A STRANGE STORY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1605, 9 February 1884, Page 2

A STRANGE STORY.

The" Sfc, James Gazette" of Decern, ber 7, publishes from a correspondent ni '■ very strange story indeed, and one which if he is rightly informed is likely to make a considerable sensation.; — " The first scene of what promises to be the last act in a very strange drama will open to-day, Tho British Consul at Kertch ia to meet a vory 'serious charge, the nature ofwhioh will appear. presently. For twenty years past the Sea ot Azoffhas been tho dread of every shipping. community. Vessels sent here have not only to suffer from long delays, but from a remarkable systein lof robbery. Kertch is 'tho key 'of Azoff, for every vessel has .to, stop there and receive, free pratiquo at % quarantine ground before proceeding towards the different ports. Now, no, vessel can get near tho Azoff ports; and in the case of Taganrog, the largest of - all ships must drop their anchors twenty-five miles from the shore, . All cargo must, therefore, be carried down in small crafts; and this means a great, loss to .tho shippers. In the best of weather much 'grain is wasted by spillage and much more lost; by robbery. But the place , whero the robbers succeeded best is the Channel of Yenikale. In former times the supineness'of th'e'GoVernment loft this channel undredged, and almost every ship had. to lighten before she could pass through.' Small craft came off, took grain aboard, and then the vessel proceeded. But ivhilo she was making her way through the channel, a gang of Yenikale (this is the assertion) were taking toll of her cargo. In 1871, Mr Barrow, who was then vice-:onsul at Kertch, put such pressure oil the Russian Government that the channel was deepened to ; eighteen feet, and tho plunderers found; their occupation nearly gone. The owners of lighters and steam tugs had grown rich in the good times, and they, now; saw their opportunities passing away, Something must be done. : Some enterprising persons soon contrived a scheme whereby tho dredging of the channel, so far from causing the, Yenikale gang any loss, enabled them, to increase their gains. This is how it was done, The Government pilots are paid eight roubles for each vessel, which thoy take up and down; and, as there are thirty-two of them, the; average amount received by each' is : about Sfl 5s a month. It is a poor yet men were willing to, ; pay heavily in order to get into one of these posts,' Now, tho conspirators succeeded in getting nearly tho entire set ' of pilots under their thumb, and a■ system of wholesale plunder began:' The pilots arranged to run vessels aground in the channel, and a twist of the wheel easily put a steamer hard and fast. Then steam lugs hurried off, enormous salvage rates were demanded, and' the captain had to choose between leaving his ship on the ground and paying an extravagant ransom, When vessels loaded in the Azoff came back they stopped at the entrance of the channel and sighted the signals, which showed the depth of water. Then tho pilot came on board, and proceeded to make a bargain, If the captain was an honest man, and found that his vessel drew too much water, he would insist upon lightening before entering the channel; and in that case the pilot simply ran the ship ashore, and thus steam tugs and lighters alike obtained a haul. If.the captain could be bribed the process was simplified, for the vessel was run aground at the entiance of tho channel. But in most cases the pilot took his own way, and tho vessel grounded at any poiiit which might have been arranged with the confederates on shore.. The business flourished; sixty ships were run ashore in thveo. months, and that too during calm weather. The underwriters paid L 33,000 in three months, Piles of complaints were sont to the consulate; and the Yice-Oonsul, Mr Colledge, succeeded in getting 18 pilots dismissed at one stroke, but apparently without any good result, At last a'fine vessel called the Dora Tully went ashore and stove her bows in a little. She had on board a cargo of wool worth L 72,000: this freight, almost entirely soaked with salt water, had to be sold at almost any price; and the harpies, insisted on tlie captain paying 25 per cent on the value of tho cargo before they would tow his vessel. off. .He had to submit to be plundered in order that'he might save a little of 1 the owners property. The transaction brought no less than 180,000 roubles to Yenikale for division among the men who had arranged the disaster. After the Dora Tully affair the idsurancecliib3 would stand it no longer, and they appealed to the Foreign office for help, The Russian Govornment. was at last made to act, and the leaders iu the conspiracy were laid by the heels. : Now comes the most incredible, page in the romance. When the chief ; organiser' was Searched in prison he was found to have in his, possession an acceptance signed by the British "ViceConsul. This acceptance was for 28,500 roubles, and was payable on demand.' Further' investigation went to show that the money had been advanced by this man on grain shipped by the Consul to Odessa: But suspicion was aroused, tho arrest of the British official was ordered, and now he is accused in set terms of having been tho head of the gang! But it is all but absolutely inconceivable that an English gentleman should be in' league with such creatures, that he should be false to his trust, and false to the great commercial community: whose interests ho was paid to protect. Mr Colledge has taken the only means open to him for clearing his reputation. He has reported himself at the Foreign: office, and challenges public investigation,'.' :Whatever the result, tho public will hear some, of .the : most startling' revelations ever made." . . : : r.