NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 December 1917, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

THE ESCAPED GERMAN PRISONERS. ELEVEN AT LIBERTY COMMANDING OFFICER TO BE SUSPENDED FULL INQUIRY TO BE HELD. WELLINGTON, Saturday ■ The Minister of Defence states that eleven prisoners of war escaped from Motuihi Island, and not ten as originally intimated. The officer commanding at Motuihi will be suspended at once and a full inquiry held.

HOW THEY GOT AWAY

NO TRACE OF THE MISSING MEN

The German prisoners who escaped from the internment camp at Motuihi Island on Thursday evening arc still at large, though rumours of their capture have been rife. Inquiry,-however, has in every case proved those to be unfounded so far as the actual recapture is concerned. So far as can be ascertained the manner of the escape of the prisoners appears to have been remarkably simple, and the very simplicity of the plan has no doubt been afactor in its success. It is stated that two of the prisnoers were working on the commandant’s launch Pearl, and were still on board when the small dinghy used at the island got adrift. There were several guards on the jetty ashore, and in reply to these men the two prisoners on the launch are stated to have called out that they would pick up the dinghy, and proceeded to do so. Instead of taking her directly on to the jetty, however, they sailed round a nearby point of the island, and there, it is stated, subsequently picked up the other eight prisoners. As the Pearl and the - dinghy were the only boats on the island, pursuit was impossible. „ The escaped prisoners include Lieut.Commander Felix von Luckner, formerly commander of the German raider Seeadler, Lieut. Kirscheiss, navigating lieutenant of the Seeadler, a seaman named Erdmann, jrho was h member of the Seeadler’s crew; a plantation owner named von .Egidy, formerly of Samoa; two wireless operators, ; and four naval cadets who were captured at Samoa just after the outbreak of war. Count von Luckner, Kirschiess, and Erdmann were captured in a launch at Kaihaya Island in the Pacific, The whole escape appears to have been carefully planned by the prisoners. There was a direct telephone wire to Waiheke, and also one to 'Auckland. As soon as the escape was made known attempts were made to communicate with the military authorities at Auckland. Communication, however, could not be established, and it was assumed that the wires had been cut. This led to a long and careful search along the whole length of the line at Motuihi, and as it had to be conducted in the darkness the tasn was a difficult one. Ultimately it was discovered that the telephone lines had been “earthed. ’ j A contact had beau laid beforehand by the escapees down the sides of one of the telephone poUs r nto tl.o i Crth, lias effectually oreiUng the circuit. The fault was reoi .r'd, and at mM i ght Major Price, A.A.C., was communicated with. A sta*3 'mat is m.vle also ia regard to the giving of the alarm that the guard, fUP'.j the tel min me communications cut, atteempted to give the alarm by ligthing bonfires on the island. A watch was kept for answering signals from Auckland. Presently rockets were seen shooting up in the sky, and the guard concluded that they were the answering signals from the defence authorities. It is stated, how- j ever, that they were in reality rockets j sent up from the fireworks display at | the fair that was being held at Remu- 1 era that evening. If the the statement is correct the mistake, of course, is a ’ perfectly natural one, but it is pro- ' bable that it lead to further delay be- 1 fore Auckland was communicated with, as it was naturally concluded that the signals having been answered, assistance would be dispatched 'forthwith. Immediately the alarm was received by Major Price, he took steps to at once organise a search party, and at 1.30 p.m. boats were dispatched in search of the escaped prisoners.

THE CHANCES OF ESCAPE

The launch Pearl, in which they made their escape, is a ten-knot boat, 35 feet in length, and it is stated that she had ten cases of benzine on board when the prisoners got away with her. An estimate has been made of the rate at which she could travel when loaded down with ten men. It is calculated that the extra weight on board, combined with a head wind that was blowing at the time, would reduce her speed to about five knots an hour. Even at that rate, however, it is calculated that if she made for the open she would have been past Cape Colville before the alarm reached Auckland and a pursuit commenced.

Since the escape has b'ccome known there have been many rumours concern-

ing the prisoners and mysterious coastal vessels. Among others is one that a barque, or chooner, has been seen standing the Gulf for some time during the past few weeks aim nas failed to report in Auckland. This vessel, howe\ er, has been satisfactorily accounted for. Other unfounded rumours have gained currency to-day, but there ig nothing to report beyond the official report that the men are still at liberty. AN ENQUIRY ORDERED. MILITARY COURT PERSONNEL. WELLINGTON, this day. Colonel C. R. MacDonald, "an Imperial officer well known in Trentham and Featherston camps, with Colonel Neave and Lieut-Colonel Gumming, a returned officer, have been instructed to proceed to Auckland to hold an enquiry into the Motuihi Island escape affair. WELLINGTON NORTH SEAT. WELLINGTON, this day. A -ballot of Labour Unions resulted in the selection of Mr H. Holland as the Labour candidate for the Wellington North seat. SERIOUS CYCLE ACCIDENT. Frank Easton met with a serious accident while cycling down the Ngahauranga Gorge yesterday. The chain came off and the machine ran into a bank. Easton was. badly injured about the head. He was picked up by a motor lorry, which also ran into" the bank through engine trouble, though no one else was hurt. Easton was finally taken to the hospital and Is still unconscious. SUDDEN DEATH IN DOCTOR’S CONSULTING ROOM, CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Edward suddenly on Saturday in the consulting room of a local doctor, whom he* was about to consult. The deceased was well known in labour circles, especially Us secretary to the Shearers’ Uruon.