The Daily Advertiser reported on October 1, 1914, that the Emden had captured five merchant ships.

“The Admiralty announces that the German cruiser Emden has during the last few days captured or sunk in the Indian Ocean five British steamers, namely the Lumerie, the King Lud, the Ribera, the Foyle and the Ruresk. The crews of all these vessels were transferred to the steamer Drysdale, which landed them at Colombo on Monday morning.”

In a separate story in the same edition, rumours of the Emden's capture were quashed.

“The Minister for Defence, Senator Pearce, stated last night that no news as to the reported capture of the Emden had reached him. If the Emden had been captured, as alleged, he thinks he would have been informed.”

In local war news, the Advertiser reported on October 2 that 200 tonnes of chaff had been consigned from Wagga pursuant to arrangements between the Defence Department and the Wagga District Council of the Farmers and Settlers Association for use by the expeditionary force horses near Sydney.

The Wagga Patriotic Fund reached £1623 pounds, while the Riverine Club has promised another £200 pounds.

The Kaiser's Son. | DEAD, OR A PRISONER? | CONFLICTING REPORTS IN CIRCULATION. | LONDON, Friday - Conflicting reports are in circulation concerning Prince Adalbert, the Kaiser's third son. He is variously reported as dead and as taken prisoner.

The "Morning Post" says that attention has been directed to a German prisoner at Antwerp, who appears in the uniform of a non-commissioned officer, and to whom his fellow prisoners pay extraordinary deference. His capture coincided with the German request to Belgium for an exchange of prisoners who were officers or non-commissioned officers.

In East Prussia. | GERMANS SEIZED WITH PANIC. | INVADERS' EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOUR. | A DISPLAY OF COWARDICE. | ROTTERDAM, Thursday - Herr Von Sachs, mayor of Insterburg, in an article in the Berlin “Der Tag,” says that when the German troops withdrew from Gumbinnen, the citizens were transformed into senseless cowards. 

They fled in dismay, crowding the railway stations and hampering the soldiers.

They clung to carriages and many scoundrels pushed women and children over the rails.

“The people dreaded meeting the Cossacks,” he says, “but the invaders did not remind me of the cruel Mongols represented by Germany.

“Except for wild shouting they behaved themselves throughout in an exemplary and irreproachable manner towards inhabitants, totally ignoring the protective acts of some youths.

“There was not a single instance of lack of respect to women.”

GERMANS REPULSED | RUSSIANS IN STRONG POSITIONS. A COUNTER-ATTACK PREPARING | PETROGRAD, Thursday -  It is reported on reliable authority that the Russians now hold a formidable position along the river Niemen in the north of East Prussia, from Grodno to Kogno, where they are prepared to attack the Germans.

The latter are concentrating in East Prussia, where a furious battle has been raging for 48 hours, the Russians repulsing repeated attacks.

FURIOUS ATTACKS REPULSED. | PACE TOO HOT TO LAST. | LONDON, Thursday - Wounded troops from the front speak of the extraordinary violence of the German attacks during the last few days.

An infantry sergeant says: “I’ve seen the enemy attack six times in the same night, only to be repulsed with heavy losses, but they return again to the charge.

“It is impossible for the Germans, even with fresh troops, to maintain the fury of their attacks.”

TOURNAI 'FIRED'. | HALF THE CITY IN FLAMES. | ROTTERDAM, Thursday - News has been recieved that the Germans set fire to part of Tournai and demanded a fine of two million francs (£80,000). They have taken several notables as hostages.

THE CALL TO ARMS. | BOERS' ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE | CAPETOWN, Friday - General Botha’s call to arms is meeting with a tremendous response.

Whole commandos who served under him in the Boer war are volunteering.