27 July. 
Crev? goes ashore 
on Chari es Island 
Early morning 11th day out 
THE BARONESS 
The Houston anchored at Post Office Bay, Charles Island. A shore 
party of some 100 officers and men were on deck ready to leave the 
ship. In keeping with the custom of all vessels visiting here supplies were 
landed for the families ashore. Charles Island is the setting for a story 
written by every newspaper in the land. 
About 1928 a German Dentist, Ritter, fled to Charles Island with his 
Secretary, Dore Koerwin, to establish an earthly paradise. Why they 
were attracted to this bleak, uninhabited spot with its limited water 
supply of four small springs is unknown. Shortly after arrival they dis- 
covered that their’s was no garden of Eden. The life of ease and comfort 
which they had contemplated was precluded by unremitting toil neces- 
sary to eke out a bare existance. 
The Baroness 
and her two lowers, 
Phillipson and Lorenz 
— 52 — 
■ 
Frau Wittmer 
with ker tctfo sons 
27 July. 
Home of tke Wittmers 
However the discord did not end here. This self proclaimed Empress, 
clad in a brassiere and silk shorts, with a pistol swung from her doughty 
hips, drove away all newcomers. She shot at some, threatened others and 
only tolerated parties stronger than her own. 
Finally it all came to a tragic and inevitable end. One day the Witt- 
mers found Lorenz distracted and wild eyed. He explained that the 
Baroness and Phillipson had left on an American yacht. To this day 
nothing has been heard nor has anyone seen either the Baroness or 
Phillipson, their fate being a matter of conjecture. 
— 53 — 
Three years after the arrival of the Ritters, the Wittmers appeared 
and set up housekeeping. Though resentful, the two families managed by 
adopting a policy of “Live and let live” to get along fairly well. The ad- 
vent of the Baroness accompanied by Alfred Lorenz and Robert Phillipson 
shattered the normal tranquil life of the inhabitants. The two men fought 
to gain her favors, the fights finally ended with Phillipson the victor. 
Lorenz, beaten by both the larger man and the Baroness, was forced to 
wait on the*n like a serf. 
I 
