New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-28
Dry Navy Frees
TrioShanghaied
On Liquor Fleet
Finds u. S. Sailors I'M
pressed OH British Rum
Runner, Mother Ship of
Two Seized During Day
Beaten Aboard, Says Mate
Vessel, Owned in N. Y, Car.
ries $25O,OOO Wet Cargo,
Finest So Far Captured

Out of the seizure of three cargoes
of liquor yesterday by the prohibition
navy, the harbor police and the coast
guard came the astonishing story Of
how American sailors have been shang-
haied into the service OF the rum run
ners.
One of the ships found yesterday
morning was the British schooner
Marion Mosher, big Newfoundland
Bank fisherman, which was lying off
Fire Island when picked up by the rum
chaser Hansen, captained by J. Fl.
Dizer. AS the Hansen came alongside
the first thing heard was a yell from
George Cox, fifty-six years old, of Old
Slip House, in South Street, crying:
FOR Gods sake come take us Off"
Has s25O,0OO in Liquor
Late last night the Marion Mosher
was broue~> to the Barge Office,
at the Battery by the Coast Guard
cutter Manhattan. The schooner is
believed to have s25o,ooo worth of
liquor aboard and is said to be the
mother ship from which the other two
boats seized received their supply of
liquor. Cox was one of the crew of
eight on board when the Mosher ar
rived at the Battery. Last night he
told the story of his experiences.
He declares that the Mosher belongs
to New York firm. About two weeks
ago, he said, one of the firms partners
came to him and asked if he would like
to ship as mate on board a fishing
schooner making pleasure trip to
Nassau, Bahamas. He accepted the
proposition and the partner, he asserts,
asked him to get cook and sailor
to come with him. For these jobs, he
said, he picked up Fred Meier, of 25
South Street, and Harry Hudson, of 20
South Street. His employer gave him
enough money for the fares to Green
port, Long Island, where they were to
Join the ship, and they arrived there
a week ago last Tuesday night, he said.
According to his story, they went
aboard small fishing sloop, and after
sailing around Montauk Point, were
put aboard large schooner
Says Captain Beat Him
Immediately after he had arrived on
that ship, he declared the captain,
whom he knew as Larsen, ordered him
and his companions to 90 below and
start to work. Cox told him, he said
that he had shipped as mate and be-
sides had had no food for some time.
Whereupon the captain told the cook
to give him no food until he turned
to-" Later, he declared, Larsen ac-
cused him Of not wanting to work and
proceeded to knock him down and
beat him. Finally, Cox said, he saw
he had to work in order to eat and
was given the most mental jobs to do.
In regard to the liquor cargo, Cox
said that several times the sloop J.
H. B. had taken off loads of the con-
traband, and on Wednesday had taken
forty barrels and 100 cases of whisky.
One of the two other boats seized
yesterday was the J. H. B. She ran
aground at Point O. Woods, and men
from Coast Guard Station 50 put out
to. aid her When they made an inves-
tigation of the sioop it was discovered,
according to the officers of the guard
that there were thirty-fve barrels and
100 cases of whisky on board, valued
at about $4,000. Captain Larsen is
supposed to be on the J. H. B., and,
from word received last night, the rum
chaser Hansen is standing by and has
the sloop under guard.
Second Boat Seized in Narrows
The other sloop, the X 10706, was
seized yesterday morning by the har-
Dor police after they had noticed it's
questionable actions Oh Wednesday.
On that day they followed it out be-
yond the Ambrose Light, where the
trail had been lost. However, the po-
lice boat waited for it in the Narrows
and early yesterday morning it was
again sighted. 1t was easily seen that
she had heavy cargo, as she was low
in the water, and although the two
men aboard declared that there was
nothing but fish on the boat, the police
were not convinced and a search re-
vealed about 200 cases of choice Irish
and Scotch whisky The two men,
George and Edward Williams, of 844
Bergen Avenue, Jersey City, were later
held in $1,000 bail by Magistrate Lee
vine in Tombs Court for hearing Au-
gust 7.
Although a great deal of the liquor
had been taken off the Marion Mosher
by visits from the sloops, there still
remained twenty barrels of whisky and
$500 cases Of what the customs men
said were the most select brands of
liquors ever seized in raid on the sea-
According to Cox, the owners of the
Mosher are looking for the arrival of
7,000-ton steamship loaded with Ii
quor from Nova Scotia. He also said
that the plan, after disposing Of the
present cargo, was to go to some Cana
dian port for liquor and when that was
sold again to go to Nassau and repeat
the program.
Ali the men on the Mosher will be
questioned this morning by United
States district attorney. In the mean
time it is under vigilant guard.
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