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Show APPAM PASSENGERS FREE ROW ON REVENUE CUTTER Englishman Clashes With Collector Hamilton; Captured Cap-tured Ship Is War Prize. By International N.nvs S'rvU-e. NORFOLK, Va., Feb. 3 It is now reported tliat the Gorman iTUiser Koon wm about twmty flva miles from the scene of the capture of the British stoanior Appam, and directed that and other operations of the commerce raider by wire-loss. wire-loss. The Boon is a 0000-ton twenty-one-knot cruiser, and is the first large warship to have hrokon through the British North sea blockade. (By a Staff Correspondent of the International In-ternational News Service.) NOhTOI.K, Va., Feb. 2 At the end of thp biiMi'st day Hampton Roads has known tince the civil war one fact tnm!s out clear. Norman K. Hamilton, collector of customs cus-toms at Norfolk, i veiy much master of the whole situation. When Mr. Hamilton boarded the Ap pant for the first time st 1 o'clock this afternoon he declared he would finish his business within less than a half hour. He remained aboard the prize ship more than three huirs three very busv hours. He made his second visit when it was pitch dark. With Sir Edward Merewether, governor gov-ernor of Sierra Leone. ed James, a six-foot sii-inch Britisher whose every inch was raging with British indignation, indigna-tion, and with a few of the newspaper newspa-per men, Mr. Hamilton set forth fur a return trip to the Appam. Clashes With Britisher. In the little cabin of the revenue cutter, cut-ter, foul with smoke and overheated by an odoriferous oil stove, Mr. James delivered de-livered his opinion of American methods meth-ods as portrayed by the local authorities in dealing with his captors. For a space he had the swaying floor quite to himself. him-self. Then L'nele Sam, in the person of Collector Hamilton, ventured to protest pro-test mildiy. "It is undoubtedly unfortunate," said Mr. Hamilton, "that you find yourselves your-selves in this situation with the wind and rain making a transfer of the Appam Ap-pam 's passengers tonight out of the question. But it surely might be worse. You all might be at the bottom of the sea, or in Hamburg, for instance." The soft southern accent completely misled the Irate Britisher. "It is a matter of principle," he ejaculated. "We demand the protection protec-tion of the Tnited States. Every British Brit-ish subject on board the Appam must learn from your lips, air, the fact that he is not a prisoner at the hands of this German prize crew, but is at perfect liberty to leave the ship at once." Collector Is Calm. Mr. Hamilton agreed with a smoothness smooth-ness that almost convinced unbiased hearers that he was quite overawed. Just aboot then the revenue cutter came alongside the Appam with a crash. "But," he added, calmly, as Sir Edward Ed-ward and Mr. James were trying to regain re-gain their poise, "you can see that boarding this ship is somewhat difficult. diffi-cult. With this weather it is absolutely abso-lutely out of the question to take anybody any-body off. Lieutenant Berge has already al-ready received my instructions that all the passengers aboard the Appam except ex-cept those who aided the prize crew and the prize crew themselves, are free to leave the ship. It is courting danger dan-ger and seems to rne wholly unnecessary unneces-sary to try to go aboard now and repeat re-peat what is already understood." "You must go up on to the bridge," insisted Mr. James, "and repeat this statement to the German commander. You must also assure the passengers that they have the right to leave the ship. We demand it. It is our rights as British subjects in American waters. wa-ters. ' ' Hamilton Loses Patience. Mr. Hamilton 's patience departed with lightning-like rapidity. "Ill go aboard this ship," he said, "but I'll not go on the bridge. I 'shall go to the saloon and tell the passengers. passen-gers. I shall also send word to the German commander that he has my request re-quest to listen to the announcement I have to make. If he refuses to come, that is his business. But he either comes to me or he doesn't hear what I have to say." And with that the collector of customs cus-toms left the cabin, made a dizzy leap for the companion ladder and scurried up. Behind him came Sir Edward and Mr. James. When Mr. Hamilton returned to the revenue cutter he said that Lieutenant Berge had accepted his invitation and presented himself in the saloon, where COLLECTOR HAMILTON the paKengers were fit their supper of boiled rice and milk. ('h-vrs greeted his announcement, but tho ent huMH-un was dampened somewhat by the disi-ov-err that no launch 'kipper in the roads would try to get alongside tho liner tonight. Passengers Are Free to Go. Two hundred and forty-fivo pert-ons held prisoners by a German prize new on tho former Rrit ish passenger liner Appam were informed tonight Uifct thev were lit libertv to hind on Amen an soil. More than two h tindroi 1 oth ers, including the German ca ptors, the captain and ere w of the ln.er, ana certain passenger nHecH to belong to the arni'-d forces of (.Ire. it r.ritain, w:!' be held on board until the I'niv i States government definitely dMe rn,n.. j their status and that of the .