THE SMUGGLING CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1309, 27 January 1868, Page 3

THE SMUGGLING CASE.

SEIZUEE OF THE YACHT LIZARD. By dint of considerable trouble and inquiry we have succeeded in gleaning from various sources tho following particulars of tho seizure of tho yacht Lizard on Friday nipht last. The particulars were briefly stated in our issue of Saturday Inst, but from the deep secrecy and mystery"in which the circumstances were enveloped, and the extreme reticence of the parties concerned, we were compelled to rely upon ingenuity and shrewd conjecture in obtaining a clue to the operations of the authorities. Indeed it was only with extreme difliculty that we were enabled to elicit as much as we then placed before our readers, and, therefore, it is not surprising that on one point at least we fell into an error. Wo stated that the police had first communicated their suspicions to the Customs' authorities, and that this led to the seizure, but we find from later inquiries, more carefully instituted, that the credit of the detection of the alleged smuggling is due to the Customs boat's crew.

It appears that two days previously to Friday last, the latter lnul entertained suspicions as to the movements of a certain schooner then in port, and they determined to keep strict and uninterrupted "surveillance over her. On Thursday, the night of her departure, these suspicions were heightened on their observing sercral boats passing to and fro between the vessel and the shore. Under cover of the darkness, a yacht, supposed to be the Lizard was seen hovering about the schooner, and later, a regular system of communication appeared to be maintained between the two by means of the boats. On the yacht passing the schooner for the last time, a voice was heard to hail her with the question "what cutter's that?" to which another voice, which is said to have been recognised as that of Pillengev, the master of the Lizard replied, " the Nonsuch." Again the answer rang out from the schooner, " Nonsuch, go ahead !" Now. the yacht was seen to head for Unngitoto, followed by the schooner, which appeared, in the meantime, to have been raising her anchor. Just ofT the bastion, the Customs boat's crew are said to have seen the two vessels link together, and during the time they remained in this position it is supposed that the goods afterwards found on board the yacht were transhipped from the schooner. The crew of the Custom-house boat were silently observant of all that was passing, but the wind so favoured the vessels as to prevent the boat from going in pursuit with, any prospect of success. However, the two were lost sight of at the reef at about twelve or one o'clock. After some time speut in conjecturing the probable course of the yacht, it was conceived that she had gone round by Motutapu to Kohimarama, where, it was believed, her owner lived.

On the following day the Customs authorities determined on sending a party in search of the yacht, and darkness was only waited for to carry out the design. At about half-past five that evening the Customs boat with a crew, consisting of three men, named Dower (cockswain). Murphy, and Parker, cast ofF from the wharf in a small dingy, and pulled away merrily for Kohimarama. The departure of the boat at such an hour, though a somewhat unusual occurrence, did not excite much suspicion, though there was some curiosity as to its destination. After a smart pull, by about dusk the yacht Lizard was sighted lying at anchor oil the Slaughter House, and by half-post 7 the Customs' boat was alongside of her. Two men were found on board, and on being interrogated as to where the yatcht had been during the previous uight, they replied, " On a trip of pleasure." " Curious pleasure trip !" said the coxswain of the Customs' boat. "We were only waiting for a fair wind to come on to Auckland," was the rejoinder. Upon this the coxswain replied that he must see what was in the hold, and on lifting ii tarpaulin, a quantity of Geneva, champagne, and brandy was discovered.

By this time a man, supposed to be the owner of the yacht, had neared the yacht in a boat, and he called out with an oath " what brings you fellows on board there ; if I was on board when you came somebody's life would be lost before you'd get there !" To this the coxswain replied with an invitation to come on board and take a passage for Auckland, which was declined in terms less complimentary than decisive. As if in response to the threats uttered, the two men turned on Dower, who seized a tiller and floored both his men before his companions had time to run aft to his assistance. The men were handcuffed and the yacht was immediately got under weigh for Auckland, followed for a short distance by the person in the boat, who threatened to make the Customs pay for detaining his vessel. On arriving oil' Judge's Bay, Parker went ashore to the Collector of Customs, by whose orders the Commissioner of Police was communicated with. The yacht was brought up and anchored ofl" the Wynyard Pier, where Mr. Johnson of the Customs, Detective O'Hara and Parker went on board. Dower, the coxswain, and the detective remained in charge of the yacht, while Parker and the others went down to Kohimarama again to search the locality. On examination, a number of cart tracks were found leading from the beach, and which it was surmised had been made in removing part of the cargo. The two men taken on board the yacht, James Miller and Samuel TVield, wore lodged in the lock up, and on Saturday morning they were brought up at the Police Court before 11. H. Tnrton, Esq , J.P., charged with having, on the 24th instant, obstructed persons employed for the prevention of smuggling and in the execution of their duty, contrary to the 177 th section of the Customs Regulations Act, 1858. Mr. Brookfield appeared for the Crown, Mr. MacCormick defended the pi-isoners. A remand was applied for on behalf the prosecution, and consented to by the other side, until to-morrow morning, bail being accepted, each prisoner in £50 and two sureties each of £25.

"We hear that eighteen cases of gin were seized on board the yacht, besides a quantity of wine. It is said also that the marks of the cases had been shaved off and an instrument was found in the yacht's dingy, which is supposed to have been used for the purpose. We have reason to believe that the Customs' authorities are taking further steps in the matter. It was rumoured last evening that the

Bingdove was to put to sea, and from the' fact that she has lately been prepared for such an emergency, we think it highly probable. The Customs' authorities have now in their possession three vessels, the liingdove, Kingleader, and Lizard, the latter being one of the fastest sailing boats in our coasting fleet, and built in the well-known yards of Niccol and Co. All three vessels arc now anchored off the breakwater.