[Special Cable to THE NEW YORK TIMES.]
LONDON, Dec. 7.--The story of how Baroness Hans Heinrich von Wolf, who
was Miss Humphreys, well known in New York society, smuggled her husband
into Germany after the beginning of the war past a British cruiser and
two sets of British shipping inspectors so that he could fight for the
Fatherland is revealed in news received here giving details as to the
bestowal upon the Baron of the Iron Cross of the First Class.
Baron von Wolf and his wife, who is the daughter of a wealthy patent
medicine manufacturer and whose stepfather is Consul General St. John
Gaffney, at Munich, were on their plantation in German Southwest Africa,
when the Kaiser ordered the mobilization. Being a reserve officer, the
Baron started homeward on board a German steamship on July 29, and,
fortunately for him, the Baroness accompanied him.
On receipt of wireless information that war had been declared, their
ship promptly put into Rio Janeiro toward the middle of August, and it
was two weeks later before the Wolfs found a neutral vessel headed for
Holland.
In South American waters they were halted by a British cruiser, but
although there were many German reservists among the passengers, the
cruiser was so full of Germans already that she could not carry any
more, so they were permitted to proceed.
Baron von Wolf left the ship "officially" at Vigo, Spain, his wife
waving a tearful farewell to his imaginary figure on the tender. He was
really secreted, through the connivance of a generously bribed steward,
in a tiny closet, where he remained for twenty-four hours. Finally he
was spirited into his wife's state-room, and during the rest of the
voyage spent most of his time lying under her berth. All his meals,
drinks, and cigarettes were brought in by the steward, who was in the
plot, and, as the Baroness remarked laughingly to friends afterward, "I
gained a frightful reputation as a heavy drinker and smoker, and one
Mrs. Grundy even spread the scandalous report that I had a man in my
room."
British warships compelled the Dutch vessel to enter Falmouth, where the
authorities searched her for contraband and reservists. Knowing that the
Baroness was a German officer's wife, naval officials called upon her
several times in the course of the two weeks during which the ship was
forced to remain at Falmouth, but each time they found her either doing
up her hair, whereupon they retreated hastily with apologies for the
intrusion, or lying in her bunk, feigning illness. The ship manifest, of
course, showed that Capt. von Wolf had disembarked at Vigo, and the
Captain of the vessel, ignorant of the truth, swore that he had seen
Capt. von Wolf on board the tender, waving to his wife on deck.
There was a further search at Dover, but von Wolf's hiding place was
never discovered.
The Kaiser awarded the Iron Cross to von Wolf for capturing seven
English soldiers single-handed near Ypres and for carrying dispatches in
an automobile under a fire so hot that his chauffeur and two officers in
a car following were killed.
As far as his neutrality will permit, Consul General Gaffney, in whose
Munich residence the Baroness is living during the war, has indicated to
friends his delight over the valor of his stepson-in-law.