The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-02-09

schooner, claimed to be a fisher
man and said that he had only
some fish aboard. A search was
made and 20 cases of liquor in bur-
lap bags were found. Alderman
and his one man crew, a character
named Weech, were taken aboard
the patrol craft. AS Boatswain
Sanderlin picked up the radio tel
ephone to report the capture Of
the rummies to the base back in
Fl. Lauderdale, Alderman with a
queer expression on his face stood
by. "You are caught with the
goods" said Sanderlin.
Then without warning an d
quick as a flash Alderman pick
ed up AS automatic lying in the
pilot house and shot Sanderlin
killing him instantly with a bull
let in his back before he could
transmit the message: "Now I've
got you dirty Coast Gaurdsmen
where I want you," shouted AL
derman. "I'll get the whole damn
bunch of you before this is over. y
Alderman then told his accom-
plice Weech to go down into the
engineroom and break all the gas
oline lines and then set fire to the
boat. In the meantime Lamby was
shot in the side and, although he
lived for several days, he was
paralyzed as result of the shot.
He had fallen into the engine
room when struck by the bullet.
Weech told Lamby to get up
and go out on deck, that he was
going to set fire to the boat. As
Lamby could not move, Alderman
gave Weech orders to fire the
boat and burn the man alive.
"That's when I spoke up" said
Tuten.
"You're going to blow US all up.
If you set fire to the patrol boat,
there1l be an explosion and your
schooner will catch fire. We won't
have a chance, and neither will
you," he added, stalling for time
and chance to rush the killer.
81 don't need any help nor any
suggestions from you, Coast
Guard!" shouted Alderman.
In the meantime Joe Robinson
who had jumped overheard to a.
void being shot, pulled himself ov-
er the rail. While other members
of the crew screened him he pick
ed it up. Alderman had ordered
the engines started on the patrol
craft and as it started there was
a backfire. This attracted his at
tention for a second.
AS he turned his head, Robin
son lunged at him with the ice
pick. Taken off guard, Alderman
dropped the automatic, and then
the surviving members of the
crew rushed him and it was onlc
matter of moments until they
had beaten him into unconscious
ness. Weech in the meantime was
captured down in the engine room
Webster was killed instantly a
few seconds after Sanderlin was
murdered.
With the criminals overpower-
ed, a radio report of the incident
was transmitted to the base at
Fort Lauderdale and the craft,
now under command Of Tuten, re-
turned to that port.
The incident resulted in one of
the biggest trials of the prohibi-
ton era. Tuten recalls that much
pressure was brought By crooked
politicians and others in behalf of
Alderman and Weech. Finally the
trial was over. Both men were
found guilty. Alderman was SEN
fenced to death by hanging and
Weech, his accomplice was let
off with a year and Gay in the
federal penitentiary az Atlanta.
Alderman, who had come to
be known as the ''lone wolf of
the sea-" was hanged in August
1929. The execution took place
in the air base hanger at Fort
Lauderdale. 1t was the only
time the Coast Guard ever car
ried out a death sentence.
81 had no sympathy for Alder
man, even though his execution
came two years after his murder
Gus exploits out there in the Gulf
Stream" said Tuten. 81 witness
ed the hanging-and enjoyed it,
because he had killed two of my
shipmates."
The story of the Alderman muir
der trial that made front page
news during the late Twenties is
just about forgotten today-even
here in Sligo where one of he