A GUN-RUNNING ROMANCE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 20, 24 January 1913, Page 2

A GUN-RUNNING ROMANCE

! ENGLISH DRAPER'S EXCITING 1 INTERLUDE HELPING THE TRIPOLITANS. fjr&OM OTTR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON, 14th December. Charles William M'Farlane was an obscure, respectable draper in a quiet town in the Isle of Wight until the year 1911, A.D* Then Itafy made war wantonly on the Turkish province of Tripoli, and the soul of Charles M'Farlane was stirred ; and he took action, and kicked oft" the shackles of his quiet life ; and to-day he is kicking his heels in Carey-street. How it happened is thus. Charles M'Farlane had been in business as a' draper and outfitter at Newport, Isle of Wight, and in November, 1911, when the papers were full of the war between Turkey and Italy Charles M'Farlane was full of ill-health and domestic troubles. So he sold his business for £900 and came away. Strolling along the Strand in London with £600 potentially in his pocket, he happened into a bar, and straight away life Degan for Charles M'Farlane. There happened to be three men in the bar, and they told him in confidence that they Were members of a syndicate formed to land guns and ammunition in Tripoli, and that if he put money into 'the scheme he would probably profit by several hundreds of pounds.. Next day Charles paid £50 to WOson, an ex-Army officer, in return for which he was admitted to the profits and risks of the syndicate. "Surely you were not in your right senses?" suggested the Receiver, wjth official coldness. "Yes, I was," replied Charles with as*, surance. -'"I had been -"drinking— an vn v usual thing for.me.!'' ' . • There ijv ere six members in the syndicate, and they sailed from Wapping in a ship which Charles thinks was called the Esmeralda, with a crew of 24 or 30 hands. During the voyage the crew kept a look-out and Charles played banker, brag, and nap in the cabin, and lost £215, besides advancing £135 to Wilson for the syndicate. "We landed about. 150 miles West of Tripoli, and travelled with the guns and j ammunition for 100 miles inland, under the guidance of natives, until we came to j the Turkish forts. There we were met by an officer, who gave Wilson a draft on the Turkish Government. All of us fought in the war. One man was wounded, and Wilson and another were killed, The draft, which was in Wil- I son's 'possession, was never recovered. Shortly afterwards I fell ill with sunBtroke, and was nursed by the Turks for two weeks. When I recovered I was conducted to the coast by Arabs, and I arrived at Southampton on 18th March with £140 left out of my £600. I have not seen any of, the members of the syndicate since my illness. I knew none of their names except Wilson's j and, so far as I am aware, my name was unknown to them."' ■: "Have you ever passed under the name ot' Fortescue?' 1 asked the Official Receiver. "Yes, I stayed at a house in Bayswater under that name. I was hiding from my wife at the time." Charles could not remember the name of the ship he returned from Tripoli in ; but he opened a new business at Wimbledon under the name of Williams, and kept on until the receiving order was made' against him. »