The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-09-16

When the British retired before the
German onset he remained in the
trenches so as to get pictures OF the
charging Germans at close quarters,
He snapped pictures until the Ger
man were within a hundred yards OF
the abandoned trenches and then ran
for life. He said the storm Of bullets
was so thick he was afraid the Kansas
undertaken would never get the job OF
burying him. He says the British be-
haved with the greatest gallantry and
retired in perfect order, but they
would have been wiped out If they had
remained.
Fed by French.
That night he bivouacked with q
French line regiment, the men giving
him food and a blanket. The next
morning he was arrested for the tenth
time and taken before the general
commanding the division and stripped
and searched and sent to Amiens un'
der guard with orders to leave instant
ly for England.
At the train for Boulogne was pull
ing out, packed to the doors with refu'
gees, he noticed a frst-class compart-
ment marked reserved" and occu'
pied only by a young woman.
The train was moving, but Thomp'
son took a running jump and dived
through an open window into the lap
Of the astonished woman. She was
considerably startled until he ex'
planned he was an American.
The woman, who was young and
good looking, proved to be a Russian
Of high family leaving Paris for St
Petersburg.
The government had given her the
compartment, but she had lost her
maid and all her money. Thompson
told her the Scotland Yard detectives
would search him when the train
reached Boulogne, and asked her ii
she would conceal his films on her
person.
Paid In Cigar Coupons.
She consented, but asked for the
danger she was mourning to be paid
5000. He had only $50, so he paid her
the balance in cigar coupons, which
he explained was American war cur
rency. She seemed quite satisfied
Thompson said he paid her almost
enough coupons to get a briar pipe.
At B~oulogne, he was arrested
stripped, and searched, but nothing
was found. He was permitted to con
tinue to London, where he went to the
countess hotel and recovered his neg
atives. An hour later he was on the
way to the continent again.
He landed at Ostend and managed
to get a train as far as Malines. Their
he started to walk rs miles to Brus
sells, carrying a huge camera, and over
coat, field glasses, a revolver and 3OC
films.
When he was ten miles from the
highway a dozen uhlans suddenly
spurred out from a wood and covered
him with their pistols. He pulled an
American flag out Of his pocket and
shouted "Hoch der Kaiser" and "Aui
Weidersehen," which was all the Ger
man he knew.
Upon being examined by the Ger
man officers he explained that his "a
madam credentials were merely a bill Z
to get through the lines Of the allies
and that he really represented a syn
dictate of German newspapers In Mil
waukee, w%hereupon he was released
and sent into Brussels IN a motor car.
Taken as Spy.
Next day a German officer saw him
chatting with an English girl In front
of a cafe,and ordered his arrest as a
SPY. Thompson said: "All right, I'm
used to being arrested, but just wait
until l get your picture"
The officer was so furious ne
smashed the camera with his sword.
The Germans destroyed fall the films
and ordered him to leave the city in al
hour or be shot. He left and walked
80 miles from Brussels to Ostend,
where l met him in the consulate. He
said he had been there over night, was
tired of the quiet life and wanted to
see some excitement. So I brought
him with me in our car to Antwerp.
The last I saw Of him he was wiring
ing the hand of the chief OF the gen
eral staff and asking permission to
take pictures from a Belgian aero
plane. They might as we'll give him
permission, because he will do it any
way.