WAS HE A SPY?

Taranaki Daily News, 26 February 1916, Page 3

WAS HE A SPY?

GERMAN'S SUSPICIOUS ACTIONS. WISMAR INCIDENT RECALLED. Blufl', February -23. An unusual case eame before the Bluff Court yesterday, when an unnaturalised German named Carl Jacobs Hansen, of Stewart Island, was charged with interfering with the Chinese crew aboard the tramp steamer Arrino, at present loading wool at Bluff. The evidence showed that Hansen, with a mate named Clare Mason, wont into the Chinese quarters, uninvited, and took a quantity of beer with them. Hansen denied that he went aboajd for the purpose of provoking a disturbance amongst the Chinese. The Chinese witnesses, through an interpreter, explained that there was a lot of "yapping," and that neither party understood the other until Hansen called them "yellow s." Hansen then threw in a jam tin. The Chinese got excited. A bottle was thrown by one of the accused, and it hit a Chinese named Toosome on the head. This culminated in a general melee, from which Hansen escaped after getting ii severe handling, hut Mason was seriously injured. having four teeth knocked cut and his upper lip cut. Captain Mordaunt. in h'.s evidence, said that the Chinese on the Arrino were the most peaceful lot h,-> had ever had to do with, and that it must have taken a lot of provocation to rouse them. The accused were sentenced to one month's imprisonment. The police, at the request of the military authorities, cross-examined Hansen with reference to his connection with an attempt to warn the German steamer Wismar when it was due at the Bluff shortly after war was declared. Jt will be remembered that when the Bluff territorials had everything ready to seize the Wismar on arrival a mysterious launch stayed out at night in the middle of Foveanx Strait, for the apparent vmrpose of warning the Wismar, which was then due at the Bluff. A fog came on during the four following nights and foiled an attempt to seize the mysterious launch, which is alleged to have been the Detroit, with Hansen in charge. Sergeant: Brookes: What nationality are you? Accused: German. Are you naturalised? —No, You are a fisherman, are you not? Where do you usually fish? —Oh, Stewart Island and Ruapuke. Do yon ever fish in Foveaux Strait! — No, very seldom, I see; and if von do, whereabouts do you fish ?—Oh. off Saddle Point. At night?—No, never. Where do you go at night, then?— I generally go to Port William or IlalfMoos Bay. Do you ever remember beins out in tli" Strait in August, 1914?—N0. j Now, is it not a fact that you were out in the launch Detroit that night for the sole purnose of warning the German steamer Wismar?—No. Will you swear to that,?—! heard all about that, and I was in Half-Moon Bay that night. The police questioned Hansen regarding certain alleged disloyal utterances, to which accused had nothing to say. The police then intimated that his behaviour in interfering with a foreign crew on a Birtish ship was sufficient in any case, and he would be detained and interned, at ' Somes Island during the duration of the war.