THE GERMAN ESCAPEES.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1917, Page 5

THE GERMAN ESCAPEES.

CAPTURE A SCOW. GET CIyEAN AWAY. iiy Velegrapli.—'Press Association. Auckland, Last Njglit. It has been reported that the Germans who escaped from Motuihi on Thursday evening captured the scow Moa, the property of the Leyland O'Brien Timber Company, off Mercury Bay, Coromandel Peninsula. The facts, however, are not yet verified, and it has not been definitely established that the Germans were the party that boarded the launch. So far as information is available, it is learned that the crew of another scow saw a launch not actually identified as the commandeered craft Pearl, hold up the Moa and board her, the latter immediately putting about and sailing in a south-easterly course, apparently in the direction of the Alderman Islands. The scow left Omakoroa, ten miles from Tauranga, at noon on Saturday last, for Auckland. She had a, fair wind as far as Cape Colville, and under ordinary circumstances should have arrived in Auckland on Sunday evening or Monday at latest.

Captain Bourke, an ex-Royal Navy man, was in charge with a crew of five. She did not have a big supply of provisions on board, as the regulations do not compel coastal vessels to carry reserve provisions. Apparently the crew of the Moa remained on board.

It is presumed that the capture was made oa Saturday afternoon, as another | vessel is reported to have seen a scow, not actually identified as the Moa, but of the same build and rig, at 7 o'clock on Sunday evening, eighteen miles from Off Cuvier Light on Cuvier Island, off Coromandel peninsula. The captured scow is 94 feet in length, with a gross tonnage of 127 tons,-and a net tonnage of 90. The Moa was the biggest scow trading regularly to Auckland with timber from the Tauranga I district. At the time of her presumed capture she had a full cargo of timber, totalling 80,000 feet, valued at about £SOO. The Moa is stated to have been [in splendid order, with sails in perfect condition, as she had been completely overhauled only about six months ago. The speed with a good fair wind would be about ten knots, and she would be quite capable of undertaking a trip to Sydney or any of the islands. Though she has on board a donkey engine for handling cargo, she has no auxiliary power, and this fact should tend to make her capture more easy. It is reported from one source that she has taken the launch on board, and from another that the launch has been picked up by the scow which first sighted her after she had been captured. It is confidently anticipated by numbers of people that if the German's did board the Moa there should now be no difficulty in effecting their recapture, but as against t.h«t it has to be borne in mind that not very long ago a vessel practically derelict, and whose general position was supposed to be known, drifted about for over forty days before she was finally picked lip. The Alderman Islands are a group of basaltic islets, with some outlying' rocks like stumps of trees, fourteen miles ESE. from Mercury Bav, and nine from the nearest mainland, Tairua Head.

THE COURT OF INQUIRY. EVIDENCE BY THE COMMANDANT. PERMITS GRANTED OVER HIS HEAD Auckland, Last Night. The Court of Inquiry into the escape of eleven German prisoners of war from Motuihi, on Thursday evening last, commenced to-day. The president read a letter from the Minister of Defence to the camp commandant, dated November 27 last, directing attention to the fact that certain circumstances in connection with the guard at Motuihi Island had caused him some concern. The Minister further stated that at tilt! time of his visit the guard was unarmed, and that in his opinion arms were not kept in a safe place, and that munitions, though under look and koy, were not guarded. The commandant was asked to answer a set of questions bearing on this subject, also what supervision was exercised over the incoming parcels and letters, and the guarding of the telephone line. Lieut.-Colonel C. H. Turner, camp commandant, in his evidence, said that when lie took over the camp from Captain Winthrop he received no information, and there was no establishment laid down, being apparently left to the commandant to employ the number of men he deemed necessary. The average establishment he had until Septembr last was 35 of all ranks, divided into four standing guards, each consisting of a lance-corporal and four men. Of the standing guards, one guard should be on duty, one guard just off duty, one guard next for duty, and the fourth guard finding two men on patrol duty and fatigues, if necessary. Each guard had always one man on leave. The guard was on duty for twenty-four hours, a patrol remaining out during the daytime. The guards were then armed. Details were given of the disposition of the guards and patrols, and the arrangements when launches visited the island. There were two telephone lines ou the island, one to Auckland and one to Waiheke on the ordinary overhead principle. There was 110 particular order re guarding it, though the patrol would have it under their observation on their rounds. There were connections to the commandant's house and farm-house, but it was only possible to communicate with Auckland and Waiheke through the guard room annunciator. All parcels and letters going to the island were examined, and outward letters censored, either by postal censor or himself. At one time prisoners wpre allowed to visit their wives in Auckland, but this had been stopped months ago. Visitors to prisoners had to obtain passes from the O.C.D. or himself. He himself discountenanced this, and had issued very few passes. Witness quoted a specific case in which the pass had been given by higher authority to a woman to visit her husband, after Colonel Patterson and witness had refused it. In interviews, husbands and wives were allowed to be alone together. In other cases it depended on who the visitor was.

Witness stated that in July last General Robin had asked him if it were possible to reduce the guards, on the score of economy. After consideration, witness k'cided that the only way was to reduce the standing guards and institute ia system of military police patrols, who

usually worn unaTmed. Headquarters wore inform oil of (ho change. An extra man attended at the wliarf when the launch xvaa there, ho being unarmed, lhougli the number of prisoners increased to eighty, moat of them ware civilian*, uearly all from Samoa. The hearing was adjourned.