The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-09-18
cor THEM WITH THE GOODS
British Petty Officer Prevented a
Bunch of Germans from Rum
ming the Blockade

#d4c4A@Gs&s ~ ia. ~ EAA ,1I
fore the Spanish mail steamer Mont
serrat left her dock in Kew York on
Sunday. September 6, the ship and
the sixty-eight German reservists on
her passenger list were under the
close scrutiny OF the British navy.
Among the Montserrat's passengers
was quiet observant Englishman
named Beatty, who In an unobtrusive
manner contrived to see great deal
OF what was going on aboard, partic-
ularly in the party of Germans. No
body paid very much attention to him
until Monday morning, when H. VI. S.
Glory hove in sight
Then one of the sullen downcast
Germans, who lined the rails anxi-
ously specializing whether the Brit
ish cruiser would disregard the Span
ish ensign Waving at the Montserrat S
stern and search her, suddenly be-
came aware of Mr. Beatty, who was
very busy man, just then, standing
on the poop deck in the partial shell
ter of one of the boats, he was vigo-I
rously g-Wagging to the Glory and
the Glory's semaphore was describ
ing motions that were utterly unin
te1ligible to the Montserrat's officers,
for the whole conversation was being
carried on In navy code.
The identify of the well-set up Eng
Iishman was INSTANTLY disclosed, and
in frantic haste a party of Germans
rushed at him drying to stop his sig
naIling. The fore front of the rush
went down before right and left jolts
from the shoulder, but numbers con-
quered in the end and Beatty was
eventually oyerpowered, but he had
done his work.
The keen-eyed signal officers on the
GIory's bridge saw the rush at their
confederate. In an instant up went
a mu1tf-colored signal IN rne INTER
national code directing the Montser-
rat ito heaye to at once, followed by
another directing her officers to see
that the Englishman attacked aft was
immediately released.
All this time the Glory was swiftly
bearing down on the merchant ship
and there was something so compell-
ing about the browning appearance
of the big twelve inch guns in her
forward turret and the wicked bat
terry of six in'chers showing their muz-
zles along the sides that the Spanish
officers made haste to see that both
orders were carried out at once.
The Glory rounded to near the
Montserrat. There was the shriA
tWitter of a boatswainis whistle pip
ping launch away and in another
moment a very efficient body of heav-
lily armed blue jackets were on board
the AIonitsenrat, while Beatty. stand
ing stifrly at attention before the
lieutenant in charge of the boarding
party, was making a very detailed re
Isort regarding the German officers
and soldiers in the Montaerrat's pas
senger list.
The mystery came out then. Beat.
ty was the petty officer Of H. NJ. 8
Essex who was left behind when that
ship was hurriedly ordered from
Mexican waters ait the outbreak 81
-lostilit es. He made his way 20 New
Y ork and applied to the British Con
sui. there for assistance in reaching
his ship
Instead of sending him on to Hall
fax at once, Sir Courtenay Bennett
who had already suspicion of tht
Nfontserrat passengers, directed Beat
ty to take passage on her, ascertain
definitely if the suspected peopl'
were Germans, and then communicate
his information to a British shil
which would be instructed to inter
cept the Montserrat.
Once at sea, the Germans made NJ
secret of their identity. They eyel
told how they proposed to wear thei
uniforms under their ordinary clothe
in the event of being overhauled by
British ship and searched for sls
pected men, and on their arrival il
Halifax Tuesday, revealed the fac
that their condemning German uni
forms were concealed in this manrer
The Aontserrat sailed for Cadi
yesterday AFTERNOON, after Captai
Ferrer lodged a formal protest wit
the Spanish consular authorities hes
against his detention by a Births
man-of-war. This protest will be for
warded to the Spanish foreign oflc
III due course of time. The baggag
Of the German passengers was take
off and stored here and is being e1
almined by the Intelligence office.
apaverv ~ AZ.