Oakland sunshine. [volume], February 25, 1922, Image 1

About Oakland sunshine. [volume] (Oakland, Calif.) 189?-19??

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Vol. 26 No. 40
GRAPAIC TALE OF
U-BOAT MURDERS
British Captain Testifies to
Submerging That Cost the
Lives of Crew.
THREE SHIPS ARE TORPEDOED
German Commander to Be Put on
Trial for Brutally Inhuman Acts
at Sea—Captain ls Ship's
Only Survivor.
London.—A graphic account of the
torpedoing of the British steamship
Torrington in April, 1917, and the sub
sequent fate of the crew was given by
the only survivor at Bow street police
court, says the Dally Telegraph, when
Sir Chartres Biron sat for the purpose
of taking evidence on commission in
support of charges which have been
formulated against the submarine
commander, a Captain Wilhelm Wer
ner.
Mr. V. M. Gattie conducted the pro
ceedings on behalf of the British gov
ernment and Doctor Bunger represent
ed the German government.
Mr. Gattie explained that Werner
was one of the German officers against
whom it_was proposed that proceed
ings should be taken at Leipzig. He
had not yet been arrested, but it was
thought desirable that, while Captain
Starkey, the principal witness, was in
London his deposition should be taken,
so that in the event of the accused
man being apprehended there need be
no delay in his trial.
The charge against Werner was that
he, being in command of the submarine
U-55 on April 8 1917, in the North
Atlantic, 150 miles southwest of the
Scilly Isles, torpedoed the British
steamship Torrington, and afterward
wilfully murdered, by drowning, 34
members of thé crew. That was the
vessel’s total complement other than
Captain Starkey, who was the only
survivor.
The Torrington was owned by the
Tatham Steamship company of Car
diff, and was proceeding from Gibral
tar to Cardiff, She was an ordinary
merchant vessel, not & war vesSel at
all, and carried one gun for purely
defensive purpeses, as many ships did
during the war. On the morning of
April 8 the second mate reported that
there were some lifeboats on the port
bow, and the course of the Torrington
was slightly varied with the object
of rendering assistance if necessary.
Insulted by German Captain.
Suddenly Captain Starkey noticed
the wake of a torpedo which was com
ing towards him. He maneuvered,
but was unable to avold it, and the
torpedo struck the ship, which did not
immediately sink but was consider
ably damaged. Soon afterwards the
submarine came to the surface and
opened fire on the Torrington. Ap
parently the firing was not very suc
cessful, for nobody was killed and the
vessel was not further damaged. See
ing that there was no possibility of
saving the ship, Captain Starkey gave
orders for the crew to take to the
lifeboats. The port boat left with
some of the men under the first mate,
and Captain Starkey took command
of the starboard boat.
When the latter was about a quar
ter of a mile from the Torrington the
submarine drew up close, and Captain
Starkey and the men with him were
ordered to go on board. They obeyed,
and Werner took Starkey below and,
after asking some questions; told him
he was a pirate and would be taken
to Germany and shot, while as for the
crew they could swim. Directly af
terwards Werner went on deck, the
alarm rang for stations, and the sub
marine submerged and remained so
for twenty minutes. Kveryone of the
twenty men who had been left on deck
was washed off and drowned, and as
regarded the men In the other life
boat, the only assumption was that
they were disposed of in some way or
other. They were never seen or heard
of again, although the sea was per
fectly smooth and their boat was in
perfect condition.
Before the submarine submerged
members of the German crew got into
Captain Starkey's lifeboat and rowed
away, and they afterwards returned
with loot from the Torrington and
also provisions, whieh were identified
by Captain Starkey as having been in
the other lifeboat. Captain Starkey
was afterwards kept a prisoner on
the submarine, and while he was on
board two other British ships were
torpedoed and their crews disposed of
in the same way. He was eventually
taken to Germany, and after the arm
istice he came back to this country
and told his story.
Insulted by German Captain.
Capt. Anthony Starkey of Cardiff
gave evidence bearing out counsel’s
statement. He said he was thirty-four
years of age and was now master of
the steamship Brendon, Describing
what took place after he went on board
the submarine, he sald that Werner,
who spoke good English, asked him
his name, and when he told him he
said. “You lie,” and pushed ever an
old copy of Lloyd’s Register, in which
the name of the previous captain of
the Torrington appeared.
Witness explained that he had only
been captzin of the vessel for four
months, and Werner then asked if he
had any gunners on board. He re
plled that they were om deck, and
Werner remarked that he did not see
anyone in uniform. Witness replied
in & jocular manner that he had not
given them time tc put on their best
clothes.
