The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-02

foodlcss for forty-eight hours when I
crawled out On Wednesday evening.
Once or twice ] thought IL was all
up with me. Two OF the crew saw the
cut rope lashing on the boat and exam
,ned w. They came back with some OF
s'ood there looking at II and talking
q long time But after they had set
lied something about It without LOOK
ing Inside they went away.
,on wednesday evening the ship
sailed. and as 1t .sed down the harbor
! could hear the whistles Of tugs and
trough n crevice zee the liahts in
me lower channel. Tie might was very
dark. cleaned and oiled my pistols.
When | was ready I crep, out of the
boat.
Hts Legs Paraiysed.
My legs were paraiyzed aud I had
TO massage them q long time before
could walk. Az I ,ottered down the
companionway from the boat deck I met
two sailors. but they did not pay any
attention to me. I went to the cap
tain's office. bu; he was not there he
was on the bridge. So searched his
room for rms Then | heard some enc
coming.
stepping behind the door waited
Tor him to enter. II was the captain.
AZ he walked inside I stepped out.
pointing both pistols Mt him and cried :
Throw up your hands"
"He stopped short. must have been
a sight. My eyes were popping from
my mead and ! was weak and trembling
all over. ! had no strengt and he
might have rushed me. But he didn't
Fetching up suddenly he threw up his
hands and almost sank 10 the floor. He
collapsed completely"
With excited eyes Schiller stood IN the
doorway OF Police Headqua tiers facing
the trial room and enacted the cap
tain's total loss OF n~erve-as he re-
lates 1t.
~ told the captain TO ST, down and
he did so Tanned quick. I sat down.
too. ! saw | had him cowed. | said.
You are not very hospitable. ! want
something tn eat and drink
The skipper said he had a bottle
or liquor and some biscuits in his
cabin. He got them while l covered
him. I sat dow and ate with relish.
Another came In (the steward)
with a bottle OF tonic for the captain.
Yes: He needed II. too. made the
other man sit down. He seemed sur
prised. but obeyed. Those two sat and
ate with ne and We talked for a couple
of hours. II was a pleasant confab
from my standpoint. They behaved
rather unwlllingly.
As | feared Others might come in
! told them that | had placed bombs
and dynamite throughout the vessel in
such a way that they could be exploded
instantly. Bu, | added that as long
as no one lifted his hand to oppose me
all their lives would he safe. The zap
tain thanked me for this reinsurance.
Telling them to stay seated there
! asked where the wireless was. and
wen out on deck. met an officer
on the way and pointing my pistols at
him said. Hands up: The Germans are
In command Of the ship
Smashed the wireless.
lie readily gave up his revolver. /
made him precede me to the wireless
room. The operator was asleep. I cried
out. The Germans are aboard" lie
rolled over his head and murnured
something. | woke him and ordered hin
to the cabin and told him TO get the
other Wireless operator and take him
along. Then I commanded the Officer
with nc 90 take an axe and smash the
wireless. But he did not nave strength
left to do II. So I smashed II my self
81 went on 10 the officers cahins and
found six pistols in them. a gun and more
ammunition. DOL two Of the pistols
! and threw the rest overheard. Then I
returned to the captains quarters and
found him sitting there with tine officers
and wireless operators. one OF whom
was in his pajamas. They were III at
ease. The captain had $50 in his pocket
book, which I took. There was no large
sum OF money aboard. began to think
what | should DO. We appeared to he
about 100 miles from land. The sea was
very rough. ard II would have been
impossible to lower a boat.
suddenly the aptaiu began TO beg
rae not to kill any OF them or to hurt
his ship. He spoke Of his wife and chill
dren and said that IL anything happened
20 his men or his ship lie would lose his
license and he and his wife and children
would be left homeless. I felt sorry TO
hear that. Going to the bridge I asked
the officer on duty there IL what the
captain said was so. He confirmed II.
and ! resolved that ! would not kill any
body. but would probably and them and
sink the boat. | planned to go ashore
myself. taking two officers as hostages.
And ! had the ships course changed to
southwest.
LAS the night went on I walked about
and tried 10 think what ] should do.
The thought came to me OF taklng the
ship to Mexico and selling her. but |
feared the British cruisers that wait
along the coast. Al last ! concluded
IL would he best Tor me to abandon the
ship. Changing the course to due west.
ordered the officers to 20 to sleep. Then
tried to sleep myself with one eye open.
but ! was so perpleNed and excited that
I could not. .As IL grew light outside ]
heard the noise OF ships whistles and
saw a vessel that ] thought must he u
British cruiser. | resolved to ram her.
But when we got nearer could see she
Was a United Fruit boat. The morning
was misty. I ordered full speed ahead
for the coast. told the Chinese cook
to make coffee for all hands. That
Chinaman giggled as he stood over the
galley fire. He was the only person
aboard who appeared able to get any fun
out OF the situation. ] couldn't. ! was
too worried ,rying to decide what !
hould DO.
tine officers appeared to he in n
trance. ordered the captains gig
lowered and the ship steered to a point
near the lighthouse that was visible on
the Delaware coast. But the captain
said there were sandbars there. SO he
nut me OF in the small boat further up
the coast. Then he played me false by
breaking his word 10 me and hosting a
signal hat there was piracy aboard,
The board from the United states coast
guard station put out and the men made
me prisoner.
"n