THE MOTUIHI INQUIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1917, Page 6

THE MOTUIHI INQUIRY.

VON LUCKNER'S EXPLOITS. IN THE SEE ADLER. A GENTLEMANLY PIRATE. In view of the escape of Count Graf von Luckner, commander of tie German pirate ship See Adler, it is interesting to recall some of the exploits of this bold gentlemanly pirate, and t.he Vessel he commanded. The See Adler (German Sen Eagle), before she was wrecked in August, had a long career on the high seas. Shewas first heard of on March 20th last, when the French barque C'ambron.ne reached Rio de Janiero with news that a new raider was at work in the South Atlantic, and had already sunk eh'.ven vessels. l N The Cambronnc, one of the See /illit'i victims, brought to a South American port 277 men from the ci'ews of other captured vessels, in addition to her own crew of 22. She had encountered the vaider on March 7, nt a point two-thirds «f the way across to the African coast, and had been commanded, after receiving the refugees on board, to proceed to Brazil. THE 'PIRATE SHIP. The See Adler was a vessel nf 1571 tons burden, fitted with oil engines, capable of driving her at 12 knots. Hechristened See Adler, she left Germany on December 22, 1910, escorted for the first few days by a submarine. She carried a load of mines, some of whiih phe subsequently laid off the Biuzilian coast, and was also armed with two 4.1-inch quick-firers and many machino guns. She had three masts equippp:d with wireless aerials. Members ■•i her crew were very communicative to their prisoners about the methods by which they got through the blockade lino in the Nortli Sea. When she left Germany they said that the guns vvts hidden in the hold. Two gasoline were also stowed below, and the wireless gear was ingeniously concealed in the rigging. When the open =ea >vas leached the gun 3 were mounted on the forecastle, the ports being masked. I he guns' could only fire in two directions on account of their position. The commander declared to his prisoners that the German Emperor and the Crown Prince alone knew of the expedition. On sighting a vessel the raider would first hoist the Norwogian flag, which would be replaced by the German flag when her prey was within reach of her guns. The commander presented to the captain of each shin lie sank an engraved certificate aottin.3 forth the circumstances in which it had been destroyed. The prisoners all sakr that they were well treated aboard. Bnd no loss of life had occurred. Five were Americans. AN INTERESTING STORY. An interesting story of - the daring exploits of Count Graf von Luckner, of the German raider See Adler, north of the equator, before going into the Pacific, and being finally wrecked, was told by Capt. .T. Mullen, who arrived in Sydney in November. Cant. Mullen caw fine'vessels with valuable cargoes captured and sunk by the Germans. Captain Mullen, with nearly 300 others, was over a month on the See Adler, and finally" they were sent off in a captured French barque and landed at Rio Janeiro. When the See Adler came in view of Captain Mullen's vessel it was noticeii 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, SSft in len.sth, put out from the See , Adler. The motor boat carried a prize officer and ten men. The prize officer saluted as he boarded and ordered the captain to abandon 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 Sec Adler. SHIP SINKS IN SEVEN MINUTES. Captain Mullen was permitted to remain on board his vessel to the last, when ready to leave, a launch was placed nt their disposal to bring them to the raider. Most of the ship's stores were seized, but 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 Mullen boarded the See Adler. Captain Mullen made some evasive remark, and his pluck evidently left a favorable impression with the Count, for he was subsequentlv treated with the utmost, courtesy, hieing allowed the run of the ship, with the free use of the stores, including tobacco and cigars, which were freely exchanged for some tobacco. Capain Mullen mentions here that the "Count glayad th« jsuwj

throughout. He was,"' he feays, % true sport, and treated us all fair and Equare." LANDED AT RIO. Two days later a French barque, the Cumbronnc, was sightcd and boarded by the raider. She was commandeered and sent with the captured oll'icera and men to Rio. Altogether there were 283 souls, ( including two ladies, wives of shipmasters belonging to sunken vessels. Thei jOambroKne was laden with- nitrates, and the raider's crew sot to work and jettisoned a quantity of this to make room in the hold for the accommodation of the prisoners of wai-. These were of mixed nationalities, many colored men being amongst thel* number. Fearing that the captured Cambronne might make a quick run to Rio, the Count stripped the barque o" 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 Count told Captain Mullen somathing 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 Adelaide. He deserted at the South Australian l 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 bn 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.