The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-01-17
CONTINUED From Page One.)

guns. So they took us off, loaded
our cargo into the Wolff and fired
thirty six shots into the old Winslow.
Even then she wouldn't go down. l
think the cargo was meant for the
Wolff, because they needed fuel and
food, and fire brick to repair a boil
er they'd burnt out.
Then We started our eight months
cruise. First they sailed around
Africa, attacking defenseless vessels
wherever they found them. The
Wolff was equipped with fine wire
less instruments, and they could de-
tect fighting ships at long distances.
The Wolff kept away from fighting
ships, and We never had a fight dur
ing the entire cruise.
Sunk Fourteen Defenseless Boats.
Altogether they captured and
sunk fourteen defenseless boats be-
tween Samoa and around Africa,
across to South America, and up the
coast almost to Iceland. The Ger
mans wanted to go north of Iceland
and along Scandinavia toward home.
but the ice foes wouldn't allow it.
So they took a chance south of Ice
land and pulled up just north of Den
mark
by that time the Wolff had laid
more than 400 mines around Austral =
ia and along the east cost of South
and North America They laid up
a week near Denmark, waiting for
orders to proceed TO Kiel. and when
the demonstration was all prepared
she pulled up to the harbor. There
were salutes by the men of war, and
everything was decorated. They
sent down a carload of iron crosses
from Berlin and everyone got them
even the cooks.
I'VE were ready to quit cruising,
though il wasn't much to look to, 60
ing TO Germany. Out at sea we'd
run pretty close to the boards some
times, but We always prayed to bring
along a ship, and one came along,
and we had food TO live on some
times good and sometimes bad.
Were Sent to Prison Camp.
We'll, those of us who were pris-
oners were sent to camp. / had a
crew of Swede sailors and a Japan
csc cook. The German hired the
Swedes to work on the Wolff and
the Jap was imprisoned with the
crew of a Japanese liner. They put
me in a military officers camp be-
cause / was considered a dangerous
character.
Il was on the Wolff eight months,
which meant freedom of the decks
when We weren't in action, and then
they put all the prisoners in the hatch
and stationed half dozen Germans al
the door with grenades TO throw If we
showed any fuss. I've been in sew
eral German camps during the last
year, but longest at Villingen.
Pm rot much or this military
stuff, ard / don't salute anybody but
Germans, ard then because | want To
live to 60 back to San Francisco
They call me captain and salute, but
it's all overheard, this saluting, now
that we're away from the Germans.
Not Looking For Experiences.
cit was a good enough experience
but at my age I'm not looking for
experiences. I've had to fight with all
kinds CT natioralities since I've been
prisoner, just to get food, and some
times it was pretty rough. But
here's TO kick coming from me, just
so get back to the Bay alive and find
the old woman. Their we're going
to Market Street and celebrate, and
after that it's my own yard, and the
inside of that, for me-"
In his travels the captain has &C
quired an Iron Cross and sundry other
German medals, which he says are
cheaper than bread in Germany