Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-10
Lieut.. Commander Lauterbach
Escapes From British Prison
at Singapore, and Finally
Gets to China via Manila
MONGOLIA SEARCHED AT
SHANGHAI BY BRITISH
German Naval Officer, How
ever, Has in His Possession
Papers Which Declare His
Name to Be Johnson" and
Himself a Swedish Subject

travelling under an assumed name
believed to be III. w. Johnson" Lieut.
Cmdr Lauterbach of the German bat
tie cruiser Emden, which was sunk
several months ago off Cocos Keeling
island in a sea fight with the British
kattleship Sydney, Is in Honolulu to
day en- route to San Francisco and
Germany, after escaping from the
British authorities in Singapore
The German naval officer came in
this morning on the Pacific Mail liner
Mongolia. Attempts were made to-
day to locate the man, but were un-
ayailing, German residents here, In
cluding the German consulate, Hack.
field & Company and officers of the
interned German cruiser Geier all dis
claiming any knowledge of Lauter-
bach.
According to officers of the Mongo-
liza Lauterhach boarded the liner at
Shanghai after a series Of sensational
escapes, fleeing from British author
tiles who were trying to recapture him.
"Lauterbach escaped from the Brit
fish at Singapore, where he was held a
prisoner, with others of the Emden's
crew. following the ships sinking after
the fight with the Sydney" said an
officer aboard.
sThe lieutenant-commander escaped
from Singapore and managed to get
To Java. From there he was able to
reach the Philippines, and by exercis-
ing great ingenuity managed to reach
- ,.1~.t A., N<~4L 1t,tuo IL, 4o3x,od ne
at Shanghai under an assumed name,
which he is still carrying"
II. was said around the Mongolia this
morning that British officers boarded
the Mongolia at Shanghai, looking for
Lanterbach, for whose capture every
British official was. on the lookout.
Lauterbach, going under the name of
johnson, said he wns Swede, and
had papers seeming 10 prove his Swe-
dish nationality The ruse succeeded,
as Lauterbach IL q big, florid man
who might easily be mistaken for
native OF Scandinavia
Officers Of the German cruiser
-Geier, interned a few hundred feet
from where the Mongolia is docked.
denied that they had seen anything of
their felIow-officer today. They said
Lauterbach would not reveal his iden-
tffy or give British spies here any
chance to suspect him as a German
naval officer, by calling on the cruis-
er's officers.
Lauterbach is said to have told a
number of passengers on the Mongolia
the details OF his escape. II is believed
that he plans to go direct TO New York
from San Francisco. and from the
eastern metropolis take ship for the
fatherland to offer his services to the
German navy again.
While the Mongolia was in Japanese
waters the Nippon Officials we're also
on the alert for Germans and made a
search of the vessel. Here again the
name of Johnson and the Swedish pa
pers are said to have proved valuable
to Lauterbach.
Col. Sam Jonnscil on his way out to
Singapore had an interesting expert
ence. He was held at the steamer at
Singapore for two and half hours
until he could establish his identity
satisfactorily through the American
consul, the steamship captain and
others.
Il don't know whether they thought
! was a German or because of the
fact that this man was travelling as
johnson got me mixed up with him or
what" said Col. Johnson today. but
I was certainly held nm awhile