The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-04-15
GERMAN WARSH|P
ELUDES ALLIES
AND MAKES PORT
kr0nprinz Wilhelm Dashes Into
Newport News and Asks For
Fuel and Provisions
Out Eight Months.
ELUDED FOUR CRUISERS
Raider Captured or Sunk IA
Ships While on Voyage of
Destruction-Got Stores
From Ships Of Enemy.
ELUDED FOUR CRUISERS

NB II y 80
the German raider. Kron Prinz Will
heim, which came into this port Sun
Gay was chased by British
warshlps, after midnight Saturday, and
today by officers of British merchant
vessels destroyed by the Wilhelm in
the south tlantic
Shortly before noon the 81 British of
flcers of the steamers, lamar and Cole
by, We're k from the Wilhelm
aboard a tug and rushed down the river
to the British horse ship. Cassandra,
which will sail later today for Glas-
gov.
The harbor was lined with British
merchant ships as the captives of the
German raider were released and, as
their tug steamed by, hundreds of Brit
1sh sailors lined the decks Of their ships
and cheered.
When the liberated British tars
reached the C~assandra's dock they
tossed the remnants of their luggage
aboard and danced around like school
boys
dc we see British warships Satur-
a night?" said w. j. Cow, chief en-
gineer of the steamer, Colehy. sunk in
tainlN saw one and heard others. I saw
one about midnight way OH or the
horizon and she chased us from mid
night on until we reached safety in
the Virginia capes, about 3 o'clock Sun
day morning.
The Wilhelm seemed to be the fast
er ship, for, as time went on. the lines
of the warship grew DINNER and dim
mer, until she disappeared in the dis
lance.
Escape Was Marvellous.
Our escape to this port was mar
Vicious. We were running with all lights
out and at top speed from 5 O'Clock
Saturday afternoon. when we headed
directly west"
The British captives related how they
were forced by Lieutenant Captain
Thierfelder, of the Wilhelm, to sign a
pledge that they would not participate
in the war against Germany if released.
w all signed the pledge under du-
ress." said A. E.. Williamson, second
officer of the lamar. but because it
was taken under duress we don't pro
pose to keep the pledge. We are going
back home to do whatever our country
calls upon us to do"
Masters of the British ships made
statements to Collector of Customs
Hamilton on the destruction Of their
ships. Both We're sunk by shots from
the Kron Prinz Wilhelm's guns. The
Coleby. last ship sunk by the raider,
was destroyed in 2O-29 west, about 100
miles south of the equator, on March
q. The lamar met her fate about 100
miles further south on March so. The
officers declared that the Prinz Will
helm did not go south of this point.
Were Near Capture.
A sailor of the Wilhelm today told
N'''' S'ie ~ ~ ' NbosoSi "A ia tAlAlS
came near being captured by a British
warship.
w We're sighted by one and they
asked us for our name" he said.
"'1Vho are your" we replied.
This is a British warship. Via
is your name and where bound?
We told them we were a British YES
sci and bound to Havre. The warship
flashed a signal proceed and we kept
on our way"
Newport News, Va, April 12.-The
German converted cruiser. Kronprinz
Wilhelm, the elusive raider of COM
merce in the south Atlantic, slipped in
to this port yesterday and asked for
fuel and provisions. Many times re-
G~erman-Lloyd liner had evaded hostile
warships for eight months While she
sent IA mercantmen to the bottom. Her
officers said she was forced to steal
her way past four allied cruisers off
the Virginia capes to reach this refuge.
We got in without being seen by the
enemy. and we can get out the same
way declared her commander, Lieut..
Capt. Paul Thierfelder formerly
navigating officer of the German
cruiser Karlsruhe, in a statement last
night.
When she dropped anchor the Kron-
prinz Wilhelm had less than % tons of
coal and scanty provisions for the crew
of 500 men and 81 prisoners from
British merchant ships sunk in the
south Atlantic.
Destroyed IA Vessels.
OF the Ia ships that the cruiser sank
nine were British. four We're French
and one Norwegian. The value Of these
ships and their cargoes officers of the
Wilhelm last night estimated at 81
100000.
When the Kronprinz Wilhelm arrived
off Thimble shoals. after passing in the
Virginia capes early yesterday, two
United States submarines, the G-1 and
D-2, met her. The appearance of the
prise among the crew, but there was
no demonstration as the little vessel
conveyed the German raider to quar-
a3tine. where DR.. MacCafferty, United
State quarantine officer, boarded her.
Commander Thierfelder reported sc
of the crew and prisoners were i'll with
beri-beri and requested that they be
taken to a hospital.
The Kronprinz Wilhelm followed in
the wake of the informed Prinz Eitel
Friedrich, which arrived here a month
ago yesterday after thrilling and eff
fective operations for the German
arms.
In her raid of the seas since she
slipped out of New York harbor, Au-
gust 80 last as a German merchant and
passenger steamer the kronprinz Will
helm never touched land and took 960
prisoners from various vessels de-
stroyed.
Most of these were sent to South
American ports at different times or
German ships which met the raider in
response to wireless calls. The 81 nov
on board, who will be landed here to-
day, are British sailors from the steam
ships, lamar, destroyed March %. and
CoIby destroyed March 81 last.
Had Only Four Guns.
The second of the raiders brought a: