Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-09-19
CHAPTER XVII
The Escape From New Zea.
land

Ht tHpHrilt VI every pFiShiltF Is
escaped That was what We thought
about. by Joe. and what We dreamed
about. Occasionally, I'd wake up with
a start, dreaming we were still In our
small boat and about to be dashed
against that coral reef. Usually my
sleep was moi troubled with such night
mares But | often dreamed of get
ting AWAY. capturing another ship. and
continuing our cruise. This did finally
come about hui not for many months.
No opportunity OF escape presented
Itself during our stay at Suva. which
WIS mol long. Kireleiss and | were
slippsd from the Fills TO little isle
off the coast of the north island OF
New Iealand, right bear the entrance
to Auckland hurbor. The other four
went TO the island of Somes. where they
had hard time under bad camp
commander. Major Mathis. No
chance 10 escape came their way. but
with kIrcheiss and me II was different.
We Ind highly exciting time, and
thus were spared the mental and phys
ical stagnatInn that Is the 10, OF the
average prisoner of war.
The public of New Zealand was In
tlamed against u.s. When we arrived
there was great cutlery aud demand
that we be shot. This amazed us. but
we discovered the reason few days
later Yan see the inhabitants of
these islands thought that we had sunk
the big New Zealand passenger steam
er Wairuna. with all on hoard. As q
matter Of fact. we knew nuthing of
the Wnirunu and hadn't even heard of
her. Later. II developed that she had
been captured Ivy our fast auxiliary
cruiser Wolf. sister ship Of the hioewe.
and her crew taken aboard as prison
ers. The rnge Of the public WAS such
that the authorities had to hide US
away In their naval barracks at the
Davenport torpedo yard. and then
transfer us secretly to prison camp
on the Island OF Motulhi, nearby.
Meanwhile. lie popHlace clamnred for
lis to be turned over To them so they
could lynch us.
The little island OF Motuihi. bean
tifu strip Of land, had long been the
internmenf place of many Germans
who had been captured when the Brit.
ish seized our possessions in Samoa
and In other parts of the South Seas.
They were all civilians, from ten to
seventy years Of age, traders, planta.
tinn owners, and officials They greet
ed us with pride and affection, but
more particularly with anxiety They
said we were sure To be shot
laughed nj this. by Joe. who wants
to Kill usi nn what grounds could
mere prisoners OF war be shot down
In captivity" asked.
But things looked little less rosy
when, forty eight hours Iuter, we were
taken by boat TO Auckland and then
whlsked by automobile, under cover Of
night, through valley and forest to q
freight train pulled up IN wild, re-
mote place. They locked lis up In
freight car, where there were two beds.
They told US II was TO protect us
against the public. The train pulled
oul and. inter an all-nlghl journey,
stopped near the outskirts OF the city
Of Wellington. the capital OF the Is
lands that comprise New Zealand.
Here they put us into another auto
mobile and rushed lis to the Danish
barracks In Wellington. an old jail,
a relic uf The terrible days when New
Xaaand WAS convict settlement
nntive keeper who led us along q cor
rdor tugged at my coat and pointed
into a cell. There we're my boys,
Ieudenann. Krauss, Parmlen. and
Erdmann They were In chains. we
We're all to stand trial together. We
spoke TO one another for q minute,
and then kircheEss and | were led to
our cells.
On the following day Kirchelss and
| were taken aboard an old cruiser In
the harbur and ushered into the sa-
loon, where there were about dozen
men who wore black coats and four
cornered caps With fassels. Our four
boys were standing In corner. was
boiling mad
whats tlils7" | said. lis justice
becoming ridculous7 Why are we put
In jail like this and some OF my boys
In cllnins7 Is that for prisoners of
war? And what man Of you is able
to Judge OF our warfare? You are e.
villains. Are we to be judged by ci-
viiansi will answer only TO naval
men,"
Just then Sir Han Thompson. Brit
lsh navai commander In New Zealand
waters, came down the stairway. |
turned 70 him.
fTO BE CONTINUED)