Mr. Gattie—lf you had known he
was coming you would have dressed
up for it. Was it the practice for
gunners to be dressed in uniform?
Witness—No; they were members
of the crew. Werner then said, “You
are a d— pirate. You deserve to be
shot, and as for the others, let them
swim.”
Had 'you any idea then what he
meant? No, I thought it was just an
expression like “Let them rip,” mean.
ing let them go, don't bother about
them. Werner then went away and
the submarine submerged.
Continuing, witness sald that after
the submarine came to the surface
again the German sallors returned
in the Torrington’s lifeboat, and he
noticed that they had, among other
things, some of his personal clothing
and also tins of meat which had been
in the port lifeboat. About two hours
later witness heard that the Torring
ton was sinking. When witness ar
rived on the submarine he found two
other British captains already there—
Captain Draper of the Umvoti and
Captain Ashfield of the Petridge—
both of whose ships had been sunk.
Told He Was Lucky
Mr. Gattle—Did you have any con
versation with the members of the
submarine’s crew? ’
Yes, I was bemoaning my fate, and
a man named Kuper, who was lead
ing seaman, said, “You are lucky you
have your life.” On another occasion
I was talking to the senior wireless
operator, and he also said I was lucky
to be alive. and added, “There are too
many abost now or I would tell you
something more.” 1 used to get the
English wireless news every night from
this man, and one night he said: “Your
crew never got home. They were all
drowned.”
Witness went on to say that on
April 14 the submarine sunk another
ship, named the Tora. The captain
was brought below by Werner and the
submarine then submerged, as she had
done after the Torrington was tor
pedoed. When she rose again Werner
sent for witness and asked him if he
would like to see a ship sink. For
the sake of getting some fresh air he
replied, “Yes,” and he went up into
the conning tower and saw the Tora a
short distance away. She did not,
however, sink until some time later.
Two or three days later another
vessel was sunk by gunfire, and again
the submarine submerged after the
captain had been brought below. In
neither case, as far as witness could
see, was there any necessity for sub
merging. Witness was eventually
landed at Heligoland and remained a
prisoner until December, 1918. Before
he left the submarine one of the officers
gave him a piece of torpedo as a sou
venir and a pass bearing the U-boat’s
number and the commander’'s name,
Replying to Doctor Bunger, Captain
Starkey sald the Torrington was char
tered by the Italian State railways.
He could not explain how it was that
he was allowed to escape alive when
he might become such an important
witness. He supposed Captain Werner
did not think he knew what had hap
pened to the crew.
Doctor Bungar—Several German
witnesses have stated that a British
destroyer was approaching while this
was taking place.
Witness—There was no destroyer
near, to my knowledge. If a destroy
er had been approaching, the subma
rine would not have come to the sur
face twenty minutes afterward.
BEES BUST THIS ROMANCE
Rout Young Lady Just as Young Man
Starts to Make Proposal of
Marriage.
Chicago.—There is one young man
in Lake Forest who has sworn ven
geance against members of the bee
family for all time,
It came about through the efforts
of Policeman George Kelly, assigned
to the beach at Lake Bluff, to stop
spooning on the beach.
Kelly was unable to watch all of
the shady glens formed by the
groups of poplar trees and attend to
his other duties about the beach at
the same time. So he transported a
number of bees’ nests to these nooks.
Thursday night a young Lake For
est couple who have been spending
much time together this summer, vis
ited the beach. The young man decid
ed the moment had come to pop the
question. So he led the fair one to the
shade of the popular glen, gulped a
few times, and got under way.
“Sit down,” he sald. “There 1S some
thing I must say to you.”
She sat, but rose quickly, and with
a scream dashed down the beach.
Good-night, romance.
WOULD MARRY SICK INDIAN
Many Women Charmed by Pellagra-
Stricken Owner of Oil Lands in
Oklahoma.
Celorado Springs, Colo,—Lawrence
Gray. a full-blood Osage Indian, who
is 111 of pellagra, ata sanatorium here,
is receiving numerous offers of mear
riage from friends who are charmed
by his beauty or pleased at the pros
pect of his early death.
One of these admirers repeatedly
has applied for a license to County
Clerk A. E. Jackson. The latter wired
to E. H. Mettingly, Gray’s guardian,
for instructions.
The reply has been received, and
reads: “Gray is mentally and physi
cally 111. Issue no license.”
