STEAMER STOLEN

Evening Star, Issue 21753, 22 June 1934, Page 10

STEAMER STOLEN

CRIME OF THE 'EIGHTIES SEQUEL IN MELBOURNE COURT If you con template stealing a steamer you had better abandon the idea, tor 'vou are sure to be found out. Men have tried before to-day to get away with a stolen steamer, and, in the case of the Ferret, 346 tons, built at Glasgow in 1871, and now rotting on the shores of Spencer’s Gulf, South Australia, they had ample leisure in a Victorian gaol to repent their folly (writes E. W. O’Connell, in the Melbourne ‘ Argus ’). Let us turn back the clock and reconstruct the crime. If we glance down the years of Victorian criminal trials we come to Monday, July 18, 1881. The scene is the Central Criminal Court at Melbourne, and Mr Justice Williams occupies the bench. The jury of twelve has been sworn, and the Crown Prosecutor (Mr C. A. Smyth), who is assisted by Mr Gurner—later Crown Prosecutor—is about to outline the case against James S. Henderson, William Wallace, and W. B. Weight in relation to the steamer FerreL There are six counts in the presentment. The first two charge them with conspiracy to cheat and defraud the owners of the ITorret, the next two with intent to defraud the purchasers of the Ferret, and the last two with intent to deceive and defraud the Commissioner of Trade and Customs. The eyes of the spectators in court take in the judge, the jury, the Crown Prosecutor drily reading out the Jong indictment, and finally the great Mr Purves, who is defending the accused Henderson.' Deliberately, inevitably, typical of the slow processes of the law, Mr Smyth relates the amazing story of the Ferret. , The vessel had belonged to the Highland Railway Company of Scotland, and was registered as such. Henderson, under another name, obtained credit and chartered her in September, 1880. The Ferret was lying at Greenock, but she went to Cardiff, where a new crew was shipped. One Watkins acted as captain, Wright as first mate, and Wallace as purser. Henderson was the “ owner.”

“ LOST, STOLEN, OR STRAYED.” Then began the crazy voyage. The Ferret left ostensibly for Marseilles, but after she had passed Gibraltar, where her name was signalled, a boat and lifebuoys were thrown overboard, the yellow funnel was painted black, and the blue lifeboats were painted white. She returned that night to the Atlantic. First the vessel’s name was changed to Bantan.vand then to India, and the official number of the Ferret (63,864) on the hatches was altered. As the Bantan she.put into San Antonio, in the Cape Verde Islands, and then sailed to Santos, in South America, and under charter took on a cargo of coffee as for Marseilles. Instead she went to Cape Town, where, with false bills of lading, the coffee was sold. At Cape Town Watkins left the vessel. Wright became captain, and another man was shipped as first mate. From the Cape the vessel went to Mauritius. When she touched Albany (W.A.) she was the India, and the stout little vessel bore that name when ultimately she dropped anchor in Hobson’s Bay. But the stealing of a steamer, even in days before wireless and fast transport, added to the worries of the criminal, was fraught with great risk. An advertisement appears in the Glasgow newspapers on February 12, 1881, under, the heading “ Vessel lost; stolen, or strayed.” But events are moving .quickly, and the dour Scots who have lost their little steamer probably see no humour in the advertisements. Merchants who had supplied wines and stores for the Ferret’s voyage suggest politely to the owners that a settlement would not be unwelcome. But the bewildered owners have received no charter money, and they have notified Lloyd’s and the Board of Trade. British consuls are warned to keep watch. Then it is learned from Gibraltar that a vessel resembling the Ferret had passed Gibraltar, and had not been sighted again. . On April 20, 1881, the India passed through Port Phillip Heads, and an astute official at Queenscliff, impressed by the resemblance to the missing vessel whose description he had read, notified the port authorities. The India dropped anchor at Williamstown. The Customs and health officials boarded her without disclosing their doubts, although they noticed that the “captain”' did not appear on deck. But Henderson was there, and he introduced himself as the owner. He told the shipping reporters that he was a man of wealth making a world tour for pleasure, but he added that if he were made a reasonable offer ho "might sell the steamer at Melbourne. The police laid their plans carefully, and for a time Henderson must have thought that his bluff had succeeded. Then he, made a false step. He put up the vessel for sale through Messrs Duthie and Co. One firm was prepared to make an offer, when the vessel was seized by the police. FAKE DOCUMENTS POUND. The ship’s papers were examined. Among them was a receipt, dated January 2, 1881, with a printed heading purporting to be a stamped receipt for Pinheira and Co., of La Guayra, for a draft of 67,898d0l on New York, given by James Stewart Henderson for a cargo of coffee. There was au adhesive stamp on the receipt, and also a die stamp purporting to be “Pinheira and Co.” The police found on board a die which would make a stamp similar to that on the receipt. Then begins the trial of the three conspirators. Mr Smyth alleges that false articles had been prepared showing the voyage of the India from Bermuda to La Guayra and to Melbourne. Detective Patrick Mackey’s evidence reveals the astonishing completeness of the plot. He states that his search of the vessel revealed dummy log books, adhesive stamps, dies of different countries, seals, and coats of arms. Mackey tells how Henderson absconded to Seymour, where he was arrested; and of a police' visit to Mrs Trump’s hotel in Collins street east, where Mackey found a bag containing 626 sovereigns and some Braailian notes and bills of exchange amounting to £7,500. William Griffin, chief engineer of the stolen vessel, tells how he was engaged in London to serve in the vessel, “ partly on a pleasure cruise and partly on a private, or secret expedition.” He describes how she turned back into the Atlantic from Gibraltar and her appearance was altered._ “ Henderson called us aft,” says Griffin, “ and told us that the ship was his, that he could do as he liked with her; that we must obey his orders and be faithful to him; and that if anv man betrayed him he would shoot him. We all agreed to be faithful. Each man had a glass of grog.” Henderson told them to change their names, and explained how they could forge their seamen’s papers. The case drags on. There is widespread interest. The newspapers devote columns to the evidence and to a record of the examination and cross-examina-tion. Mr Purves. in spite of his repu-

tation as an advocate, has a poor case. He says that the explanation offered to him was that the vessel had been hired by Henderson from the Highland Company for Watkins who left _ her at Capo Town—and who was said to be an agent for the Peruvian Government. Peru and Chili were at war, and Chili had blockaded Peruvian ports. The steamer was to run the blockade with a cargo of arms, the charterers to receive £50,000 for the risk. All that had been done subsequently was to conceal from the Chilean Government the fact of the , vessel acting on that expedition. There was no intention to defraud anyone. The jury finds the prisoners guilty of having attempted to defraud intending purchasers, and of haying attempted to deceive the Commissioner of Customs. The judge describes Henderson and Wallace as the arch-conspirators and sentences them to imprisonment for seven years. Wright goes to gaol for three and a-half years. And the Ferret? She was sold by the Crown to Air Whinham, of Adelaide, and by him to the Adelaide Stemship Company, under whose flag she traded for years to Port Lincoln, Wallaroo, Moonta. and other ports in Spencer’s Gulf. Captain Robert Sunter. of the motor ship Manunda, served in her for a tinje as second officer. “ She was a good old ship,” he said a few nights ago. “ She was very steady, and she had no faults or peculiarities. She was lost in Spencer’s Gulf on November 14, 1920, aged forty-nine years.” No faults or peculiarities! Just an. old-fashioned lady of the sea, pounded to pieces by wind and wave in the gulf where she worked out the penance for her youthful indiscretions.