VESSEL AND ITS OWNERS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1924, Page 7

VESSEL AND ITS OWNERS

The Tomoka, which was chased and seized by an American revenue cutter, which had to fire shots to make lieistop, 'is a wooden auxiliary (oil-engine) schooner- of 143 tons, built in Massachusetts. Captain M'Coy, Americanborn, maintained a defiant attitude when he was arraigned at the Federal Court. He insisted that he had the right to, sell liquor anywhere outside the threemile limit. M'Coy and his crew were held on 5000 dollars bail each.

' The schooner Tomoka, or Tomako, which the United States authorities seized as a vum-ninner outside the." threes mile limit, was first registered as a British ship at Nassau, Bahamas! on 6th June, 1921, in the name oE Charles Eugene Albury, described as a "merchant," of Miami. Florida, says "The Manchester Guardian."

Mr. Albury would seem to have been unfortunate in some at least of his vessels, for he was also the owner of the Henry L. Marshall, which the United States authorities seized in August, 1921, and which was recently condemned as a rum-runner in the United States Courts. The Henry L. Marshall was •registered at Nassau on 6th February, 1921, Mr. Albury being then described as a clerk living at Nassau, so that the intervening five mcfriths between the registrations of the Henry L. Marshall and the Tomoka appear to have brought him a rise in status ps well as a change of residence.

The Henry L; Marshall was originally an American vessel hailing from Gloucester, 'Massachusetts, and the same day on which she ,was transferred to the English registry she was mortgaged for 40,003 dollars to an American, one William F. M.Coy, of Dayton, Florida, described variously in the official' records as "merchant" and master of the vessel. Curiously enough, the Tomoka was also mortgaged to Mr. M'Coy—for £2000. On 13th April, 1922, however, the mortgage on the Tomoka was discharged in full, and the vessel sold to the BritishTransportation and Trading Company, Limited, of Nassau. On 30th January, 1923, this company resold the schooner to the Ocean Trading Company, Limited, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, by whom she was fitted witn auxiliary engines; why, is not stated.

That Mr. M'Coy retained at least an affection, if not an actual interest, in the vessel in spite of the discharge of his mortgage and the change of 'ownership is evident from the fact that when she was seized by the United States Revenue authorities he was found on board. The Tomoka, like the Henry L. Marshall, was formerly on the American reKistry, being then known as the Arethusa.

There is no doubt whatever that she at present appears in the British registry, though the transfer, will, of course, be invalidated if it be proved, as is alleged by the American authorities, that the actual owners are not British subjects. It appears to have been partly on these .grounds that .the Henry L. Marshall, which was also seized outside the three-mile limit., was condemned by the United States courts last summer.