A STOLEN SHIP

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 September 1927, Page 2

A STOLEN SHIP

MODERN PIRATES’ CRUISE. Those of us who believe with Kipling’s “Viscount Loon” tlfat the romance of the sea disappeared with sail, arid that, except for an occasional outbreak in the China Seas, the pirate died with the knee-breeches, should refer to trie case of the steamer Ferret, which occurred within the memories of most of us. The Ferret herself was wrecked drily two years ago on .the Australian coast, and few, other .than the men of sea, recalled the circumstances of her. history. She was not the sort of packet that one would have associated with piracy and dark deeds, for she was just a little screw steamer built in 1871 by one of the best known Clyde yards and designed for the Scottish coasting trade.

In the autumn of 1880 she attracted the attention of a little gang of rogues who must be given full credit for their ingenuity and originality. They determined to steal her and make money out of her, and to this end evolved a most elaborate plot. Considering the world-wide organisation that Lloyd’s had built up for.the accurate description and reporting of every steamship their plan was certainly audacious, and it was audacity that carried them through. There were five of them— Smith, Wright, Wallace, Griffin, and a lady who passed as Mrs Smith. The first thing to be. done was to have an apparently reliable firm behind them, and accordingly Smith went to London and rented an office in Gracehotise Street,.under.the name of Henderson and Company, shipbrokers. Until this time Smith was the only conspirator who had made Ills appearance, either iiijder his, own name or else as iftr Henderson. Wallace was the next to appear, and he came on the scene as Mr Walker, purser. He went round to various ship chandlers and merchants in Glasgow and got all he wanted on behalf of Mr Smitli, paying for everything by three month’s bils of his own which Mr Smith endorsed. When the merchants began to make inquiries they, of course, found that Smith had a' perfectly satisfactory account at the bank and Henderson, of Gracehouse Street, spoke of him in glowing terms, which completely restored their confidence. Also there was the Highland Railway —who had presumably been satisfied with their client before they chartered their steamer to him—so that something like £l5OO worth of stores were shipped on board the Ferret. Two more of the gang then appeared, as though by chance, R. B, Wright being engaged as captain under the name of Captain Carlyon, and William Griffin being signed on as chief engineer. . ’• > As soon as she was out of sight

in tile Mediterranean, she started a job which must have struck her cVew as a very peculiar one. All hands were turned to under the carpenter and Griffin to alter the ship as much as possible. She had sailed with a white tunnel and black top, but this was painted black entirely. Her blue boats were painted white with the exception of two, and the hull was altered as much as possible with the time at their disposal. As soon as it was dark she turned back and passed back, through the Straits into the Atlantic, dropping overboard as she went the two blue boats and all the lifebuoys, casks, and deck-fittings, and other gear which were clearly marked with the name of Ferret. It was rightly anticipated that this gear would be picked up and she would be reported as having foundered, the time and the weather supporting the theory. On this evidence being forthcoming, and ho news being received of the. missing vessel arriving at any port, the underwriters paid out in due course on a total loss. As soon as the pirates were clear into the Atlantic, Smith called the crew together in the saloon, and, with two big revolvers in front of him, told them that he was a political refugee from the United States, and that he meant to use the Ferret partly for trading and partly for pleasure. If they chose to throw in their lot with him there would be plenty of money for everybody, for the ship was going to run on a communistic plan. The crew had been well chosen for they cheered him to the echo, and pledged their word to stick to the ship to the end. These preliminaries completed, the Ferr.et steamed at full speed for St. Vincent to revictual. The ship was still the Ferret, Smith relying upon the fact that although the supposed casualty had been reported to Lloyd’s news of it would not yet have reached the island. He therefore took his time in port, taking on board as much coal as the bunkers and holds would con tain, and also sufficient meat and vegetables to last a long cruise. Again were purchases paid for with bills drawn on the Highland Railways, the owners.

As soon she left St. Vincent her name was changed to “Benton,” which did not appear in the register. Under this name she arrived in Santos. Smith represented that she was homeward bound in ballast from Capetown, and he was willing to take up any cargo for Europe that would pay him, ami accordingly she was chartered to load a valuable cargo of coffee for Marseilles. Instead of going home he went to Capetown. By this time the Highland Railway, the Glasgow merchants, and various other creditors were discovering that their bills were worthless, and a very fine hue and cry arose. This was held up for some time owing to it Appearing so certain that she had

foundered, and Lloyd’s and the Board of Trade were called in to assist; Every Lloyd's agent and every consular official all over the world was asked to watch out for the “Ferret.” There was a certain amount of delay owing to a confirmed report that she had been identified at Malta, and that she was probably then cruising around the Greek islands. All this was going on while the Benton was ploughing her way across the South Atlantic, and during this passage her name was again changed to the Indian. Arriving in Port Phillip they lay at anchor, and, as a precaution, they kept their fires banked ready for instant flight. By an irony of fate it was this precaution which caused their downfall. Although she had been in port for over a week, it suddenly occurred to a sharp reporter that she might be tlie missing Ferret, and upon the police making inquiries aboard they found that Mr and Mrs Smith and Captain Carlyon had slipped ashore, taking £3OOO with them. The purser, the chief engineer, and the crew were left to their fate. Then followed a careful search through Melbourne to find the fugitives, without result. The Smiths had succeeded in getting away to a small bush township, but the natural curiosity of a new cliiim appearing in such a neighbourhood caused the people to connect Smith with the wanted man, whose doing had been filling the Melbourne papers for some time past. He was duly arrested, and Mrs Smith came out of her hiding to visit him in prison. She was duly lauded for this, but when it was discovered that reason for her loyalty was to convey, a file to him, with which he nearly succeded in cutting through the cell bars, the laudation soon ceased. After a lengthy trial, at which the leading counsel in Australia was engaged, the conspirators were all sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment.