Imperial Valley press., 1931-01-26

SLAIN BY
OFFICERS
Canada May Ask For Ex-
PLANTATION Of Alleged
Rum Runners Death.
THREE SHIPS TAKEN
Treasury Head Regrets
Act But Declares 1t Was
In Line OF Duty.

NEW YORK, Jan. &c. U.p)--The
Canadian government was believed
likely today to demand an cXpla-
nation for the killing of Nova
Scotia sea captain by the crew of
Coast Guard Cutter las during a
chase i'll which three rum running
vessels and 100000 worth of liquor
were seized outside New York har-
bor
The pursuit took place late Sat-
urday off Ambrose Light. but was
not disclosed until Captain william
p. Cluett OF the schooner Josephine
h. died in the Staten Island Ma
zine hospital of wounds received
when a one-pound shell from a
coast guard gun shattered the pilot
house of his vessel. which federal
officials declare is notorious rum
runner
Coast guardsmen claim they
caught the Josephine K in the act
OF unloading 1900 cases of Scotch
whiskev on q Newark scow which
the tug boat Dauntless 6 had towed
lower bay TO receive the valuable
cargo. The three ships were cap
tured along with crew of IL, but
a small speed boat helping in the
unloading operation slipped away.
Coast guard officers said that
they often had sighted the Jose
rhine K. lettering suspiciously just
outside the United States territorial
waters but that on Saturday night
just before midnight. it was about
five miles southeast of Ambrose
light.
The commander Of the Cutter
li5, whose name was withheld,
picked out the schooner with his
searchlight and started toward her.
Three blank shots from the one
pound gun doomed a warning TO the
schooner, but it paid no heed, coast
giiardsmen said. A solid shell was
loaded into the gun and aimed SO
that it would no. do serious dam
age. But this also failed to stop the
Josephine K. Two other shells fol-
lowed. and the fleeing boat still did
not slacEen its pace.
The seventh she'll struck and
tore away a part Of the pilot house
The cutter pulled along side to find
Captain Cluett badly wounded.
With his disabled schooner and the
tugboat and scow, which made no
apparent effort to escape. he was
brought into the harbor and rushed
to the hospital, but died yesterday
The crew was held incommuni-
cado below decks pending govern
ment proceedings. Captain Cluett
lived in Lunenberg, N. s., and his
ship, which is equipped with power
fui oil-burning auxiliary engines.
was registered from that province.
NEW LONDON, Conn. Jan. &c.
,U.p)-Coast guard gunfire disabled
the alleged British rum runner
Temiscouda of st. Johns, New
foundland. in Fort Pond bay, Long
Island. today.
The vessel, carrying approximate
iy 1000 cases Of liquor and crew
oil six. was captured by the CG-288
after one-pound shot had pune
tured its gasoline tank.
The 288 encountered the Tennis
couda endeavoring to slip into the
bay, at the eastern tip of the island.
and signalled TO halt. The rum boat
6isregarded the warning and put on
speed.
The patrol boat then fired three
warning shots which likewise were
cisregarded. The next shot was
aimed at the speeding motorship
and struck the gasoline supply.
The Temiscouda came about and
surrendered to a boarding party. 1t
was brought to the coast guard base
here for examination of its papers
and later will be taken to New York
for surrender to customs authori-
ties having jurisdiction in the Long
Island district.
WASHINGTON, Jan. &c. (Up)-
Killing of w. p. Cluett. master of
the Canadian schooner Josephine
K. by coast guard vessel, was said
by Assistant Treasury Secretary
Lowman today to be 'regrettable
but merely an incident of the
transaction"
Lowman came to the defense of
the coast guard vessel, which he
said was carrying out its sworn du-
ty to enforce the law, which he said
the Canadian vessel was violating.
The Josephine K. was said by
Iowman to be a notorious rum
runner" which the coast guard had
been seeking to capture for many
months. He made public report
Ct the incident which showed 1t oc-
Cured within the 12-mile limit
Under the facts, the coast guard
was performing its statutory duty
to prevent smuggling" Lowman
said. 1T is regrettable that the
captain lost his life, but that was
simply an incident of the transac-
ton. I feel sure the coast guard
boat did not fire with the intention
of taking life but to prevent the
smuggling of liquor.