South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-21
MAN WHO DIDN' I
SAVE HUNS DIES
Captain of TrawIer, Fearing
Treachery, Leaves Ger
mans to Fate.

LONDON. Dec. 24.-(Correspond-
ence.)-Capt, William Martin of the
British trawler King Stephen. who,
from fear Of treachery, refused to
take off the crew Of the disabled
Zeppelin LIE in the North sea IN
February, 1916, died Il months later
OF a nervous collapse caused by the
mistaken belief that he had been
poisoned This and other facts con-
corning the incident now are avail
able for the first time and il is pos
sible TO tell the story in detail. II is
believed here that the IS Germans
composing the crew OF the Lis
perished.
The action Of Capt. Martin evoked
denunciations of alleged British
inhumanity' in the German press
which compared the affair TO the eel
ebrated Baralong case. II is claimed
here that public opinion upheld
Capt Martin in his position that if
he had taken the Germans on board
the trawler they would have cap
tured the vessel and 'unarmed is
crew of 10 men. 1t will be recalled
that the Rev. Arthur W. Ingram.
bishop of London, publicly declared,
We ought TO stand by the skipped
The Germans have killed chivalry
in wartime"
Received Threatening Letters.
Because of his action, Capt. Mar
tin, IL is learned, received a number
of letters threatening his life. About
I months after the North sea incl
dent, he became Ill after smoking a
cigaret from a package sent him by
mail, and he was convinced that the
cigaret contained poison. Analysis
OF the tobacco proved that his fears
were unfounded but he never re-
covered from the shock. The YER
dict OF his physician was that he had
died from sheer fright,
The Liz had taken part in a raid
over the midland counties of Eng
land in which 81 non-cOmbatants
were killed and III injured, The
Zeppelin was damaged by gunfire
and compelled to descend TO the
North sea where Capt. Martin OF
the King Stephen found her resting
in the water. According TO Capt.
Martins story the Zeppelin's COM
mander offered me a reward II he
would take off the German crew,
but Martin refused. saying, Il dont
trust you"
Feared Hun Treachery.
81 had talked it over with George
Denny, my mate" Capt. Martin is
quoted as saying, land we agreed
that IL we lowered a boat and sent
some of the crew to the Zeppelin
they would be kept as prisoners until
we did as the Germans wished.
which would probably be that in the
end we should have then. take
charge of the ship if they came on
board, or if we refused to fetch
them off they would carry the crew
Of our boat down with them. I was
| determined 10 take no risks. I knew
what the Germans had done to my
class in the North sea and, besides,
Zeppelin crews dropping bombs on
houses and killing women and chill
dren didn't appeal to me. There
were IS Germans and only 10 of US
and you could scarcely imagine
their allowing us to take them as
prisoners. They were two TO one.
$50 told the commander plainly
that nothing he could say would in
duce me TO rescue them. II was not
a nice feeling to leave IS men TO
drown. even If they were your enc
mics. When the commander saw
we were leaving and that there was
no chance OF being rescued, he and
/ the others set up howl. Their rage
was awful Shaking their fists IN
despair. they kept shouting out Colt
strafe England And they kept
/ shouting this again and again as
/ long as we were within hearing. Ths
weather had been steadily growing
worse and as no other vessel was In
sight. I knew the Germans were
I doomed. but felt that I had done
the right thing under the circum-
/ stances"