The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-07-10

looked strangely familiar to Miss
Wormell
She secured the aid of hand
writing experts. ono Of them being
an official of one of the Portland
courts. He said the same hand that
wrote the letter to Mis-. Bates also
wrote the note that came ashore
on the Carolina coast Miss Worm
ell carried the two notes to two
| other handwriting experts. They
said the writing in both notes was
by the same person. Miss Wormell,
armed with this evidence OF foul
play, went to Washington. She put
: the facts before the Department of
Commence and other handwriting
experts were called in. They con-
frmed the verdict of the Maine ex-
perts.
During the night of January % a
steamer passed the lightship close
! enough to signal The Ightship sig
nailed her several times but received
no answer. Both the ordinary method
Of signals and the Mirse lights were
used. The steamer paid no attention
to the lightship and disappeared In
the darkness. The lightship captain
made an official report TO Washing
ton about the strange action of this
unknown prowler of the night
1t Is possible that on board the
unknown steamer when she passed
the lightship were Captain iwormell
and the crew of the Deering. These
are the theories of Government
agents and there is strong evidence
to support them.
MISS wORNELLs STATEMENT.
Miss Wormel gives six reasons
w sh otr 80
the Deering was due to unnatural
causes:
Ffrst-The weather was good both
Of the wreck.
Government reports from Coast
Guard stations in that vicinity and
also letter from a sea captain,
who was in about the same position
as the Deering, verify the statement
that on January 20 and 80 Saturday
and Sunday the weather was f1no-
There had been storm the 25th,
26th and 9th but 1t was all over
before the Deering struck and II
was not of unusual severity while
IL lasted. There was at the time
of the accident, no storm. no fog.
no wind, other than that designated
as moderate breeze. Nothing whaa.
big schooner like the Deering.
"second-The condition In which
the vessel WINS left WINS questions able.
The fact that the schooner was left
with all sails set, seemed queer for
II indicated no attempt was ever
made by lowering top sails and jibs |
and lowering other sNils, to save her. |
Any experienced captain would nat
urally have done these things as soon |
as he found his ship In danger. Also |
something about the condition OF the |
cabin seemed rather strange and the !
fact that a sledge hammer was found |
on deck near the steering gear at
tracted attention. II looked, as has |
been stated by men acquainted with |
such things, as II IL might have been |
used to break the steering gear so /
that the rudder would swing free and !
the vessel would more easily drift |
with the current. This would indi-
cate that the schooner had been aban-
doned before grounding and pur-
posely left TO drift on shoai
@Third-There was never the
slightest trace of any wreckaKe
found.
OF course the wind and current
right, such things might drift out to
sea- yet with all things like clothing.
grips papers, etc. taken, and consid-
ering the facts that sailors are none
too good packers at best and how
closely the vessel and tho surround
Ing waters were watched and |
searched by Government agencies
from the time she was flrst sighted,
and also remembering that both life |
boats were OF such construction as
not to be easily swamped, one would |
be Justified in expecting some trace
OF wrickaEe TO be seen.
Feurth--The crew was of n nation
donnlity that docs not set rsshly.
The six sailors, the second msts