1876, seven months after the escape, Georgette sank near Busselton. George Smith Anthony remained in New Bedford with his wife and children, never returning to sea. He was appointed New Bedford Port Inspector in 1886. With the help of a journalist, Z. W. Pease, he published an account of his journey, The Catalpa Expedition, in 1897. He died in 1913. Thomas Desmond went on to become Sheriff of San Francisco from 1880 to 1881 John Breslin returned as a hero. He continued contact with the Clan na Gael and Devoy, and died in 1887. Catalpa was presented to Captain Anthony, John Richardson and Henry Hathaway in lieu of payment. She was eventually sold and turned into a coal barge. Not of great value in this capacity, Catalpa was finally condemned at the port of Belize, British Honduras. Mythologising The story of Catalpa escape grew more dramatic in each retelling. After the first mate declined to allow the police to board the ship, he wrote in the ship's log: At 8 Am the Steam Ship Georgette hailed me and her captian asked me if I had seen a boat with a lot of men in it—I told him no. Another man asked me if the Captian was on board—I told him no. Asked if I had any strangers on board—I told him no. Then asked if he might come on board—I told him no. The steamer then left me and I stood on my course. In the version of the tale told by Anthony (who was not a witness), it became: The captain of the English steamer asked where the boat was which was missing from the cranes... "I don't know anything about it," said Mr. Smith. "Can I come aboard?" asked the officer. "Not by a damned sight," was Mr. Smith's reply. In The Emerald Whaler (1960) by William Laubenstein, a fictionalised version, the encounter became much more confrontational: This is Her Majesty's ship of war Georgette... "Hell of a lookin' warship," Sam jibed. "What's yer guns?" ... "What is your business?" ... "I'm on th' high seas, as any fool can see," Sam countered ... "Your larboard boat is missing" ... "Captain has it" ... "I am going to board your ship!" ... "Like hell you are! You try it an' you'll be goddamned good and sorry! ... What the hell did we lick the pants offn' you damn