The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-03-31
Bound the Captain and Ter
rorized the Entire Crew
of Fifty-Six Men
COMPELLED CHANGE
IN VESSELS COURSE
Robbed the Captain and First Officer
After Rifling Safe =. Captured by q
Coast Guard Boat in Trying to Reach
Shore.

LEWES, Del, March 81. - How a
lone German stowaway held up the
captain and 80 members of the crew
of the British steamer Matoppo, com
peliing them at the point of revol-
ver to change the course of the vessel
and land him at the Delaware break
water after he had rifed the ship rs
safe and taken their valuables, was
told here last night by Capt Bergner
master Of the Matop2o The stow
away, who gave his name as Ernest
Schiller and said he had lived in Ho-
boken, a. j., for the past eight
months, is now locked up in Lewes jail
awaiting the arrival of the United
States district attorney from Whining
ton, Del, and the British consul gen
era from Philadelphia.
The hold-up took place outside the
three mile limit and federal authorities
say that this government, under the
circumstances, probably will have
nothing to do with the matter. Sehill-
err, they say, will be returned to the
Matoppo and turned over to British
officials at ST. Lucia, where the vessel
will stop for coal.
/ The Matoppo sailed from New York
Wednesday for Vladivostok with a
cargo consisting chiefly of barbed wire
and farm implements. She passed out
Sandy Hook at clock in the even
ing. Two hours later, upon entering
his cabin, Capt. Bregner says he wa:
confronted by a young man with F;
revolver IN each hand.
Hands up, and not a sound if you
value your life,' was the command
that greeted him.
The captain was then bound han'
and foot and locked in his cabin
promising, under penalty of death, no
: to raise an alarm.
J Then. cautiously making his way t
{ the wireless cabin, the stowaway, VIII
: is about % years old, put the instrr
ments out Of commission and thre'
+ the ships guns, consisting OF 81
: rifles, oYerboard.- He then retuFnee
: to the captain s cabin, rifled the SAT
/. and destroyed many important paper
He had expected. he told Capt. BerI
ner. to find ut least f20o0 sterling
: English money aboard the Matopp
: but IN this his hopes were shattere
: There was not a penny in the sal
n Later, however. Schiller compelled tt
$ captain and the first officer to har
. over their pocketbooks, containing
a total of about 600 sterling.
: With Capt. Bergner still . prison
= in his own cabin, Schiller proceeded
] round up the crew of SO men, all b
u a few of whom were in their bunk
He lined all hands up in one end
: the ship and threatened if anyo
made a move he would blow ever
1e body to pieces with bombs he HI
al placed in different parts of the vess
At clock yesterday morni
- Schiller released Capt, Bergner, al
= still gripping a revolver in each har
:, ordered the steamer headed towar
II the shore Other officers and membC
II of the crew were likewise ordered
II their places and told to put on
II speed for the Delaware Capes. VIII
IL the Matoppo came within sight
II land about noon Schiller ordered
II small boat lowered to take him asho
II Meanwhile the steamer S signals a.
= ing for assistance had been sighted
the pilot boat Philadelphia which
mediately responded to the call a
took the small boat in tow, disregal
ing the threats of Schiller who tire
ened to shoot anybody who laid
hand on him.
Steaming for the Delaware Bre;
water, the Philadelphia was met
- Cape Henlopen, Del. by a coast qua
power boat which had put out FIR
he Lewes in answer to the Matopp
as signals Capt. John S. Lynch, in co
mand of the power boat, quickly 1