Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-10
CONTINUED from page one)


said. you remain here. and I remained.
ssI, asked, Now shall we do what has been
agreed to do 20 our enginesl he said, Yes.
The superintendent did not say anything
Q. What had been agreed
A. Last spring. when the sussex case was
mn and there were difficulties between Ger
many and America. Twas asked to come 20
New York The instructions came from our
company's office and went 70 that oiiice,
They said. You shall meet gentleman
who b., rs e. 70 .o oii me- am acting
for our government replied that /
knew il.
was 70 Destroy Secret Codes
He said: These difficulties have arisen
between America and Germany. II is about
time that you should destroy the secret CODE
All that pertains to the plans of the ship, the
secret books and everything, so nothing VIII
be left to fall into hostile hands. You under
stand too, that the ship should not come
into the hands Of any hostile power SO 'na'
Il could use her for any length OF time
Q. Did you go into details as to injuries
o. What details did you go into with your
offieersit
A. When / got back from New York
spoke 20 my chief officer and chief engineer;
Il told them what had learned and said
must leave il entirely to the chief engineer
whatever hethought necessary 70 disable tne
The chief officer told that whenever
was not on board and he received telegram
from me or this friend. that the time had
come when the order was to be executed.
one Man Of "officiAi Staff"
% Were the man you talked to IN New
York and the man in Hoboken the same
q We're both connected with the Ger
man embassy
A. do not know the relations of the man
in New York. the first man. The man saw
in Hoboken was . member OF the oiiieiA1
CAPTAIN Polack did not think that the man
last spring knew that the liner was TIED ap
legaiis'' IL Boston, under the custody OF the
United States MARSHAL he had not totu nlln
so nor sent any communication TO such eIIect.
a representative Of the owner was present at
the January 81 conference. though moi a. 'hs
Captain Polaek had had no official com
rnnnieatjon xinced January IL.
.sThat day I said goOdby to the supern-
tendent and went out and sent telegram
40 the first officer from the Western Union
office in Hoboken. IL was an open teiegian1;;
but in q form agreed upon 4 reaai lei en
Paterson everything Q. n ana was siEne'
Peterson was Nobody
o. Who was Petersoni
A. Nobody. ..t
vent 10 INV hotel. packed my things and LETT
At once for Boston. / got 70 the ship sDc gu
n N saw the chief officer and the
chief engineer went to the gallery IN the
engine room and saw the men working ON 'ne
destruction Of the engines.
o. What had been donef
I do not know. The chief engineer
inst said. I'VE are working at disabling the
engines.'' I think 4 was finished about noon
Of the next day, February 4 ! made no
Mr. Blodrett asked questions also about
other minor damage, such as the breaking o.,
Of nuts and door handles, but the witness ol ,,
not know about it. He supposed II was Al y.
done At the same time, but did not KNOW IN
detail what was done or how;
ssTrhen You want to break thing, ne
..;a smiling. s'you can't do it. Sometmes
il breaks by itself; but when you want ~ To-
il Doesn't
Wis instruetions to his subordinates were
oral not written. We never 40 ah9thie
in writing" he added. io.hoa
Several questions were asked aoout iOeAeN
doors and the disposal OF the KEYS. a. -
1--WE could not very wen come OIL ana
t..,a the hackers omen with the mems per.
sonaI rossessnoS or the closets for SILVER atS
linen open. II was proper that they sn NS:.s
be locked. The keys to them are on VA be
fonnd unless man was shown the place
Vet he asserted that these keys were nss
hidden--that there was no chahee 70 me- ~;
ANYTHING when Marshal Mitenen anu ths ne
men came. They were just locked up IN tne
rooms of the chief steward or CHIEF COOK vi
'.haso.~er,s lob II was TO care for them
Throurh q suggestion Of the court u vas
made clear that superintendent Moenea ~ -.
tons 10 the orders Of January 81, although
~ gave no orders, and the witness dld nos
know whether Moelle was informed OF tne
earlier instructions or not.
q. But he knew you were gong 70 aa"'
asked the government official. / do
not recall whether the superintendent WAS
there then or not ,,....s
James NJ Beck, formerly assistant United
Rlodfett asked only one question.
o. Since April. 1916. then. there had been
An Understandings You knew that any mo
ment instructions might require you to dis
able the enginesf