-hip i -self. This arrnngemnt was reached on or dors from Washington after a conference confer-ence bet ween representatives of the Gorman and Briti.-h governments on the Old Point wharf with tho Norfolk Nor-folk collector of customs, Norman 1. Hamilton, acting as intermediary. The captured liner, at anchor in Hampton Roads off Fortress Monroe since she put into the Virginia eaj-is Tuesday morning, will move to Newport New-port News tomorrow to disembark her passengers. With the others will laud G. D. Tagliaferri, a naturalized American Ameri-can of Nevada, the only citizen of the United States aboard. Tngliaf erri, who, although carrying his citizenship papers, had not made hid identity known, was discovered today by the immigration officer. Berge Still Commands. Lieutenant Berge, the German reservist re-servist commanding the prize crew, still maintains full authority on board I the liner, but he is acting under or- ders from the United .States govern- 1 ment. He has agreed to move the ship to Newport News and hold her there pending further developments. After the conference on the wharf, the British represent a ti vea told Collector Col-lector Hamilton that those aboard who were free to depart had some uncertainty uncer-tainty about their riht to go. He prevailed upon Mr. Hamilton to return to the ship and make the same statement state-ment he .had made at the conference. The passengers were assembled in the dining salon and Sir Kdward Merewether Mere-wether introduced Collector Hamilton. The latter then explained that all those aboard were free to leave except the German prize crew, the crew of the Appam, and twelve passengers who, the Germans contend, have British military mili-tary connections. A passenger who spoke as the representative rep-resentative of these twelve men asked Collector Hamilton whether they would have the protection of the United States government while the ship was within American territorial waters. Lieutenant Lieuten-ant Berge spoke to the passenger using the term ' 4 American protection, ' ' reminding re-minding him that he was aboard a ship flying the German flag which was equivalent equiv-alent to being on German soil. The collector interceded for the passenger-Commander Warned. "You have sought asylum in a port of the United States," said Mr. Hamilton, Ham-ilton, addressing Lieutenant Berge. "While you arc in these waters you will bo afforded protection and all the others will be given similar protection.5 protec-tion.5 The passengers expressed their approval by applause. "Very wcll,, returned Lieutenant Berge. Mr. Hamilton explained that his in-( in-( Continued on Page Tour.) ! 1PPI WILL BE : IITKOISH GERMAN PRIZE 1 Neutrality Board at Washington Wash-ington Regards It as Such, but the State Department Depart-ment Has Not Acted. j (Continued from Page One.) stniiitions had been to release everybody every-body aboard, except members of the prize crew, but since Lieutenant Bore had raised the point that the members i of the Appam 's crew should be de- taincd because they h.td resisted capture, cap-ture, and also the twelve alleged military mili-tary members, they would be kept aboard until the state department hud passed on this question. A selected group of Englishmen, including in-cluding Sir Edward Merewether, Frederick Fred-erick Seton James, Frances Charles Fuller, Dr. F. E. Rice and the Appam 's purser, and the masters of t he six British vessels captured bv the raider which took the Appam, were brought ashore to aid in perfecting arrangements arrange-ments for the lauding of the others on 1 bonrd. J .Reports agree that all the passengers were accorded the best treatment pos-j pos-j siblo by the prize crew in the circum-( circum-( stances. Food and water ran short during dur-ing the last few days of the long voy- age from the African coast, but the 1 passengers say they had the same fare as their captors and had no complaint to make. l Mystery of the Sea. 1 Versions of the identity of the Ger- i man