The New York Times, May 22, 1860
Detective Slowey and King yesterday arrested Capt. D.S. Williams, owner of a schooner of the same name, and David F. Williams, his brother and mate of the vessel, on charges of having been engaged in extensive larcenies of merchandise committed to their care. The accused have for some years been engaged in carrying assorted cargoes from this port to Mobile, Ala; but for months past the New-York shippers have received complaints from their Southern customers that the consignments invariably fell short of the quantity named in the invoice. It was at first suspected that Patrick Mockler, the steward of the vessel, was the thief, and he was arrested, but an investigation resulted in causing suspicion to rest upon the accused, who arrived from Mobile last Saturday. In searching the Captain’s premises at Forked River, Monmouth County N.J., the officers discovered a large trunk, filled with various packages of merchandise, buried in the garden, and yesterday afternoon another trunk, containing dry goods, was dug out of a sand-bank at Staten Island. In each instance, the trade-marks had been left upon the property, so that little difficulty will be experienced in identifying it. The detectives have also traced a portion of the stolen goods to Providence, R.I., and the supposition is that the cases were broken and the contents abstracted before the vessel left port. The prisoners will be examined to-day by a United States Commissioner.