The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-18
REFUSED
TOUE
GERMAN, rev
British Captain Died Think
ing He Had Been
Poisoned
TOLD THE GERMAN
81 DON'T TRUST YOU
Was Upheld in His Action by
His COuntrymen

London, Dec. Ef-(COfreSpOnQe
Of The Associated Press)-Captaln
William Martin, of the British traw-
ler, King Stephen, who, from fear OF
treachery, refused to take off the
crew of the disabled Zeppelin Liz in
the North Sea in February 1916, died
II months later of a nervous collapse
caused by the mistaken belief that he
had been poisoned. This and other
facts concerning the incident now are
available for the first time and it IS
possible to tell the story in detail. It
is believed here that the 18 Germans
composing the crew of the Lie per-
ished.
The action of Captain Martin evok-
ed denunciations of alleged British
inhumanity' in the German press
which compared the affair to the eel
ebrated Baralong case. 1t is claimed
here that public opinion upheld Cap
tain Martin in his position that if he
had taken the Germans on board the
trawler they would have captured the
vessel and unarmed his crew of ten
men. It will be recalled that the
Rev. Arthur w. Ingram, Bishop Of
London, publicly declared, "we ought
to stand by a skipper: The Germans
have killed chivalry in war time"
Because of his action, Captain Mar
tin, it is learned, received a number
of letters threatening his life. About
II months after the North Sea Incl
dent, be became i'll after smoking a
cigarette from a package sent him by
mail and he was convinced that the
cigarette contained poison. Analysis
of the tobacco proved that his fears
were unfounded but he never recov-
cred from the shock The verdict of
his physician was that he had died
from sheer fright.
The Lie had taken part in a raid
over the midland counties of England
in which CT non-combatants were
killed and 1T injured The Zeppelin
was damaged by gunfre and compell-
ed to descend to the North Sea where
Captain Martin of the King Stephen
found her resting in the water. Ac-
cording to Captain Martins story the
iZeppelin's commander offered me a
reward if he would take off the Ger
man crew hut Martin refused saying,
Il don't trust you"
Il had talked it over with George
| Denny, my mate" Captain Martin is
quoted as saying, "and we agreed
that if we lowered 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 them 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. l was determined to take nc
risks. l knew what the Germans hao
done to my class in the North Sea
and, besides, Zeppelin crews dropping
bombs on houses and killing womer
and children didn't appeal to me
! There were 18 Germans and only ter
of US and you could scarcely imagine
their allowing US to take them a:
EANSNAAO1Eo' L 11C1C WGIG LWO TO one,
so | told the commander plainl,
that nothing he could say would in
duce me to rescue them. 1t was no
a nice feeling to leave 18 men tt
drown even if they were your enc
mics. Wher the commander saw w,
We're leaving and that there was n.
: chance of being rescued, he and tn
others set up howl. Their rage wa
awful. Shaking their fists in despair
: they kept shouting out "Gott, straf
England And they kept shoutin,
, this again and again as long as W
were within hearing. The weathe
had been steadily growing worse an
as no other vessel was in sight,
knew the Germans were doomed, bu
: felt that had done the right thin,
Under the circumstances"
= Worlds Shipping Record in 1918