NAVAL SENSATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13390, 19 January 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

NAVAL SENSATION.

ARMED SIGNALMAN ARRESTED.

ATTEMPT TO DISPOSE OF SIGNAL-BOOK.

A naval sensation of an altogether extraordinary kind is reported from Chatham. Officers at the Chatham Naval Depot have been, it is stated, greatly concerned of lute at the mysterious leakage of matters of a, confidential nature. Unable to detect the offenders, they invoked the aid of the Criminal Investigation Department, Scotland Yard. The detectives sent down from London handled the business cleverly, and an arrest was made. Their prisoner is an intelligent-looking young fellow, who is borne on the naval books as a yeoman of signals. He was seized when about to leave or shortly after leaving the Naval Barracks, and was promptly searched. Tie was found, it is stated, to be in possession of a signal book belonging to the navy, and also a loaded revolver. It was thought desirable, owing to the attitude of the man, to place handbolts on his wrists and to pinion his legs, and as soon as possible lie was taken before the commodore of the barracks. This officer ordered him to be kept under close arrest, and preparations are now being made for summoning a court of inquiry to make a preliminary investigation into the case. Meanwhile the officers at the Naval Barracks decline to give information. There is, of course, much alarming talk apropos of the incident aboutforeign spies tampering with the yeomen of signals of British warships, who are easily recognisable by their uniform, but nothing has become known which would justify any allegation of that sort in this instance. The usual routine will be followed. There will be a preliminary Court of Inquiry and a. report to the Commander-in-Chief at the Note. He will submit the facts to the Admiralty, who will decide whether a court-martial shall be called to try the man.

OFFER TO A LONDON" MAX. The circumstances nuclei which the authorities got wind of the affair are given a- greater air of mystery by the Chronicle. which says that some days ago a gentleman in London received a curious communication from a yeomansignalman, quartered with his: ship at Chatham. The letter stated that the sender had possession of documents of great importance and value, connected with the navy, which he was ready to dispose of, ami asking for an offer. The gentleman written to at once realised the importance of the matter, both to the navy and to the nation, and at once communicated with tinAdmiralty. The authorities there, wishing to find out the full extent of the proposed treat herons conduct, put the matter into the hands of the polite at .Scotland Yaid. The correspondence was kept up for some time, ami finally it was arranged that the transfer of the documents should take place at a- time and place agreed upon. The signalman in question came on the scene and he was at once arrested. On him was found what is known as a- " boat signal-book," containing the signals in use on boats and launches. IK', as stated above, was at once arrested. I HK SUBKRNKSS INT] IiKNT. The affair has caused a great sensation at Chatham, coming only three mouths after the occurrence at Kheerness, when, it will bo remembered, Signalman Taylor threw a flotilla signal-book overboard from the cruiser Vindictive. For this In was sentenced to two yea imprisonment by a court-martial held on board the Vindictive. Curiously enough, this signal-book lias never been recovered, although divers were employed for several weeks in searching for it. It is supposed that the lead-covers of the book caused it to sink in the mud. Signal-books, in the navy are always most carefully guarded, and are never allowed out of the signal-house. The loss of a. fleet or ship signal-book would, of course, necessitate the creation of an entirely new code, of signals.