The Washington times., 1919-02-02

ALSAh6DAy Cal.B eD. %.-OdpI'
Robert Trudgett,. the skipper Of the
schooner Winslow, which was cap
tured by the German raider Wolf, is
back with "the Old Woman" and has
started making a backyard garden
at his home here.
German prison camps and sea raid
ers were far away. and his little gar
den was close at hand. He planned to
raise a mid-winter crop Of radishes
and onions. Under his belt was the
first home meal of ham and eggs.
"Tm through with the sea-" he said.
Its home, sweet home, now
"The Skipper" as Captain Trudgett
was known to his fellowprisoners,
left the Golden Gate two months be-
fore America entered the war. The
Winslow was captured by the German
raider Wolff, and Captain Trudgett
was a prisoner on board the Wolff
for eight months before she finally
returned to Kiel and he was put in
camp.
The captain is a little man, ffty
years old. On his release he expressed
one sole ambition in the world, that
being to get back to San Francisco 70
the Old Woman" as he affection
ately calls his wife, and to his two
strapping sons and one daughter. He
had not seen them for two years.
The captain is the best man to tell
his story. when get back to San
Francisco. I'll never venture out of
nv own yard" he declares, I'm go
ing 10 retire. I've been rowing the
seas for forty years, and then to wind
up this way! I'm through and I'm
going 20 lash myself to the old Wom-
an and stay with her.
Hired By Australian.
at was almost two years ago when
I was hired by an agent in Australia
to take some fire brick and petrol
and food TO San Francisco, after II
made a trip from Humboldt down TO
the South seas. 1t was my last trip,
I'd decided then, because I told the
boss l was going to retire. He want
ed me to 20 just once more, and
that's how I happened TO get caught
well, off the Samoa Islands we
were sighted by the Wolff, and told
to surrender. What could we do?
wasn't any fighting ship, and had no
cargo into the Wolff and fired thir-
ty-six shots into the old Winslow.
Even then she wouldn't go down.
think the cargo was meant Tor the
Wolff. because they needed fuel and
food, and fire brick TO repair a DOLL
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 distance.
The Wolff kept away from fighting
ships, and we never had a fight dur
ing the entire cruise.
Sunk DefenseIess Boats.
Altogether they captured and sunk
fourteen defcnscIess boats between
Samoa and around Africa, across 20
South America, and up the coast al
most to Iceland. The Germans
wanted to go north OF Iceland and
along Scandinavia toward home. but
the ice foes wouldn't allow it, -
they took q chance south OF Icelani
and pulled up just north of Denmark.
by that time the Wolff had laid
more than 100 mines around Aus
traIa and along the east coast of
South and North America They laid
up week near Denmark, waiting
for orders to proceed to Kiel, and
when the demonstration was all pre-
pared she pulled up to the harbnr.
There were salutes by the men OF war,
and everything was decorated. They |
cent down a carload Of iron crosses !