The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-09-17
FRESH LITTLE man FROM KANSAS IS ONLY
WAR CAMERA MAN AT FRONT IN EUROPE
Bullets and Exploding Shells BRIGHTEN Him Not-Talks His
Way Out OF Scrapes-Buys Aid OF kobIeWoman With
Cigar Coupons-Cheers Either Side In Pinch.

GHlEElHNM8NsAEE sWM@ N8@fEA&SH
E. Alexander Powell, special we
correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.
has discovered the person fated to be-
come the dean of war photographers"
He is an American, and a Kansan, ana
was first encountered by. Powell in the
American consulate at Ostend.
The dean, who is a small man. wore
a British officers breeches, French
puttees, and a Seaforth Highlander's
helmet. The camera he carried was
the size of a parlor monograph.
HE announced that his name was
Donald G. Thompson, photographer
from Topeka, KAN" writes Powell.
tographers but Thompson is the only
one ] haye come across who has seen
war and actually photographed 1T.
mo one but an American could nave
accomplished what he has done and no
American but a Kansan
'"The little mar Is built like Harry
Lauder. He is r as nails, tough as
rawhide, and his face Is tanned to The
color of a well smoked meerschaum.
His face is perpetually wreathed In
what he calls his 'sunflower SMILE
Arrives on Tramp Steamer.
Thompson reached Europe on a
tramp steamer with an ~overcoat, a
toothbrush, two clean handkerchiefs,
and three Of the largest sized cameras
made. He expected to have some OF
fharn ~ nchn @ ha ny nynlninadA r ca A ne
hro,,ah4 49, thraa as . naattar of nra-
ca,,tinn "o
s ~ ,snr q ITO ~ M ono can
nossiL1y ann,,sa re nf bainp q snv he
said.
~ ssnort = eartieioata of ,,aYnharshin
IN ne I,,il. ana 3 IIattar frnn, Sam
Hughes, Canadian minister of militia,
authorizing him to take pictures of the
Canadian troops. These and his UNI
mr. nfhar ci,,i1ian has hean
n..a..aI Mi. r;.a
made nlne attempts 70
gel from Farls TO the lrone; was ~.
f IS nrtsa a,ie 1Inns avg nl spe mas a1th aI,a ans has
fore a military tribunal.
"IJtterlv ignoring subordinate Off
GERS he would demand TO see the Off
Ger commanding. He would grasp the
%estonished offieial Nv the hand and
nearly wiring r. off. meanwhile tnuufr-
ing solicitonsly after the generals
health and that of his family.
chow many languages do you
sneak? I asked.
"1Thraa, said he. FIR gl Ameri-
can. and Kansan,
"On one occasion he Communicated
q MOTORCYCLE ndin outside a cafe
and rode it until the gasoline gave out.
on another occasion he explained to a
French officer. who arrested him. that
he was in search of his wife and daugh-
ter. who were diving somewhere on the
Belgian frontier.
taThe OFFICER was so affected nv the
pathos of the story that he wept on
Thompson's neck and sent him forward
in a Red Cross automobile.
he was stopped by patrols he would
flourish his letter from the
minister of militia and say he was try
ing to oyertake the Canadian troops.
"'yiva Canada the French would
shout. .Hurrah for our brave allies
and permit him to proceed. He did not
think 1T necessary to inform them that
the nearest Canadian troops were at
(name or the place censored).
Threatened With Death.
"when he was within the sound of
the German guns he was arrested for
the ninth time. tried by a military
tribunal and told he would he shot if
he were not out Of France in "a hours,
He was sent back to Paris In a motor
enarded Nv two gendarmes WIN ac-
him buy a ticket to London He
dropped off the train. however al
Amiens.
HShortly after fdnigh a train OF flat
cars loaded with wounded. nIlIed into
the station Thnrnnson cIirnbed On tho
ton OF an American refuge train stand
ing on the neyt track and made a fash-
light picture. A panic ensued in the
station. as every one thought a Cor
man ho,nh had exnloded
homps was pulled down and
roughly handled, but the British sold
iers fnterferred and said he belonped RI
their regiment. SO he was released
"Shorfiv afterwards a train 1oadaa
with artillery being rushed to the front
nuIIed into the station Thomnson
crawled under the tarpulin coverinp Of
a field gun and fell asleep. When he
awoke next morning he was at Mons.
Goes Into Trenches,
"a regiment of Highlanders uas
nassjnp He borrowed a helmet ana feIi
In VIII them He marched fo,,r bo1,rs
under q scorching SIM and then ,uen1
INTO the trenches with tho soldiers
A tbro11gh that terribie dow
Thononeon n,ied bis trado as ~ .oId
tore ala thairs Man yrara sbo+ 49, ~,
either side of him The Pr;t;sh |,ara
CO bar5 nraesa1 he vac ~d;sraeardaS 20
he dasbad foru,a "a ana low 49, %
rediataIv IN tho raar or TIC Er,+ish
g1,ns He sold that The carn,an e.
1ya. ondarfnu,r aoo,,ro+o go n,I