Evening journal., 1916-04-03

He told the captain that the other YES
sci was a British cruiser and that it
would be easy TO take her The Cap
tain squinted through the glasses and
reported that the supposed cruiser
was a fruit boat Hodson took a turn
at the glasses and, realizing that he
had been mistaken, dropped his plan.
when / held up the captain" he
said. II was as much frightened as he
was. I guess. but he gave in first.
You see. / was very weak. / hadn't
had anything 90 eat for several days.
I put the gun up to him and it
wavered I'm my hand, but / guess he
was too much excited TO. take notice
of that and he surrendered very
quietly.
II Amused the "Chlnk."
"The Chinese cook made me laugh.
After he had learned what the situ-
alton was and that only one man had
taken the ship he came to me and
told me he thought what / had done
was awfully funny.
Another amusing thing occurred
the same day. In the captains room
saw a big cake. I asked the cap
tain what It was for.
"'We intended to cat it in celebra-
ton of British victories. he said.
"'Cut Il up / told him. Wen eat
it tonight i'm celebration Of this Ger
man victory. And he and some OF
the others ate it. I had some of it,
too.
Everybody on the ship, except the
Chinese cook, was frightened foolish.
When the captain and ] went into the
wireless room we found the operator
asleep. / touched him on the shoulder
and shouted; The Germans are hereH
The operator woke up and almost
rolled off his chair. 4 am in charge
OF this vessel I told him. ! handed
him the emergency fire axe and told
him TO smash the apparatus. He took
the axe but he was so weak from
fear he couldn't hold it firmly enough
to break an egg. So / grabbed it and
smashed everything in the ROOM"
Aside from the fact OF his actual
arrest. which he obviously risked and
over which he utters no complaint
the circumstances directly leading TO
his capture are what irritates him. He
declares that the captain is an un-
worthy. unreliable person.
Il spared his life" he said, land he
turned around and had me arrested
He broke his promise. And / shall
never again take the word OF a British
seamani"
Hodson would be entertaining re
porters yet If the authorities had per-
mitted him. Last evening, when he
was being taken from Capt. Tunney's
Office on the third floor of Police
( Headquarters. to a cell in the base
ment. he and Detective George Bar
nitz passed a group of reporters tC
whom Capt. Tunney was talking. Hod-
/ son paused and tried to listen to the
conversation. but Barnitz urged him
down the stairs.
He Had Several Aliases.
Captain Tunney seized trunk in
the young mans home in Hoboker
and it contained a number oi
papers but nothing OF any value, ac
cording to Tunney. Practically every
thing now in the possession of tn,
police regarding Hodson has come
from the prisoner. He readily admit
ted that beside taking the alias o
Ernest Schiller he had used as aliases
lC. Robinson, +. Robertson and Adolpl
Henry.
On March l6, Capt. Tunney said, h
/ received a letter from Police lnspecto
Pelletier. OF Salem. Mass. informin
. him that Schiller" had been il
| Salem some days before and had mad
statements which indicated him
dangerous person. Detectives wer
despatched to look for him here. l
was on that same day. March II, tha
the proposed final plans for taking thu
Pannonia were under way.
In the brief periods between Hod
sons series of confessions. Capt
Tunney made several calls on Assist
lant United States District Attorne,
Knox. who is in charge Of the prose
cution of the case. AT that time -
this was before HodsOn confessed tn
Pannonia plot-Mr. Knox and Capt
Tunney were seeking a legal excus
for having Hodson committed to jai
until definite move could be made.