Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-01-23
ST0WAWAY IS
II GERMAN CONSUL

Aboard the transport Logan when
she was here January there was 4
man cleaning decks or shoveling coal
who proved to be one OF the most in
tereSting StoWaways that ever reached
San Francisco. That he vas differ
/ ent from the ordinary was not dis
| GOV cred until after his arrival in port
The story of the masquerading OF a
German official is thus told in the
, San Francisco Chronicle:
When Edward Russell, stOwaway
on the United States transport Logan,
was searched after he was discovered
, at sea four days out OF Manila, he
! as pennilesS.
| When DR. Karl Gehrmann. German
consular agent in Java, was examined
at the United States immigration ser
vice station on Angel Island after the
Logan reached port sunday, he dis
played $4,000 in currency and creden-
! tails from the German government
which secured his release at 9 o'clock
yesterday morning.
'Dr. Karl Gehrmann, German at
tache, and Edward Russell, American
citizen, are the same person.
Wearing the uniform OF an Ameri-
can soldier, the man stole aboard the
Logan late at night, December IA. the
day before the transport left Manila.
He slowed away among the 1900
troops on board and remained unde-
tected for four days.
Found by Seaman
Just before the transport touched
at Nagasaki, December 20. Harry
Hall, a seaman, discovered the stow.
away, who had changed to civilian
clothes, and took him before Capt
Charles P. Williams, commanding the
Logan.
He claimed he was an American
citizen, of German descent, Capt.
Williams said last night. His name,
he said, was Edward Russell, and his
home was in Milwaukee
Russell was put to work scrub
bling decks and shoveling coal.
I'VE searched the man and he
didn't have cent Capt. Williams
said. He told US he was penniless,
and ne made no mention of any con-
pection with the German or other
government
Capt. Williams said he believed
Gehrmann may have had a confeder-
ate on the transport. He said it was
comparatively easy to stow away on
a government vessel and gave full
credence to the mans later story that
he rode the 5000 miles from Java to
Manila in a United States revenue
cutter.
Reaches San Francisco
His hands blistered by unwonted
toll, the stowaway welcomed the sight
of San Francisco But he did not feel
happy enough about it to reveal his
true name and position to Capt. Will
liams. AS Edward Russell, American
citizen, he was turned over to the i'm
migration officers shortly after the
Logan berthed.
Under examination the man pro-
duced credentials which proved he
was DR.. Karl Gehrmann, an attache OF
the German government. He flashed
a. roll of about $4,000, according to Ed
ward Boyce, deputy immigration in
spector, and at 8 O'Clock yesterday
morning he was released.
"Dr. Gehrmann told the immigra-
ton officers he slowed away because
he wanted to get to the United States
on his way back to Germany, and
could reach San Francisco no other
way. He was afraid to take passage
on a vessel friendly to the Allies be-
cause, he said, he feared the posi-
bilitv of capture and internment. He
reached Manila by slowing away on
board a revenue cutter from Java, he
said
After his release, Gehrmann, evil
IDENTIFY we'll supplied with funds, regis |
tered at the Palace Hotel.
Where did he get the money!, is !
the question which puzzles Capt Will |
liams"