The Teutons aimed to strike terror into the hearts
of men and women. They only succeeded in arousing a righteous anger that
ultimately destroyed the Imperial government.
Another instance equally flagrant of the utter callousness of the men
who at that time ruled Germany, was the murder of Captain Fryatt, a
gallant British seaman, who had dared to attack the pirates of the
under-seas.
Captain Charles Fryatt was the master of the steamship Brussels, a
merchant vessel owned by the Great Eastern Railway. It was captured by
the Germans on June 23, 1916. Captain Fryatt was taken to Zeebrugge. A
court-martial went through the motions of a trial at Bruges on July
27th. The charge against Captain Fryatt was that of attempting to ram
the German submarine U-33.
Mute testimony against Captain Fryatt was a gold watch found upon his
person. This carried an inscription testifying that the watch had been
presented by the mayor and people of Harwich in recognition of the
Captain's bravery in attempting to ram a submarine, and his successful
escape when the U-boat called upon him to surrender.
The prisoners who were captured with Captain Fryatt were sent to the
prison camp at Ruhlaben, but Captain Fryatt was condemned to death as a
"franc-tireur." The news of the murder was sent to the world through a
German communique dated July 28th.
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