AMERICAN PROHIBITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 7

AMERICAN PROHIBITION

SEIZURE OF THE ZEEHOND. CREW ACQUITTED OF SMUGGLING. r;«m AMocUtion-By Teltirraph-CopyritM NEW YORK, January 9. (Received January 10, at 7.20 P-m.) The jury acquitted the crew of the Zeehond on charges of rum-running.—A. and N.Z. Cable. The Dutch schooner Zeehond, of 105 tons was seized by revenue cutters on December 8. The vessel was carrying a careo of the choicest champagne liquors, valued at 300,000d01. Captain Kraus insisted vehemently that the vessel belonged to an Amsterdam syndicate, that she was bound from Antwerp to Halifax, and that she was becalmed, and the tides bore her shoreward. The revenue agents declared that schooners logs showed that «he was hovering off shore for oyer a week- that she was a regular participant in the rum-running industry, and that her champagne cargo was for the special holiday trade. HoUand lodged a protest against the seizure, and the American Customs officials showed great reluctance to discuss the case. The Federal officials declared that the vessel was within the three-mile limit when she wac apprehended, but the Dutch consul maintained that she was outside territorial ■waters At the time of the seizure R was reported that the Stale Department, was conducting negotiations with Holland in regard to a similar smuggling treaty to tbe treaty with Britain, but nothing has since been heard of the matter.