Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-30
SH|PNlRECKED MEN HELD
FOR RANSOM ON ISLAND
Anonymous Letter to New Orleans
Newspaper Reports Plight of Cap.
tain Of Liner Marowijnc.
VESSEL LOST IN GULF STORM
Officials Of United Fruit Company,
Owners Of Steamer, Put No Cred.
cncc in Communications
CaptiyCS Near Coast of Yucatan.

NEW ORLEANS, August 2s.-An
anonymous letter received here by a
newspa per says that several members
OF the crew and two passengers OF tho
down in the recent Gulf storm, were
being held for ransom on Cozumel
Island, near the coast of Yucatan.
Officials of the United Fruit Company.
owners of the vessel, declared tonight
they put no credence in the commune
cation which was received on Thurs
day night last and Immediately turned
over to officials of the company In
addition, in notifying all United Fruit
vessels, the company sent copy Of
tho letter TO the Navy Department.
The writer declared that the persons
in captivity, one OF whom was Captain
McI.auren, commander of the Marrow
line. would not be released until the
United Fruit Company paid ransom
for them. AS proof that his statements
wcrc true, the writer asserted that
the official papers of the Marowijne
Captain NcLauren's watch and a note
written and signed by the master OF
the missing steamer had been sent
10 the New York office of the United
Fruit Company No such proof had
come TO hand Tonight. according TO "a
statement by local officials.
"Wil YOU please communicate 10 the
interested parties the Information that
the captain, the wireless operator and
H. l.ebat. OF the steamship Marowijne.
are safe" the letter read. The Marrow
ijnc went TO pieces in latitude 10 de
arecs longitude SIS degrees. night Of
August Is. Besides the above named
persons. two passengers were saved
also and an engineer who said he lived
in your city. They are being held for
ransom on Cozemal Island The per-
sons mentioned above will he returned
as soon as the United Fruit Steamship
Company pays for their release. Sew
eral OF the survivors said they had
relatives in your city and begged that
word he sent their people that they
are safe
we arc sending the United Fruit
Company n New York the Marowijne's
ship papers and message from Cap
tain McLauren to prove our state
ments. When the steamship COM
pany pays our price. McLaursn and
We arc Sending McLauren's watch to
the steamship company as n proof"
ihe letter was unsigned. and accord
ihS To tho postmark was mailed in the
general post office here before midnight
August 20, three days later than the
cate II bore. The Norwegian steamer
''Jell. on board which the letter is al
legged to have been written, reached
New Orleans from Frontera. Mexico. on
August %. and sailed on the return trip
August %. On the trip TO New Orleans
the regular course taken by the Fjell
doe: not pass within several hundred
miles of Co2umel Island. the officials
sale. The point designated by the
writer as the place where the Marc
whine went down, is twenty miles in
land in Yucatan, directly west Of
Uhero, a small coast town. according to
marine men.
Neither the crew nor the passenger
list contained tho name OF III. Labat."
hut officials believe the name might
have been intended for that of II. p.
T.abatut, tho purscr.
Although officials thought the snony-
nous communlcn tlon might be a fake.
1t was considered OF sufficient import
nncc TO warrant an investigation. No
word had been received UP to this
/ tine from vessels cruising In tho vi
cinity OF Cozumci Island and the Yucca
tan coast to verify the attachments
| In tho letter \ full report IS expected
to morrow from tho companv's yos-
sc! SURNAME.
WHEN TIRED. REsrLEss, NERVOUS