Newport Daily Journal, January 1, 1930
“IT WAS A SETUP,” NAVIGATOR SAYS
NEWPORT, JAN. 1—The Coast Guard cutter that intercepted the Black Duck in fog early last Sunday morning gave no warning before unleashing deadly machine gun fire, according to Richard Delucca, the Duck’s navigator and sole survivor. Delucca’s three shipmates were killed in the barrage, the most violent incident to date along these shores.
“There was dense fog out there and we came up on the cutter so quick that we thought we’d run into it,” said Delucca, 24, speaking to reporters for the first time from his bed at Newport Hospital.
“We didn’t know it was a government vessel. They gave us no warning shot and no signal to stop. They started firing that machine gun and kept firing. I believe it was a setup. Somebody tipped them off that we’d be coming. Everybody knew Campbell was out to get the Black Duck,” Delucca said, referring to Officer Roger Campbell, skipper of C.G. Patrol Boat 290, who gave the order to shoot.
Delucca lost his thumb in the incident. He has been charged with smuggling illegal liquor.
His account was denied by a Coast Guard spokesman. “They were trying to escape. These unfortunate killings resulted from an honest effort to enforce the law,” he said.