Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-24

been open all of the way from Manila.
and we had planned to make our escape
il we got near enough to land, Well, we
waited until about $50 at night; then
one of the boys stood up in the doorway
10 see IL the coast was clear. He made
n careful survey and whispered back to
the gang that all was well.
"Then we ventured out one by one and
dropped below. The moon was shining
brightly, and the harbor was filed with
those little Japanese boats that ply about
steamers and carry sailors ashore, usu-
ally the sailors who have no leave of alb
sence.
at was our intention at first to swim
ashore and two out of the Is prisoners
did reach land that way, But the first
fellow to jump into the water came to
grief He got the notion in his head that
he could swim more easily if he tied his
trousers around his feet instead of wear
ing them. He started off nll right at first,
and then we Sdid not see him again for
fully five minutes.
SIN the meantime the rest of us had
dropped into little boat rowed by a
japanese sailor and made off Every
minute we expected shrieking bullets to
pierce us. We discovered the fellow with,
the trousers about his feet floating along
and pulled him into the boat, half dead
with cold and fright. Then our boatman
refused to proceed until we had 'anteed
up.' Finally we took up collection of
80 cents.
I'VE kept our eyes riveted ou the trans
port, but could detect no signs of unu-
sual commotion. Then our boatman called
for another ante. We were desperate.
Three of us HAD been sentenced TO death.
and several of the boys had long terms.
Having no desire to return to the ship,
we scrapcd together some more dough
and gave it to the Jap. We hadn't gone
20 yards farther before he made another
| demand. You can imag gine that we didn't
| refuse. / think 10 he had requested each
| of us to donate our clothes piecemeal we
would have done so. Twenty yards far
ther he stopped again, and then our pock-
| cts were empty. There wasn't cent
In the whole party of seven; the Jap had
| 1t all.
Gle finally got us ashore and we min
gled with the crowds without attracting
| attention.
I'VE found japanese guido who could
speak little English and he started
| with US TO the outskirts of the town,
which leads toward Mogi One OF the
boys bribed him to take us by giving him
knife.
81 had lost my hat and had traded my
knife for japanese straw sombrero.
We did not rest easily until Nagasalii
was out of sight
"The boys of our party scattered in the
city. Two of them struck out north, and
the rest of us went west over the noun
tains TO Mogi. The prisoners in the other
boats we did not see again.
"Tte mountains We're. covered with
inow, and we had no underciothes on,
only those thin khaki suits. We had
been for over a year in the tropical eli
mate and were nearly frozen to death.
"rhe fellow whose clothes were wet
was in dreadful plight. We kept him
running. In fact, all felt moro com
Portable in sprinting for more reasons
than one. On we Went like March harcs
with nothing TO cnt and not enough tc
wear. AT last we came to u hotel, One
of the boys had in his possession two de
posit slips that the paymnster gives wher
you deposit money with him. The land
lord kept us at the hotel four days ON thu
credit OF these slips.
II registered under French name anC
gave Iny residence MS Shanghai, Thi
hotel was quite a noted resort, Priuc
Henry Of Prussia had been there nn'