Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-03-13
SPY TRIAL BRINGS OUT BRAVE fIGHI
 0f U. s. VESSEL
Transport Fought off Sub marine as She Lay Alone
 and Crippled.

An Atlantic Port, Marc;, 12.-~In connection with the case of Edward Otis, the 23-year-old native of Riga. Russia, formerly quarermaster on a United States transport, who is charged with espionage and is being held under $25,000 bail, has become known the details of the perilous vov age overseas of the transport, which, riddled with Hun shrapnel. bears si lent testimony of an actual clash with a. German submarine. Otis, it is ai- legged, tempered with the mechanism which controls the transports course in the submarine zone. It is charged also that he ran the American flag upside down, and that he reported a false reading of the carriers log.
 At Otis trial here last Saturday it was Brought out that the alleged tam pering with what is known as the zis-Zag" clock of the transport had shifted the zig-zagging course of the vessel to a material degree. and that the ship was placed thereby in grave danger of submarine attack
 Won Against Great Odds.
 The transport, safe at fer berth,
 
 of which tell of the "brush" with the undersea vessel and of the courage ous conduct under fire of those who manned the American guns, who, fighting against great odds, had won the day.
 The transport made but one trip overseas After clearing from an At lantic port she joined her convoy and began the trip across the Atlantic without special incident until she neared the hostile zone. Tben things began to happen. First her enginc ] went wrong, and she was conpsi1ec to drop behind the convoy. believing the trouble could t,e corrected in Q short time. But this wsts not the l case, and when the repairs were made the transport was stranded, but alone, for proceeding along hel 1 course the lookout sighted a sub marine dead astern. less tran mile away. The guns of the transport we're orened up at the enemy craft The undersea boat showed fight, and remaining on top of the water, began to drop shrapnel shells on the trans port. Closing her shrapnel guns, the l does, but the transport nnaneuveref in time to let it pass, close to thu stern. Letting loose again wltf shrapnel. the German crew worked effectively. several shots findin9 their mark. The crew of the trans hort was having trouble with ;. the range. To add to the transports prediccment. the chief gunner had his clothing nearly stripped from his body in a hall of small shell. He was wounded in the leg.
 IF Year O,d American Hero.
 At this point IT year old Amer ican youth jumped into the breach took the place of the wounded chie1 gunner, and proved himself equal tt 1 the occasion. In the meanwhile the enemy craft had pulled up to within 900 yards and sent up the signal Surrender. we are overhauling you.' The gun crew on the transport ans wered with their first hit.
 Again came the signal. "Surren- der, we are overhauling you," from less than 800 wards, but the trans port replied with another hit, and the men swora they would die fighting l rather than give SatlSfactOfy ans wer to the Hun challenge.
 The shot that closed hostilitias was direct hit, which landed fairly on l the periscone deck of the submarine and with it's bursting the undersea craft was seen to dive or sink. The crew exhausted, but enthusiastic, did not finger to investigate the fate of the enemy ship.
 .IananaSa Wnmen arc now driNinp,