Von Luckner.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 27 December 1917, Page 1

Von Luckner.

" A GENTLEMANLY PIRATE." An interesting story of the daring exploits of Count Graf von Luekner, of the German raider Seeadler, north of the equator, before going into the Pacific, and being finally wrecked, was told by Capt. J. Mullen, who arrived in Sydney in November. Captain Mullen saw fine vessels with valuable cargoes captured and sunk by the Germans. Captain Mullen, with nearly 300 others, was over a month on the Seeadler, and finally they were sent off in a captured French barque and landed at Rio Janiero. When the See-adler came in view of Captain Mullen's vessel it was noticed that she was fairly bristling with machine guns, in addition to other guns of heavy calibre. It was not until the raider had fired that Captain Mullen brought the vessel to the wind. A few minutes later a powerful motor boat, 28ft in length, put out from the Seeadler. The motor boat carried a prize officer and ten men. The prize ofiicer saluted as he boarded and ordered the captain to abandon the ship. He had been instructed to sink her, and his crew set about at once to put bombs in the ship. Meanwhile orders were passed by Captain Mullen for the crew to take to the boats. Everything was done in a quiet and orderly manner, and the men were allowed to take their personal effects with them. The respective watches port and starboard, got away from the ship without difficulty in the boats, and a second launch from the raider put off and towed them alongside the Seeadler. SHIP SINKS IN SEVEN MINUTES. Captain Mullen was permitted to re. main on board his vessel to the last and, when ready to leave, a launeh t\as placed at their disposal to bring them to the raider. Most of the ship's stores were seized, bat Captain Mullen points out that these were shared among his own crew and others on board. Three muffled reports—the result of bombs — were heard soon after his vessel was abandoned, and within seven minutes the ship sank, bow first. "Why did you not stop?" was the first question put by Count von Luckner when Captain Muller boarded the Seeadler. The captain made some evasive reply, and his pluck evidently left a favourable impression with the Count, for he was subsequently treated with the utmost courtesy, being allowed the run of the ship, with the free use of the stores, including tobacco and cigars, which were freely exchanged for some tobacco. Captain Mullen mentions hero that the "Count played the game throughout. He nas," he says, "a true sport, and treated us all fair and square.'' LANDED AT RIO. Two days later a Trench barque, the Cambronne, was sighted and boarded by the raider. She was commandeered and sent with the captured officers and men to Rio. Altogether there were 283 souls, including two ladies, wives of shipmasters belonging to sunken vessels. The Cambronne was laden with nitrates and the raider's crew was set to work and jettisoned a quantity of this to make room in the hold for "the accommodation of the prisoners of war. These were' of mixed nationalities, many coloured men being amongst their number. Fearing that the captured Cambronne might make a quick run to Rio, the Count stripped the barque of most of her canvas, and crippled her topmasts, and he finally sent her away on March 21, in charge of Captain Mullen, who was specially informed, in the presence of all hands, that he was in supreme command. COUNT VON LUCKNER. The Coant told Captain Mullen something of his career, and it transpired that he had spent five years or more in Australia. He ran away to sea at the age of 14 or 15 years, and shipped to Australia on a Russian ship, landing at Aeldaide. He deserted at the South Australian port and was befriended by a barmaid of one of the waterside hotels, who secured him employment in the hotel kitchen until his ship had gone away. Later on he made his way to Melbourne, where he earned his living by selling papers in the streets of the city. Finally he returned to Germany and entered the navy, and received rapid promotion. He is of slight build, and would, according to Captain Mullen, be about 28 years of age.