In addition to being ill physically,
Gray's mind is dera: ged as the result
of the disease. [le is owner of valn
able oit lapds in Oklahoms. ard
wealthy. He Is w.irty years old
NEW RIVETING GUN
A new riveting gun, invented by a
London engineer, which by the appli
cation of an explosive force inside, can
instantaneously pierce the side of a
steel ship, or other metal substances,
either above or below the water, is
here shown. Photo shows the riveting
gun being demounstrated.
RAT BLOCKS TOWN TRAFFIC
Rodent Walks Electric Light Cable,
Balancing Itself Like Trained
Acrobat.
London, Ont.—An average-sized
gray rat, walking an insulated elec
tric light cable about thirty-five feet
from the ground above the town's
main thoroughfare, created such a com
motion as it perilously balanced itself
for two blocks' length and thousands
congregated to watch ({ts progress
that traffic was halted for nearly half
an hour.
The rat evidently was frightened out
of an office window or from a roof or
ledge near the electric light post. It
first attracted attention when it stopped
near the main office of the govern
ment telegraph building and peered
in, perilously balancing itself on the
small cable. The clicking of the tele
graph instruments turned it back,
however, so it wended its way like
a tight-rope walker, utterly oblivious
to the stir its presence created be
low.
Half way across an intersection the
rat stopped and balanced himself like
a trained acrobat, taking a good view
of the crowded streets, the cars and
the shopping district. Suddenly it
leaped toward a telephone pole, scamp
ered down and dashed under the
feet of screaming pedestrians and dis
appeared from view,
BRUIN PLAYS TRAFFIC COP
Bear After Hilarious Time in Minne
apolis Is Arrested for Imperson
ating an Officer.
Minneapolis, Minn.—lmpersonating
an officer Is the charge against
“Frenchy,” a trained bear belonging
to George Harrison. During a riotous
interlude, here are the things bruin
is alleged to have done:
Hustled an inebriated wayfarer
along home so briskly that the man
sobered up and swore off.
Directed traffic at Seventh street
and Sixth avenue.
Helped himself to sundry tidbits at
candy stores and fruit stands.
At Seventh street and Sixth avenue
“Frenchy” planted himself at the in.
tersection and with paws as sema
phore arms began to direct traffic. He
was blithely ordering automobilists
around when his prospective landlord,
Dr. 8. O. Lockwood, superintendent
of the workhouse, drove up In a car.
The superintendent knew righ
away that “Frenchy” wasn’'t a rea;
traffic officer. Summoning two police
men he placed the bear under arrest,
Then he called the patrol wagon and
“Frenchy” was bustled into it like
any other malefactor.
Bruin spent the night in a cell at
the North Side police station.
Lizard With Two Tails.
Petaluma, Cal.—W. F. Thiery, a
rancher, residing on the “Fair View
Court” farm near here, discoverec a
freak lizard with two tails coiled up
in an egg shell. The lizard had -
doubtedly eaten the contents of 'he
egg and gone to sleep. The friak
was exhibited at the chamber of ctm
merce.
ieeei i i i »,
x
Tipsy Possum Betrays ;
Big Moonshine Plant §
Chattanooga, Tenn.—Failure §
of a possum to play up to his :
name resulted in the discovery
of one of the largest illicit dis- ;
tilleries ever found in this sec- $
tion, according to revenue offi- :
cers. When attention was first :
called to the inability of the ani- §
mal to pursue a straight line «r -
retreat, the raiders then -
was 1. One of them. .
pursuing the rules of @
tion laid down in best
narratives, caprared o 2
tive and =mnciled s io
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIIA, S&TURDAY, FEBRUARY 25th, 1922
TOLD OF H. C. L. IN HEAVEN
“Voice From Tomb” Persuades French
Widow to Place 500 Francs on
Husband’s Grave.
Paris.—Because of her readiness te
oelieve that even in heavéils the cost
of living had become a serious prob
lem a certain faithful French widow
came near being defrauded the other
day. Since the death of her husband
this woman had made it a rule te
make a daily visit to his grave In the
Pere Lachaise Cemetery. But one day
while placing flowers on the mound
she was startled by hearing a voice.
“Up here,” the volce called out, “It
is the same as upon the earth—every
body wants money. On every hand
are people asking for tips. Dear
friend, can you let me have 800
francs?”
Having no money with her the
woman after struggling to overcome
her fear promised to bring some as
sor., as possible and the voice replied
gratefully: “Thank you.”
The woman went home and told a
neighbor of her remarkable experience.
The neighbor thought a while and then
advised the widow to do what the
voice had requested, but the neighbor
also went to the authorities and let
them in on the secret.
