The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1932-11-14

we cOulu acqualHL ourselves WITH
the practice. At that time the law
was that if the captors of a prize
were of a superior force to the
captured vessel, half the proceeds
went to them and half to the gov
eminent. If the prize was of equal
or superior force TO her captors,
they received the entire proceeds.
One interesting case, in which /
represented the officers and crew
of the captors, was when the little
| lighthouse tender, Mangrove. cap
tufed the Spanish Steamship
Panama. The prize commission
er and the District Court held that
the Panama was of superior force
to the Mangroye and awarded her
the entire proceeds. The govern
ment appealed, but the Supreme
Court of the United States affirm
ed the decree of the District Court.
Prize money was distributed ac-
cording to the rank of the officers
and crew. 1t was said that the
prize money was thrown over a
ladder, and all that fell through
belonged to the officers, and all
that stuck to the rungs went to
the crew. All this is changed
now, and eaptors no longer re-
ceive any prize money.
Violation of Neutrality Laws
The records of this court dis
close that many cases of vessels
and men charged with violation of
neutrality laws were adjudicated
here. All this is now changed,
and it is doubtful if anyone now
in this courtroom will live to see
salvage case, a prize case or one
for violation of neutrality laws adj
Indicated in this courtroom. "Alh
all are gone, the old familiar"
cases.
Smuggling Cases
Smuggling cases came before
the court occasionally, but convic-
tions were rare.
Somehow, the vast majority Of
the American people do not think
that smuggling is wrong. Hundreds
of thousands of American citizens
who travel abroad every year
scheme to evade paying duties
by Internationally secreting
articles on their person--by leav-
ing them off their declarations,
and no one thinks less Of them
for it, nor are there any Anti
Smuggling Leagues" Or Snug
Cling Law-Enfofcement Commit
tees" nor is there any hue and
cry for strict enforcement of the
revenue laws. Perhaps the rea-
son may be found in the views ex-
pressed by that militant reform
er and great preacher, Rev. Charles
Fl. Parkhurst, who wrote in one of
our magazines that he always OBJ
jected to paying duties, and ii 1t
were not for what some of his
friends might say If he were
caught, he would not hesitate to
smuggle when he had the oppor-
tunity. Strange words for a
preacher, but true nevertheless of
a vast majority of the American
people.
Chinese Exclusion
recently read that some China
men in this country had been sent
back to China. A case that arose
in this district many years ago is
interesting in this connection.
When | was Collector of Customs,
| captured twenty-six Cinnamon
on the upper end of Boca Chica.
| might say in passing that had
been advised of their presence
there and went up in q boat with
two or three customs officials TO
make the capture. In contrast
with modern times, not one of our
party was armed, not one carried
pistol or a gun. Today we see
federal officials parading the
street with sfx.shooters strapped to
their sides and | even saw in this
post office an employee carrying
a big pistol.
I was postmaster for four
years, and collector of customs
for four years, and ] never con-
sidered 1t necessary to set an ex-
ample in pistol toting by having
my employees armed while on
duty. ! often wonder if the prac-
tice of gun-toting which il 50 pre-
valent in this country, may not be
fostered by officials uselessly tot
ing guns.
London police do not carry pis.
tolls and that in my travels in eight
foreign countries, l never saw a.
pistol on an immigration or Gus
toms official.
But to return 10 the Cinnamon.
Judge Locke ordered them sent
back to China. but before arrange
ments for doing this had been
made, Judge Boarman, of the
Southern District Of Louisiana. a
learned iuriSt. held o term of court
and on habeas corpus proceedings
brought by the Cinnamon, he re-
scinded Judge Locke's order and
deereea that the men should be re-
turned to Cuba, ''the country