THE PACIFIC PIRATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1917, Page 5

THE PACIFIC PIRATES.

HOW THEY WERE CAPTURE

CLEVER PIECE OF" BLUFF.

By Telegraph—Press Association,

Auckland, Last Night. The following, from the Herald's Suva correspondent, has been passed by the censor for publication; <• Friday, September 21, was a day of intense excitement, Early in the morn- )?« * startling .message came through mat the steamer Amra was expected to arrive m port that evening with * detachment pf German prisoners. They were members of the crew of the German raider heeadler, which, it was stated m* i ourned at sea. The first intimation of the arrival of these unwelcome visin°fl™J°J lji 7 as given a half-caste named Macphenron, at Levuka. He said there was a strange boat with six Europeans in it at Waikava, a small island between Viti-Levu and Vanua-Levu The natives, it was stated, became alarmed because these strangers would not talk and were armed. '

It was decided to investigate/the matter, and a cutter was despatched from Ifvuka w,th Sub-Inspector H. 0. Hills of the Fijian Constabulary, and six Fijian police Fortunately for this little party a gale blew up and forced them back to port. That night the Amra, with Captain Day in charge, arrived at tw "ii. and * P r ° ceede d to Waikava, There th ey found a 22ft boat, with a cutter in tow, which, when the Amra was sighted, immediately put off for a break m the reef. Captain Day, who was determined not to lose his quarry lowered a boat, and Sub-Inspacto? W&, Inspector Howard and six Fijians gave chase. Their only weanons were Colt revolver and an automatic pistol Fortunately the bluff that was'beine maintained proved so successful that the occupants of the cutter did not show hght, although all were fully armed and they surrendered. '

After a short coiißultation the prisonmmpgutni that as. there was a motor m then- boat they should tow the captors, but the offer was rejected, and tie Germans were ordered into the Britiih boat. One German was left in the cutter to work the engine, which carried a machine gun, IS bombs, and a largo quantity of ammunition. The British officers occupied the captured boat, and .owed their prisoners to the Amra. Count von Luckner. commander of the becadler, naturally was anxious to know the strength of their captors, B nd when it was told him that the guns he imagined he saw were merely cattle pel* ,coyercd with canvas, and that the crew*t sole means of defence were a rwofftr and a pistol his face was a study. AfMr having been, a » he asserts, wounded fc, the Battle of Jutland, and having coi». mand of a vessel that, according to M» story, had the proud distinction or having sunk twenty-three boats in the Atlantic, it was indeed an indignity for him to have surrendered to such a'bluff. The Seeadler's mission in the Pacific w stated to have been the capture of gram boats and saltpetre, but Count von Luckner stated that he had no luck. He says that he took no lives, and did not sink any steamers. The logs of manv destroyed vessels were on the captured .boat. All the men got away from the burning i?eeadler, but Count von Luckner will not say where thev had intend to go, except that they expected to oktain possession of a schooner leaving Fiji for America, and convert her into another pirate.