Gathering together the necessary
800 francs the widow plously placed
the money on the grave in a purse and
went away. When she was out of
sight a young man stepped out from
behind a nearby tombstone and took
up the purse. Rut the next thing he
knew a policeman had him by the
collar. !
It turned out that the young man
was a nephew of the widow, but at
the trial that followed she forgave him
and withdrew the charges when the
young man’s wife with a baby in her
arms appealed to the widow for mercy.
WANT POPPY GROWING ENDED
Foes of Opium Ask That China Stop
the Cultivation of the
Plant,
Washifigton.—Support for recom
mendations in the report of the com
mission on the opium traffic of the
League of Nations has been urged
In conferences here with government
officials and others by Mrs. Hamilton
Wright, one of the experts attached
to the commission. Mrs. Wright as
sisted in the preparation of the re
port submitted te the league council.
Many messages have been sent to
Geneva by American organizations
urging favorable action on the recom
mendation as the only means of pre
venting the revival of the oplum traf
fie.
While the report itself has not yet
been made public, 1t is understood
that it includes two principal recom
mendations: b
1. The council is requested to seek
permission from the central govern
ment of China for consuls of league
members to address themselves In
that country directly to the leaders of
the Chinese military forces, urging
them to give up the cultivation of the
poppy.
2. The council is requested to ap
point a special commission of inquiry
to visit personally the provinces in
China where the poppy is grown to
ascertain the extent of the cultiva
tion and the methods of marketing the
prohihit~ “ruu,
O Bax e | =Ny Lo B
TR el { R ey GuE M
RONE i LB o 1 Wwe @
kin eat . cpvind e hedlef. bakod,
fried, ¢’ 3 i ctpesa £
dod il ow oS Ly il
otz = ¢ w 3 kil frois. i-tue” 20y
rO' wh. s RRE i 1 ; ¢le eel e
teneat'T of 871 cae. o he %o,
De #dd-r prorden pary 25009 Mg
frigrias tomatvrs, eibhe ca anifiiry]
& sSouan’t Aont ne Wly oL pe Vi
reguse dey's gty Lo yocma Bt @
Pot T €6 h et N
one on "rm o Pl agora y e
meat fer d« Lavs Gat'e .37 o,
M over Yaliuclh, >
Ffw e N
% 3 £
, 17"'—5Q,fl_'{‘3 U omw oo
b 23 g"a P e b B
Civandßß g Bigads
0" Yot some 80k» Kin® Pomover fool
you. Vo really can’t rhraied’on vour hair
untiiit’'s nicesnd lorg., Tnet'=swoat
o S 1 1245
EXELENTO SLians
Qosa, resnover . -andrufl, f2< s the Rools of
the hat~, ar . makes it gro loog, soit and
gilky. 4-—7 uring & few i 28 you ean teil
the difference, and after z Eitie while it
will be 50 preity and lon.. that you cans fix
it up to suit you. J 2 Exeiontodon’t doas
we ciaim, we will give your money back.
28¢ by mail on rezeipt of stamps or coin.
AGENTS WANTED
-
4fants, Ga
Bae’r i Ped, Co. !
g 2 Totudd.
Py ictnre showy =
¥ed ~2at your lioe ’i_
Ezr Mo %
¥ auarne :’
soang £
tan dous for vor
Laie. Bufore I us~d
W my ‘uir wus
st and coarse
aod uow i} Iy A
tnches Jocs. and se
sedt avd slday thes @
Fear w 0 B apanyg
w 5 | wani te,
ILNIE RAND,
Write Por Partisulsrs.
) SMEDICINE CO., Atiyia, Ga.
HAIL! ALL HAIL!
Rex, King of the Carnival
AND HIS COURT WILL APPEAR ON
THE SHORES OF LAKE MERRITT,
Muncipal Auditorum Arena
12th and Fallen Streets, Oakland, California
GRAND PAGEANT AND MARDI GRAS BALL
TUESDAY, FEBRUAY 28th :
UNDER THE AUSPICES OF
ORCHESTRA MUSIC BY
KING OLIVER’S & ORY’S CELEBRATED CREOLE
ORCHESTRA
Prince R. D. Clark, Pres. Count H. O. Whaley,
Viscount Chas. D. Mills, Earl Chas. Songy Sir Knight John Craig,
Count E. R. James, Grand Duke, Emille Martin, Marquis
M. D. Broadnax, Duke Chas. Baker, Count Louis Hawkins
Marquis Oscar Clark, Duke S. S. Boucree, Earl A. K. Martin,
Baron S. O. Villa. e
PRINCE F. H. BURRILL SR., Chairman.
