El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-04-11
NAVY CAPTURES
MUN|TIONS SHIP
Destroyers Fire on Snug
Cling Vessel Which Is
Beached; Seize Munitions.

San Diego. Cal, april 1.-THE Unit
ed States navy has broken up a NUM-
tons smuggling plot on the Pacific
coast Two United States destroyers,
it is learned, fired upon and captured
an unnamed schooner carrying nluni-
tons and bound for 4 Mexican port.
The vessel attempted to escape and
five shots were fired at her. She was
then beached- Several thousand rounds
OF ammunition was taken aboard the
destroyers and landed at a Pacific
coast port.
The destroyers had been scouting for
a supposed munitions smuggling ship
for more than a week. Monday, ac-
cording to reports, the patrol boat
sighted the schooner which was
southbound off the coast of California
and following a course inshOre.
The warshins gave chase and when
the captain Of the schooner saw that
TO have attempted to destroy his
vessel.
Identity Kept Secret.
Refusing to heed signal calls TO stop,
beached the schooner. Five shots. the
report says. were fired at the ship be-
fore it piled upon the beach
The ammunition was taken off by
ilOlOE 4duncneS from the QeSIEOyerS.
The identity of the captain and crew
Of the schooner has not been revealed.
Persons in a position TO know the
full details OF the action intimated that
the ammunition was taken aboard the
smuggler at two Pacific coast points
by fishing boats
Los Angeles. Cal, April 11.-FederaI
agents here, it became known, have
been investigating for several weeks
an alleged plot to ship TO a Mexican
- NJ -
and 100000 rounds of ammunition.
The money for the munitions. il was
said, was to be paid the sellers through
a Los Angeles bank upon presentation
OF evidence proving they had been de-
livered- The shipment. it was alleged,
was for some revolutionary faction in
Mexico.
The munitions were to be packed n
water resisting packages and placed
aboard vessel which was TO be scut-
tied Intentionally al some point off the
Pacific coast. A second vessel, with
divers aboard. was to raise the goods
and then deliver them to another vessel
off the coast 1
Government officers in Fl Paso have
known for month that large Quantf-
ties OF ammunition and rifles were
hidden on the California coast. in the
vicinity OF either San Pedro or san Die
go awaiting delivery to a Mexican
port. The number of rifles was given
here as 25, 600 and the ammunition was
said TO have amounted to more than
100000 FUNDS, including quantities OF
gun cartridges.
Munitions for villa.
Details of this ammunition snug
Cling plot were not complete here, but
IL was reported that the arms and am
munltlon had been bought for Fran
cisco Villa by interests on the Amerf-
can side of the border who hoped TO
regain lost concessions by backing
Villa in Sonora. Sinaloa and Chihuz-
hua- The shipment, according 20
these. reports, was TO have been deliV-
cred TO a Villa commander on the
coast of Sonora or Sinalos and was to
nave been taken overland to the fnte-
T1or for the use OF the Villa army At
one time, following its defeat at Jime-
neg, Villa was said to have gone to
the west coast to receive this arnmu-
milton shipment but this report was
denied
Germans Wouldn't Buy.
Recently efforts were made here nd
in Los Angeles to dispose Of the am
and rifles, one offer being
made to the CarranZa Government re-
Gently in California to deliver the
entire lot. less 1000 rifles which had
been sold to pay charges. for $4,000
gold This offer, according to reliable
sources here, was refused Agents OF
the government, pretending TO be am
dealers, were said to have
made efforts to dispose Of the shin
nent to German agents in an effort to
mplcate prominent German sympa-
-hizers in a plot to arm Mexican fac
lions against the Americans. This
scheme was said to have failed.