The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-03-31
GERMAN HELD Up
CAPTAIN AND CREW
Took Possession of British Ship
MatOppO Shortly After Leav.
ing New York.
RIFLED THE VESSELS SAFE
Robbed Her Officers and Then Com
PEELED the Vessel to Land Him at
Delaware Brcakwatcr.

LeWeS, Del, Marcn 3O.-HOw
lone German stowaway held up the
captain and sc members of the crew
OF the British steamer Matoppo.
compelling them at the point of
revolver to change the course of the
vessel and land him at the Delaware
Breakwater after he had rifled the
ships safe and taken their valuableS
was told here tonight by Captain
Bergner, master OF the Matoppo. The
stowaway who says his name is Err
nest Schiller and that he has lived
in Ioboken, y. j., for the past eight
months, is now locked up in the jail
here awaiting the arrival Of the
United States district attorney from
Wilmington, Del, and the British
Consul General from Philadelphia.
The hold-up took place outside the
three-mile limit and federal authori-
ties say this government probably
will have nothing to do with the
matter. Schiller, 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 yesterday for Vladivostok with
cargo consisting chiefly of barbed-
wire and farming implements. She
passed out of Sandy Hook at 6 o.
clock last night and two hours later.
upon entering his cabin, Captain
Bergner says he was confronted by
a young man with revolver in each
hand. Hands up and not a sound
IL you value your life" was the
command. The captain was then
bound hand and foot and locked in
his cabin, promising under penalty
of death, not to raise an alarm
Cautiously making his way to the
wireless cabin. the stowaway, who is
about 26 years old, put the instru-
ments out OF commission and threw
the ships guns, consisting of six ri
files. overheard. He then returned
to the captains cabin, rifled the SAFE
and destroyed many important pa
pers. He had expected he told Cap
tain Bergner, to find at least 1000
pounds in English money aboard
but there was not penny in the
safe. Later. however. Schiller com
PEELED the captain and the first of
ficer to hand over their pocketbooks
containing a total Of about 80
pounds.
With Captain Bergner still a pris-
oner in his own cabin, Schiller pro-
ceeded to round up the crew of 5s
men, all but a few OF whom were in
their hunks. He lined all hands up
in one end of the ship and threatened
to blow everybody to pieces with
bombs he said he had placed in diff
ferent parts of the vessel If any one
made move.
At 4 o'clock this morning Schiller
released Captain Bergner and still
gripping revolver in each hand.
ordered the steamer headed towards
shore. Other officers and members of
the crew We're ordered to their pla
ces and told to put on all speed for
the Delaware Capes. When the Ma
toppo came within sight of land
about noon Schiller ordered a small
boat lowered TO toke him ashore.
In the meantime assistance had been
summoned and the ships course had
been changed. A tug-boat and the
steam pilot-boat Philadelphia re-
sponded as did the coast guard crew
stationed at Cape Hanlopen, Del.
He was landed and locked up.
Since being placed in jail, the pris-
oner, who speaks excellent English.
has refused to discuss his alleged ex-
ploits. He said. however, that he
had been living for the past eight
months at Hoboken and for a num-
Der Of years had lived in England
He said he had been slowed away in
the Matoppo five days before sailing.
\ partial investigation failed to
reveal any of the bombs Schiller
claimed to have concealed about the