journey by horseback or
several days from the nearest port.
Mr.. Putnam made the trip, never
theless. in running Gown his cleWs'
md by verv skillful dete tive as well as
tn hi