The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-12-09
DARLINGTON MEN SUSPECTED
AS SPIES.
George II. Edwards, Jr., and j. IIar.
vcy Rogers Have Exciting Expert
cncc I'm Germany.

Jr.. and ]. Harvey Rogers in Ger
many has been prepared by the form
er. at our request:
Editor News and Press:
In response to your request / am
which j. Harvey Rogers and / had in
Germany at the beginning of the war.
Almost as soon as VIC landed in
Bremen on July 2Sth. we began to
hear some talk of war. We were cx-
pecting to ride through Germany and
to Geneva on bicycles. Probably the
German language wasn't copious
enough to convey to our minds the Sc
riousness of the situation. Anyhow
we set out on our trip OH Friday, the
31st and rode to Verdun. about twen-
ty-two miles away. where we put up
at the little hotel for the night
About eight next morning 1 heard
a knock OIL my door, and when 1 open
cd 1t i was confronted by a military
officer and two civic officials who de-
manded an explanation of my pres
ence there. For war had been de-
clared. showed them my passport
which satisfied them entirely. Then
they examined Rogers In the same
way, and advised us that we would
have trouble going with wheels at
that time. However,, the bicycle trip
was proving so worth while that we
decided to go ahead and trust to our
American passports for protection.
At the end of the day, Saturday,
August l. we came to the little town
Of Neustadt. some thirty-odd miles
farther on. where VIC intended to rest
Sunday. for We were rather tired from
our trip. When We reached the out
skirts Of the village, we were halted
at little bridge by gruff old Ger
man with tremendous walking
stick. who was waiting to nab US.
Evidently some one had wired ahead
to warn them of our approach; and
no doubt two strangers riding through
the country with big kodak looked
somewhat suspicious.
We showed the man our pass
ports, but that didn't satisfy him.
He seemed somewhat excited and
hustled us rather unceremoniously
into little inn nearby. Several Of
flcers came In Immediately and we
we're shut UP with them and our be-
longsngs in "a little room. Each of us
had small pack on our wheels, and
these they began to search. In his in
quisitiveness and zeal the gruff gen.
tleman went into my kodak and open
cd up my films to the light, so that
the pictures we'd taken along the
way were ruined. However they
realized they were making no pro-
gress, as we spoke practically no Ger
man. and they no English. So they
mar hailed us out again almost before
VIC could stuff our belongings into a
pack. and led us. rolling our wheels.
to the police station, or lookup,
which seemed to be a combination Of
all the forces Of justice and order.
AS we walked through the street,
each guarded by two or three officers,
a large crowd began to gather. In
three minutes every child in Neustadt
and lots Of the women (the men had
begun to mobilize) were at our heels
crowding and pushing to get look
at us. The whole street was blocked
with whe cls-some twenty or thirty i'm
the procession; and / have no doubt
thero were n hundred and fifty chill
drcn following us. 1t was very anus
ing to see some little fellow with
great blue eyes elbow his way through
the bunch to get a peep at these two
strangers and to make a face or do
some little thing to attract their at
tcntion.
| or course, We understood that we
were suspected as spies: but. having
our passports. we felt absolutely safe.
and rather enjoyed the experience.
So we took 1t as joke and laughed
about 1t. which offended the grull
gentleman's dignity, SO that he was
quite ready to hang us.
They took us up into this police
building. and into court room, where
they locked the crowd out and us in
We were then brought before a judge
"a venerable. white-haired gentleman
who was very courteous to US. IL.
could not speak English, but thcy
soon secured a man who could speak
1t after a fashion. One OF his at
tempts, however. was amusing. II,
asked us: For what did YOU come
obcr here when you knew there was
! going To bc a war;"