Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-26
PIRATE MYSTERY
BELIEVED SOLVED

NEW HAVEN, Conn, July 23.-In
the seizure OF the auxiliary sword
fishing slo3p Jennie t., of North
port, N. Y, the confiscation of liquor
valued at more than fifty thousand
dollars and the arrest of eighteen
men in a spectacular raid early to-
day, federal and city officials be-
licve they have solVed-partially at
least-the mystery attached to the
elusive pirate ship" which has been
sighted at various times off the New
jersey coast, near Montauk Point.
and in Long Island sound.
The authorities have not deter
mined whether Their was an direct
connection between the Jennie T..
and the British schooner Pocomoke.
they said tonight. The Pocomoke.
bound from Nassau, Bahama Islands.
with a shipment of liquors consisl
ed to Canadian ports, put into At
lantic City few days ago with he.
cargo missing. 1t was explained
the time that the liquor had been
jettisoned at sea. The Jennie
locked at Lighthouse Point, an
amusement resort at the eastern en-
trance of New Haven harbor, carr
today, laden 10 capacity with val
liable cargo of liquor, the marks on
the cases and bottles indicating that
it came from Bermuda and the West
Indies.
In the opinion of the federal pro-
hibition enforcement officials, the
Jennie T. received her freight. from
a larger craft somewhere off the
Long Island shore, probably just
outside the three-mile limit. The
Jennie T., they point out, is too
small a vessel to make a voyage
from either Bermuda or the Bahamas
with as heavy freight as the raid
ing party found on board this morn
ing.
ed Joseph Miller, skipper of the
Jennie T.; ]. Harmar Bronson, a
well-known local sportsman, who
formerly was engaged in the liquor
business; Pearl P. Sperry, Jr., an
other eX-liquor dealer and at present
the proprietor of a garage; William
Beecher, Sperry's brother-in-law
and David Gherlone, president of the
French-Italian Importing company,
| Beecher and Gherlone denied en-
| phatically that they were connected
in any way with the alleged snug
Cling operations. They said they
were merely watching the proceed
ings. Three motor trucks on which
the contra band was being loaded are
said to belong to Sperry.
All the arrested men were released
during the Gay on bonds of three
| thousand dollars each for a hearing
| Monday. Of the bonds, two thous-
and dollars is on account Of alleged
violation of the federal statutes and
| one thousand dollars for breach of
the Connecticut laws. The arrest
and seizure were spectacular in the
extreme. Prohibition Enforcement
Agent McAuliffee, acting on infor-
nation from superior officers in
New York that an attempt might
be made during the night to land
liquor on the Connecticut shore, had
his forces posted at most of the
strategic positions, but overlooked
Lighthouse Point. About 2:30 o'clock
this morning New Haven police
headquarters were notified by some
unknown telephone informant that
boat load Of liquor was being put
ashore at Lighthouse Point. Several
automobile loads of officers, armed
with riot guns were rushed to the
spot. AS they approached the point,
they could see cases of contraband
piled on the pier, while a crowd Of
men We're removing the Jennie T. $
cargo. With guns drawn the officers
charged the party, which surrender
ed without a struggle.
Captain Joseph Miller, of the aux
llldIy nSIllllS SlOOpy OCllAllO A'1 y" ll4SIl
was seized while the crew were
landing a cargo of contraband liquor
at Lighthouse Point early this morn
ing, in a statement to the Register
tonight said he had been approached
by a stranger at Block Island and Of
fered $50 a day if he would pick UP
| Il cargo at sea and successfully de-
liver it to this port.
According to Captain Miller's state
ment, the stranger, whom he de-
scribed as tall, dark man, wearing
a dark blue suit with little stripe
in it, approached him when he got
into Block Island after fishing trip
last Thursday and asked him if he
wanted to make little money. Ac-
cording to the stranger Captain
Miller was to follow course he
would set and pick up cargo at sea,
and if everything went all right, he
would pay $50 for an eight-hour day.
Captain Miller states he accepted the
proposition and started off from
Block Island just as it was getting
dark. They went to sea in south
erly direction for two hours. Then,
according to the captain, they came
upon a schooner which was lying in
wait for them.
The schooner had two masts and
there were a lot of men on board.
Captain Miller and his helper were
told to go down in the cabin and
mind their own business. He stated
that he could hear the men loading
the boat, filling the hold and then
putting on deckload. When this
was finished, Captain Miller headed
the Jennie Il. for shore. The stranger
laid out the course and told Miller,
according to his statement, Just how
to steer and how 20 get into New
Haven harhcT. which Captain Miller
stated ne had never entered before.
According to the captain, when they