raider which captured the Appam J and the other craft still differ. Prince Hatzfeldt of the German embassy at "Washington asserts that she is the : German cruiser Moewe, built in 1013 or 1914 for the imperial navy, and commanded bv Captain Count Pohna. All of the captured British skippers ' aree, however, that the raider is : converted merchantman of about 5000 tons, named Ponga. probably completed a few months ago, mounting six masked guns of near six-inch caliber, and having hav-ing two torpedo tubes. The English-; English-; men believe she was fitted out recently as a commerce destroyer and slipped out to the high seas from the German naval base at the Kiel canal shortly before she began her career off the coast of Africa by capturing the steamer steam-er Farringford on Januarv 11. ! "They may call her what they please." said Mr James tonicht, "but T have linel aboard the old Moewe and she was only a 6""0-ton ship. Maybe they are calling the raider the Moewe now." Raider Is New Ship. ! Caprain David Barton of the stpam- ship Corbruige. the second prize taken by the raider, was a prisoner aboard her before he was transferred with his crew i to the Appam. He says the raider is a brand new ship built for the 'ruit tiade, with her decks strengthened to carry a baU-ry that would do credit to a fiist-eiass fiist-eiass naval commerce destroyer. "Some of her plates inside had not even hen painted when I saw hr." Cap-lain Cap-lain Barton said. "She is a fast boat, with a single funnel, and has her hold fi i ted for carrying fruit. Pier guns six of them probably are five and seven -Tenths inches' bore. Four of them are mounted forward, masked bv a oilappl-bie oilappl-bie st fel forecastle, whih falls away wr-n the ship gets within ranee of her ptey. Two others are mounted aft, one of thpin on the poop, and boih so placed t.iat they are not readily observed. ' "'Aithoiitrh I was confined bHow de- k during most of my stay on board. T man-a-'ei to make a rather complete Infection. Infec-tion. On a plate the na.rre Ponca ws engra ed and several of LS saw- the ame vtH rr.e on papers in the commander's cabin. ; "I was on the b-at beginning the n'zht of January 11. mv ship having ben captured cap-tured a few hours after the raider beran h'-r work by takirz tb Frrineford. The ship was manned bv a 'Tew of sev-r:al sev-r:al hundred rr-f-.n, many of whom had 'H M. 5. Moewo' on th-!r hats. Others had 'H. M. S. Pa?.-.' and, in fst thre wr-re half a dozen different names. Whene'er When-e'er th G'-nnan whs after a prize, ail of us were kept below undr enanl and we w vir'.'ialiy nothing of what happened. hap-pened. Attacks the Appam. "We wer- followed by the raider for hh hour or two during thp afternoon, but 1 paid little a:tnri.jn to l,er. as :.e appeared ap-peared to be steaming alone f-svily, and v. hen within a f'".v mik'S of us I made o'it the British f ax at hr stern. Just ar dusk sue fired a w a ruing aiiot and unrna';ed her batteries nd I ho'.'e to." K:f?pt for minor deiails, ali t'.ie stories o' fhe 'aptured Appam i;ier.-;rH agreed ''hi the lliv-r v.-;j., four davs out from r:,kar. French West AM ;t . for Ilver-poot. Ilver-poot. with paT.KerH a nd O'''0 tons of general cargo. v.'hr;u she Hifrht-d t'ne rT-n,an rT-n,an Jarnnry 1.. T'ne taidpr was; mov-iri- at a fair ra'e of spe-d. but K'-'-mir.Ky n akinjc no attempt to rnakp for the Ap-I'fn. Ap-I'fn. Almost Immediately she b'K.'in to gtin gp-pd, and bffoie Captain Harrison was aware that riant'T imp'-n'ied the German Ger-man had rhar.gpd his conrs: and pcrA a arning shot a'to-'s t,o liner's how. Captain Harrison imrnMlH tly ho.'e to. The. raider's for'?' ".i had fnilen away, --:ffO"ini: hT hrfery of gjns trained upon t h p . t -; a rn . A .small boat x 1 H out with n boarding pJtrtv and in a short rlnp a j'rizp crew w ; 9, in po-"ion of t he sht p. T!j:e worr .---. r 1 y-1 wo men in the prize crew under "Lieutenant Bercre, and some twenty Germans on board the liner bound for prison camps In England were pressed into service. 