Grand Duke A. B, MARTIN, Sec’y. Lord GEO. INGRAM, Theas.
GENERAL ADMISSION $l.OO (Including War Tax)
Office Phone Lakeside 1522
Res. Phone Berkeley 4633-]
LEE & GRAY
WOOD, COAL AND GRAIN
Express and Country Hauling
525 Lewis Street Oakland, Calif.
WILL CALL FOR BAGGAGE CHECK.
THREE DAYS STORAGE FREE
Madam M. Calloway Byron
Celebrated Soprano
«And a Pupil of the Great Living Masters of
Berlin, Italy, London and Paris, will appear in
SONG RECITAL
Uuder the Auspices of the
Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People
AT THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE
FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 24th 1922.
General Admission 50 and 75822.& o
Reserved Seats (Central Orchestra) $l.OO
MRS. HETTIE B. TILGHMAN, Chairman. !
MRS. O. B. BUSH, Secretary
WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR APPEARANCE IS PLEASING
AND THAT YOU CAN
STEP WITH THE BEST
| “AIN’T IT A GRAND
AND GLORIOUS
FEELING?”
Have Me Keep Your Ap
pearance This Way by My
“Where Beauty Scalp and Beauty
Rezgm Suprem” Treatments
TWELVE YEARS’ EXPERIENCE
PROPRIETOR :
Res. Phone Piedmont 4091-W 2327 San Pablo Avenue
Single Copies, 10 cents. Subscription, in Ad'fi%‘fl'
OBEY CRDERS.
The Black Woman, A Brace
To Racial Unity..
~ The thing that is uppermost in
the minds of men, groups of men,
races, and nations, is ‘Unity’.
Men and groups of men are striv
ing for unity to protect them from
unfair principles and unsatisfac
tory conditions. Races are striv
ling for unity because for centu
ries they have been oppressed by
stronger powers. Some of the na
tions are seeking unity because
they are torn asunder internally
with revolution and anarchy.
Other nations, whose govern
ments are politicatty and peace
fully intact are seeking more uni
ty in the shape of league to ofi
set the onslaught of races and
peoples that have oppressed for
centuries.
In this great current of world
discontent floats thgq American
Negro. He, too, has had three
centuries experience in what the
world considers one of the
world’s greatest ‘Democracies’y
more than fifty years of which, he
has been the innocent victim of
gentle arts of ‘trickery’ and ‘de
ceit’ as practiced by Anglo-Sax
on-America. He, too, 1s fast
learning that he can no longer
depend on his friends to fight his
battles; and that, if he would be
free must himself strike the blow.
He is fast learning to know that
in unity there is safety, but dis
sension leads to destruction. |
Quick Service
The various organizations
among colored women through
out the United States have taken
up and are fostering the fight.
Our grand and noble women of
Chicago have set us an example
of which we all should be proud.
They have vowed that bombing,
incindiarism, nor no other kind
of destruction would deter them
from living in their homes, and
that they mntended to live on the
premises they had purchased if
they had to live in tents. As a
resuit not a man has had to aban
don his home on the account of
wife’s not being willing to stick
to him.
I plead to the rank and file of
colored women to be strong,
courageous, and determined. I
PLEAD to the women hearers of
this audience to ENCOURAGE
our men when they arc discoura
ged, help hold up the weary arm
of their efforts, suffer and sacri
fice with them, for there shall be
a sweetness that has dripped from
the bitterness that ano one can
enjoy except those who have tas
ted them. Be a BRACE to our
men in whatever effort they may
see fit to undertake for the bet
terment of our people and their
condition. 1f we would be what
God would have us be, we will be
UP and DOING; we will NOW
begin to shape the destiny of our
posterity.
LEATHER GOODS.
Trunks, Valises and Bags.
808 Broadway, Oakland, Cal.
T CINNRR T
U. B. Food Administration.
Arter de wise ol’ owl spit on de
bait he say, sez ee—"L gwine ter
sprize you all wid a mess er fishes
‘cause you alls mus’ save de meat
en eat sumpin’ else instid en jes git
out dat o'’ game bag en make it
work, too,” sez ee, Den he kotch
a big fish and say, ez ee, “t-hoot—s
t-hoot——t-sub-sti-toot,” sez ee. W'en
he say dat he means dat when you
alls make riz biscuits jes don’t make
‘em—use corn meal ter save wheat
{ flour fey de sojers.
$2.50 Year
W. A. HERMLE & BRO.
—S. V. HOWELL—-
GROCERY STORE
CHOICE AND FRESH
741 Center Street