The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-27
SUSPECT COMANCHE
Is RUM PIRATE ship
l.. 5. Officers in Brooklyn Be-
lieve Booze Sunk Off Allan
tic City Was Fidus's.
VESSEL Is RELEASED
Bootleg Sea Tale Told to Grand
Jury Looked Upon as
Ridiculous.

The Government authorities in Brook
with an idea of determining whether
the auxiliary schooner Comanche. cap
tured off Atlantic City Monday night
by Internal Revenue agents, was the
pirate" ship that took from the Fidus.
formerly a submarine chaser. liquor
worth s23. 600 Off Montauk Point. AS
sistant United States Attorney Bran
cato, however. declared yesterday that
the story of being robbed by pirates as
told by Capt. Matthias Clarks and mem
bers OF the Fiduss crew is absolutely
ridiculous. 1t is believed the liquor
was removed by prearrangement They
told their story again yesterday to the
Grand Jury.
The Comancnc was taken into At
lantic City when seized, but dispatches
from there last night said she was re-
leased yesterday and cleared for the
mackerel fishing grounds. Her release
was ordered by Philadelphia customs
officials, who also permitted Capt. T'heo-
dore Riddle and the three members of
the crew 70 go on their own recog-
nizance. According to a confession re-
ported from Atlantic City a. having
been made by Capt. Riddle, the booze
was brought from the Bahamas by a
large ship and landed on the coast south
of Atlantic City 1t was then put on
board the Comauche. Capt. Riddle said
ner, but that lot of money had been
promised to him Almost all of the
liquor that was on board the Comauche
has been recovered by customs agents.
working with graphing hooks south OF
Margate City. where it was thrown
overheard.
Sergeant whelsn and Patrolmen
Brasil and Rau of the Marine Division,
the crew of Police Launch No. 2,
boarded the steam lighter Ideal In the
Narrows early yesterday and after a
fight arrested the six men of the crew
and seized 100 cases of rye whisky
valued at $4,000. The police say the
lighter had got the whisky off schooner
that lay off Montauk' Point, l.. l., and
was trying to run II into Brooklyn.
When the six members of the crew,
including the captain, James Carlton OF
672 Fifty-sixth street. Brooklyn, were
arraigned before Magistrate Simpson In
the Tombs court all but the captain were
discharged on the plea that they were
not responsible for the running of the
liquor. Capt. Carlton said that he
owned the lighter and that he had taken
a load of provisions to a schooner off
MontaulI Point and then had been asked
to carry the whisky into New York.
Prohibition agents under Agents AL
Thomas and Charles LIE Caron went to
White Plains yesterday with search war
rants for ten places. Arrests were made
at restaurants at A North Lexington
avenue % Grove street and 10 Grove
street Five gallons OF whisky, one case
OF beer and ten bottles OF wine were
seized
Pstrolman Jerry. Norcctt yesterday
came upon John o'Neill OF 147 Eighth
avenue and Daniel Gsrvey of the same
address rolling kegs into the cellar of
Krertzcr Hall, 22s East Eighty-sxth
street Norcott arrested the two and
also George Beverest. manager of the
hall. Beverest gave his address as SOC
West Eightyfourth street. There IL no
such number. O'Neill. chauffeur of the
truck from which the kegs we're being
delived. refused to say where he got
the kegs.