The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-17
EMBASSY man
CAVE ORDERS TO
D|SMANTLE SHIP
But Captain Heroically Refuses
to Name Official.
might Be Tried for Treason"
He Tells Judge.
HE'S GERMAN Navy OFFICER
Motive Was to Prevent Use Of
Ship by @. S.
Judge Says He VIII Hold Own
ers in Contempt.
"Might Be Tried for Treason"
He Tells Judge.
HE'S GERMAN NAVY OFFICER
Motive Was to Prevent Use Of
Ship by g. S.

Boston, Mass, Feb. 17--Captain
Charles A. Polack, master of the Ger
man steamship Kron Prinzessin Co
ellie, seized by federal authorities, tes-
titled on the stand here today that the
engines of the vessel had been dam
aged on orders from a representative
of the German government and menu
Der of the German embassy at wash
ington.
He declared the purpose had been
to prevent movement of the informed
vessel in case of hostilities between
this government and Germany. He
refused to give the name of the rep
resentative who had given the order.
Captain Did as Told.
Captain Polack said he was in Ho-
bokcn when he received the order and
that he telegraphed his chief engineer
here to disable the engines The
work of destruction was done on jan
uary g. and February 1, he said.
When asked by counsel for the petit
toners to give the name of the per-
son from whom the order was re-
ceived, Captain Polack said:
your honor, / am an officer or
the German navy and if l should have
to disclose the name of this gentle
man, in this hearing, l might be tried
for treason when / went home to Ger
many. 1 wish you would not oblge
me to answer that question:
The question was not pressed and
Judge Morton decided that it would
not be necessary for the captain to
answer it at this time.
Captain Polack said he met the eu1-
bassy official in January at the North
German Lloyd offices in Hoboken.
The orders to disable the ship were
given at that time in the presence of
Captain Moller, superintendent of the
company's lines in this country, he
testified. Captain Polack was pre-
pairing to visit Hot Springs, Va, at
the time but changed his plans and
returned to this city.
Judge Says Charge Is Serious.
Continuing his testimony the cap
tain declared that the embassy Off
Gals said to him:
1.-The relations between the two
countries are being severed and the
condition is very serious The wit
ness testified that he inquired wheth-
er the machinery was 20 be disabled
Immediately and that ne received an
affirmative answer. Captain Moller.
he said, did not participate in this
part of the conversation.
Before adjournment for the lunch
con recess, Judge Morton stated that
II the point were pressed he would
/ find that the owners had acquiesced
in the damage to the vessel and would
hold them in contempt.
Ship Attached for $2,3OO,OO
Captain Polack was testifying in a
hearing on the sale of the Kron Prin-
zensin Cecilie, the gold Ship" as a
! result of a suit brought by certain
banks against the company for fall
ure to deliver her cargo when she was
driven into Bar Harbor by British
ships.
The National City bank and the
Guaranty Trust company of New
York have libelled it for s2.30O.00O.
J Ship in Possession of U. S. Court.
/ Asked if he had told the represen-
tative of the German government that
the vessel had been libelled and was
now in possession of the United States
! court, the witness replied that this
, had not occurred to him.
! No notice had been given to the
German embassy, so far as he knew,
said the captain, that the ship had
been seized by orders of the court.
Captain Polack said he left imme-
| diately for Boston and on reaching
his ship he saw the men at work
disabling the engines.
, Continuing the examination, coun-
i sci for the libellants asked:
was superintendent Moeller your
superior officer?"
Yes; but he did not give me any
orders
WAS he informed as to the orders
given you?''
| 81 do not know"
Damage Totals $4,000.
HE knew that you were going to
damage the ship?''
Il talked with a government official
in his presence, but / do not know
whether he heard the conversation. L
am in doubt about it"
After answering a few minor ques-
lions, the witness was excused
] Franklin G.. Wright, a state inspec-
tor of boilers, described the injuries
to the machinery he discovered when
he went aboard the vessel on February
8 at the direction of the marshal.
. Wright said it would be folly to at
tempt to move the ship without first
stripping theengines.
b. Stuart Murphy, marine sur
veyor, who examined the ship, testi-
fed that it would cost $4,000 to re-
pair the visible damage He esti-
mated that the vessel in its present
condition is worth between $780, 0e
and e2 no0 nan