The New York herald., 1922-08-05
S1,OOO,OOO RUM ship
TAKEN BY DRY NAVY
Chasers Hahn and Hensen
Seize Yacht Onward
From Nassau.
5000 CASES ON BOARD
Whisky Vessels Skipper Says
She Was Once Owned by
Henry Ford.
OTHER CRAFT ESCAPE
Iowa and Mathilda. Outside Of
Customs Limit, Refuse to
Be Boarded.
OTHER CRAFT ESCAPE

The dry navy established contact
early Thursday morning with three
alleged rum running vessels fourteen
miles due east of Fire Island. One
vessel, said by its skipper to be the
yacht Onward, formerly the property
OF Henry Ford. was boarded by Capt
George Tawes OF the booze chaser
Hahn and found weighted down with
more than 5000 cases of liquors on
her decks and as much below. The
two other craft, identified as the
schooners Iowa and Mathilda, also
were whisky laden, according to the
authorities, but boarding was refused
because they were beyond the customs
limit
Details of the boarding OF the On
ward, which, like the Iowa and the
Mathilda, flew the British colors, were
obtained yesterday when Capt. Tawes
returned to port and reported to John
d. Appleby, prohibition zone officer
and admiral of the dry navy" Capt.
Tawes said the three vessels lay at
anchor with lights out when he came
upon them and the Iowa and Matllilda
quickly weighed anchor and put out
TO sea. The skipper of the Onward,
who was friendly enough and readily
permitted the authorities to board his
vessel, was sole authority for the
statement that the craft was at one
time owned by Mr.. Ford. Available
yachting directories and officers of the
New York Yacht Club who could be
reached failed TO bear him out.
Capt. Tawes roughly estimated the
value OF the onward's cargo at $1,000
0c0 wholesale. The bootleg value prob
ably would be from four TO five times
that. Capt. Tawes inquired for the On
wards manifest and found it had none,
nor bill of landing. Her skipper
said the booze was from the Island OF
Nassau. whence also came the Iowa's
cargo. and it was bound for that little
island off the cost of Nova Scotia known
as ST. Pierre de Miauelon. which is said
to have a population of about one hum
dred persons and 10 be saloonless.
With the Hahn, when she sighted
the three liquor vessels. was the rum
chaser Hensen. which put to sea Wednes-
day night when word was flashed ashore
that four alleged bootleg vessels We're
twenty miles off Fire Island. After
contact had been established the chasers
Taylor and Larsen left to trail the ves
sells and TO relieve the Hahn. which
had been at sea since the bootleg block
ade of the coast from Philadelphia to
Boston was established nearly week
ago. Another reason for the desire or
Capt. Tawes to get back to port was
the fact that he hal aboard his craft
John d. Appleby. Jr. the eleven-year-
old SON OF the dry navy's" admiral.
A decision by Judge Augustus y.
Hand in the United States District
Court declared forfeited to the Govern
nent the steamship Javary. which
steamed into port December Q last with
200 drums of high grade alcohol. The
charge was that the greater part OF
this alcohol leaked ashore through a
pipe line, which was supposed to supply
fuel to the vessel. The vessel was
libelcd on the ground that the alcohol
had been imported unlawfully. Capt.
Daniel Docherty, owner and skipper,
was convicted.