'J" he Appam was the seventh Kntrlish vessel taken in a period of four days, all , tiie operations occurring less than 2"0 ! miles off the coast of Spain. On January j 11 the steamers forbridge and Farrins- 1 ford were overtaken about 1 0 miles northwest of Cape Kinisterre : on Jan- 1 uary 13 the Dromoby, Author, Trader and Ariadne were takn in the Atlantic still farther at sea and northward. It was about sunset Saturday when the Appam was captured. Throughout the nipiit ami into the next day the raider followed her closely and on the evening of January 16 she drew away to attack the British steamer Clan MacTavlsh. Accounts Ac-counts differ as to the distance from the Appam that the attack upon the MacTavlsh Mac-Tavlsh took place. It Is variously estimated esti-mated at from five to ten miles, but flashes of fire were visible from the liner. Only the prize crew, however, had a fair view of the capture, for the passengers and other prisoners were kept below-decks below-decks and glimpses through port holes had to satisfy them. Details of what happened still are unavailable, un-available, as the Germans refuse to talk. It appears, however, that the MacTav-ish. MacTav-ish. mounting a little six-pounder on her bow, attempted resistance and was sub -' jected to a heavy tire from the raider's big guns. Fifteen of her men were kilied and many wounded before the merchantman went down. There were two interior explosions as she sank. Tiie fate of the master of the MacTavish Is unknown, but he is believed to be with many of his crew on board the raider. The Appam steered close, but was ordered or-dered back. Later, four of the Mac-Tavish's Mac-Tavish's crew, three of them severely wounded, were sent aboard the linar in a small boat. OfT for America. Then tiie prize crew headed the Appam Ap-pam westward and proceeded, in company com-pany with the raider, until tiie nM morning-. .lust when the raider disappeared disap-peared and what direction she took is unknown to the Englishmen, as there lias been no word of her since tiiat day. January 17. The Appam, according to the Englishmen, English-men, appeared to be steering a westward course until some time Monday niyht, when she began to zU'zasr near the three-mile, three-mile, limit off the Virginia capes. She took fifteen days for tiie journey, steam- 1 ing only about nine knots an hour must ; of the time. She carried no Mat;, foi- lowing the habit of many lritih mer- I man t men. but is said to have displayed 1 British colors as siie entered the Virginia , capes. ! During the long cruise, manv of the passengers had no idea wnere they were, , nor what their destination mi-ht be, but tiie experienced British skippers had no difficulty in following the cours fairly accurately b their porthole surveys of the stars. They sxn decided wrat tiie prize commander was a bout and were not surprised w hen t'ne siriu Irnve to for a pilot at the entrance to the Chesapeake. Chesa-peake. In the meantime the liner had ran up the German naval t-nsign. which stiil flies over her stern "'to ::v iu-r sl-'ii in American wa ters." tiie G-rma 11 u;"ii-ciais u;"ii-ciais explain. Food Put Aboard. Overnight several boatload s of for! had been 13 ken abua rd to replenish the larders, which were well nigh en pr when the ship appeared venter-la y. Permission Per-mission has been given for tiv- l".idt c of all provisions and water n--s.-ai v, hut the riu'St;on t-f fud prov;.-Kw.in ia held in abeyance with r-ie other protji'-rtif of the s---i.ei.Mle. FVince H,az'eidt of th German rn-bassy rn-bassy and Cantain. ''iani.t, tiie Mritipii attehe, arrived at Norfolk Tins morning. Then event whu-h led up to tne h r-rrtngeintTi's r-rrtngeintTi's for re'eas of t.ie pas.-"-ngeH ar:d f;ri:h-h sailors 'ohowr-d raphjly. While f'aptain G.iunt onf-rre. with lo-al Brirish vice con.ulH. tiie prince hvr-ried hvr-ried to the home of the German vi 'on siil. von S' hilling. who had interviewed inter-viewed Iieutenn nt Fierg yesterday. T-e prince was optirnisf rt be'-au-: i-.e believe be-lieve 1 the state department wan inclined to view favorably :he Argument he h.-d advanced that under the old I'rn-flir treaty tne nrize cre: v.-as enf.tle.j t.u bring tne Appam Into an Arnen-u n-vf and. If 'he-. dsli ed, to ke--p h-r there indeMnl rely, American on Board. Prim e fat zMdt returned to f Jid F"( n : 1 1 Comfurt and held a eonferern with Lie 1-tenarit 1-tenarit Herge. retrml ne-i efforts u-re mad- hv German guards lo k'-'-p I"n.t';d St;i:ef. OfhCial-4 off the llner -...-(iile fhe piin'-e wa.H aboar-I. Immigration pi)n-.--or Morf'ii of Norfolk br-isheci p;it a1 d climbed the conipanKinwy. A f-w niin-u'e.'-t ia'er 'no v.-,-f eng.i ed in a onti versy vrith the prince. During Morton's Irmper-tion iod:i" he dle'Overed the Ainerl-an. Tagha ,i. miner, who hud ? h i pt"-d from h'e., on -1 i on the Apnam- for Dlverpool nri ills way to hiK home h St all. Pj to the time Morton appeared. T;rilaferri had not indicated in-dicated 'uat he v.a." a -iH.'n of the i .'tdted State?., hut he ilNplave, his ..-.-ond papers to the lnspeeir,r rmd aie,) f,,-freed f,,-freed 01:1. Insreetor ?Io-ton pr-etite.! ;I writ' en demand to Lieutena ni n-r g-: for the man's reir-;in. |