Evening star., 1926-12-02
RUM SHIP CHASE
TO Be CONTINUED
Safety of Two American o.
ficers, Believed Captives,
in Doubt.
By the Associated Press.

BY the AsSOClateu ETose'
MOBILE. Ala. December 2.-ine
Coast Guard cutter Tallapoosa OF
Mobile, which has been searching two
days for the runaway rum schooner
Arsene J, with two American omcers
aboard. presumably as captives, IL re-
turning to Mobile this morning to get
more fuel to continue the search Al
the same time fear ia expressed In
official circles that the two kidnap-
ed officers have come to harm.
Many on Lookout.
NEW ORLEANS, December q
Several Coast Guard cutters and
numerous merchant vessels today con-
tinued on the lookout for the three
masted rum schooner Arsene j. The
schooner broke away from Coast
Guard cutter Monday night during
gale in the Gulf of Mexico. with an
assistant prohibition administrator
and coast guardsman aboard.
J, b. Matthews. the missing execu-
tive of the gulf zone, had accompanied
the coast guardsmen aboard the
schooner to guard the crew after 1t
had been captured near the mouth or
the Mississippi River by the Coast
Guard cutter CG-3O2. Capt. j: B.
Edmonds. Biloxi, Miss. base com
mander, was in charge OF the CG-302
at the time. He later reported that,
due partly to shortage Of gasoline, ne
lost the Arsene J. during a gale.
Capt Edmonds' report to .. u.
Jackson, Federal prohibition admin
istrator of the gulf zone, sent py
radio, follows:
DC Vol 10
West cutters and all available boats
are being used in search. Steamers
are requested to report sighting Ar
sene j. Harm to Mr.. Matthews and
Petty Officer Handley Is anticipated.
All possible will be done. A sudden
northeast gale and insufficient gas
in power control boat caused me to
lose the Arsene J. She has possibly
gone to Havana and Nassau.
Scarcity Of Men.
"Mr. Matthews and Handley were
requested to go on board her for
towing operation. No additional men
could be spa red from CG-3O2. The
CG-246 came up as we were to start
towing after dark, but 1t was too
rough to place any men from the
CG-246 on the Arsene j.
THE crew of the Arsene J. was
quiet and no opposition was shown
to being towed in for investigation.
| am stunned by the sudden gale and
it's results"
Matthews became assistant ad-
ministrator of the tenth district when
Gen. Lincoln C. Andrews. Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury inaugu-
rated his reorganization Of the pro-
hibition until September /. 1925.
Just prior to that time Matthews had
been a special investigator for ad-
ministrator Jackson when the latter
was dry director for Louisiana under
Prohibition Commissioner Haynes.
Matthews, a kentuckian. served sew
eral years in the 7th Calvary OF the
United States Army. Subsequently he
was revenue agent In the Ken
mountains and has
a total Government service record of
two score years to his credit. During
the World War he was an agent of
the Department OF Justice.
The kidnapping of two prohibition Off.
cials of New Orleans by the escape OF
rum ship. which the officers had
boarded was officially reported to
Coast Guard headquarters here to-
dav. Both Coast Guard and prohibi-
ton officials here said the case was
being left entirely in the hands of
their representatives on the gulf coast.