The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1922-04-07
PIRATES LOOT
1854 U. S, SHIPS
Furnishings and Supplies of Ship
ping Board Fleet Taken Ashore
When River Was Frozen.
500 GUARDS ON BOARD
WcrE Done With Connivance of Some
of Crew and Light 10 Thrown on
the Murder of a Watchman
Found Some Weeks Ago.

New YOrk-A fleet of 164 united
States Shipping Board steamships an
chored in the Hudson River at Peeks-
kill has been looted by river pirates
during the winter of furnishings and
supplies valued at more than S4OO,OOO
and perhaps twice that figure, it was
revealed.
Evidence has been obtained by Sec
ret Service men at work on the case
that robberies began when the river
froze and that most of the lot was
transferred between dark and dawn
over the ice. According to statements
made by those investigating the whole
sale robbery some vessels have been
practically stripped Of furnishings.
Nearly all units Of the anchored fleet
were fully equipped and ready for
service.
Chief Of Police Henry Burke of
Peekskill and Sheriff George H. Brown
of Rockland County refused to discuss
the looting in detail. 1t was said or
ders had been received from the Fed
eral authorities to refrain from dis
cussing the situation pending action by
William ]. Burns, chief Of the Federal
Secret Service. It was said at his
home in Scarboro, that Mr.. Burns left
for Boston.
Among the articles of which many
ships are said to have been stripped
are brass deck fitting, engine room
brass and copper, table linen, silver
ware and large quantities of bed linen,
as we'll as ships stores of various sorts.
The robberies are believed to have
been carried on over a period of more
than five weeks.
It was said that the authorities of
Rockland county had secured evidence
of participation in the piracy by men,
bers of skeleton crews stationed on the
ships. There are between 500 and 800
officers and men attached to the fleet,
which, with its equipment, is placed at
S25O,OOO,OO0.
Secret Service men at work on the
robberies are said to be proceeding on
a theory that the entire plot was en-
gineered from inside the fleet itself, as
it is said to be impossible that pirates
could have boarded and looted the YES
sells without connivance of certain
watches aboard them. The investiga-
ton is said to be proceeding on the
theory that members Of the night
watches on some ships had been cor
rupted.
1t was learned in Peekskill that
watch has been maintained for more
than week on fifteen or more men be-
lieved to be implicated in the rob-
berries. The loot is believed to be
stored on both shores Of the Hudson
River and it is hoped the suspected
persons will endeavor to remove some
of 1t to safer storage since exposure
cf the thefts has been made. Accord
ing to a statement Of one official more
than a score of arrests are to be eX-
pected soon in connection with the
pirate raids.
In some instances, 1t WIS said, ships
supposed to have been guarded by
skeleton crews wer, left ungarded for
DAYS at a time and robberies may have
taken place during periods when those
responsible for them were aware that
the crews assigned to certain vessels
were ashore. Quiet search has been
made of several houses and outbuild-
iDgs which were suspected of being
used by members of the gang, but so
far none of the loot has been found
nor have there been any arrests.
The killing of Charles Dime, watch
man on one Of the looted steamers,
who was found dead on the river bank
some weeks ago, is beln-: investigated
in connection with the piracies. The
theory is held that Dime may have
been killed because Of fecr on the part
of the pirates that he might betr.
them. An effort is being made to es-
tablish the identity Of Dimes associates
in Peekskill.
The vessels were transferred four
months ago from Jamaica Bay to
Peekskill. Only the mother ships have
kept fire in their boilers, but crews II
from four to six men were maintained.