New-York tribune., 1915-09-08
Doctor" Writes That the
Captives Were Shot in
Cold Blood.
BELIEVES VICTIMS
DESTROYED ARABIC
Saws He Was on Nicosian, Near
Spot Liner Was Sent
to Bottom.
lRr r.l.rr.ph 70 IN. Tribune. ]


Boston, Sept. 7-An amazing story OF
the destruction of German submarine,
which is believed to have been the de-
stroyer Of the Arabic, is contained in
what purports to be letter received
by Lowell, Mass. relatives Of Dr.
Charles B. Banks. now in London.
"Dr. Banks" was a veterinary officer
aboard the steamer Nicosian. He says
in his letter that that vessel was at
tackled by submarine, which was sunk
while trying to torpedo the Nicosian
by a British patrol boat.
The British patrol boat, the reputed
DR.. Banks says, few the Stars and
Stripes until she was within point
blank range Of the submarine She
then sent up white flag. "Dr. Banks"
also makes the incredible statement
that Germans struggling in the water
were shot, and that seven who were
rescued were put to death by the Eng
lish crew Of the patrol boat. II has
been impossible to establish the au-
thenticity of the letter.
The Nicosian, crippled by the sub
marine, was towed into port for re-
pairs, he says. He believes the sub
marine was the same that sank the
Arabic, because it was cruising in the
same locality and on the same day.
The Arabic was sunk on August l9.
The submarine was sunk, according to
the doctors letter. on the same day and
in the same general locality.
U-Boat Fires Blank.
The doctors account Of the sub
marine incident is as follows:
81 left New Orleans on August on
the Nicosian. II was an uneventful trip
until August 10, when, at 2:30 p. m, we
saw a German submarine come to the
surface about three miles ahead of us.
She fred a blank, which meant for US
to hurry up and get out.
eve were then seventy miles off
Queenstown. We heard three distinct
calls for help with our wireless. They
were the regulation S. o. s. This was
before we saw the submarine. 1t then
dawned upon me that the Dunsley, the
Baron, the Erskine and the Arabic had
all been sunk at about this point and
oil ahou. ,ha sane time
ave sent out an S. o. S. as soon
as the submarine ordered US out. Just
before getting lifeboat ready, she'll
tore away our wireless. We were all
on board the ship. too.
AT this moment | saw, about four
miles away on the starboard side,
steamer coming straight for us. | saw
she was coming fast | thought, Of
course, that she was a rescue ship.
"My bat had the captain aboard
and we were the last to leave the
Nicosian We were about 200 feet
from our. steamer when the submarine
opened FIRE upon her with high explo-
sive shells. Four shots hit the water
about US before any hit the ship. We
were in the direct line of fire and some
of Il G shots came as near US as they
did the tar"et
Twelve out of nineteen shots took
effect above the waterline and two be-
low. By this time the steamer ! had
observed Lad arrived. She was an
ordinary merchantmen flying an Amer
lean flag.
81 took 4 lcok at the submarine, as
she rad &C me very close to us and we
all thought she was preparing TO tor
ped) our ship seeing that the shell
fire had ret sunk her.
Patrol Boat Fires on Submarine.
"On looking back again, what was