Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-29
and private schools.

/
! The Hague, Oct. 2S.--Not since 1855
has the decoration known as Pour
lie Merit" been given lieutenant in
the German army. For this reason
the bestowal OF this order upon Lieu
tenant Otto Won der Line serving in
the 9Th guard regiment, is Of interest
He was awarded this very high and
coveted distinction because on Aug
ust "a with four men he took Fort
Malonne at Namur before 1t had been
subjected to artillery fire
| How Lieutenant Won der Line &C.
complished this has been described to
him in letter to his parents:
J 81 was ordered to advance against
the fort with 500 men. our course ly'
ing across an open field without COW
err" he said. Everywhere loopholes
stared at us, and l expected that if
We were not annihilated from them
the many mines about the fort would
take care of US. Many officers had
volunteered for the task Of attacking
the fort. but l was picked out to do
| it.
ARRIVING near the fort I took four
of my men and approached in goose
march. picking our way carefully
through the field of mines. The draw
| bridge was up, and the broad moat
filled with water made it impossible
for us to get into the fort
Eve soon saw the commandant. and
I shouted to him that I had whole
regiment of artillery in a nearby FOR.
est and that the bombardment would
commence within minute in case
he did not surrender After that the
commandant ordered the drawbridge
!! down and we entered.
81 then ordered the garrison of the
fort before me. Every man was
searched and disarmed. All arms had
to be left in the fort, ordered. All
this was done with my four men
ready to shoot. We took five officers
and twenty men prisoners, while an.
other 400 had already taken to their
heels. as I learned afterwards.
"T"his done I ordered my detach,
ment to come to the fort. You should
have seen the faces of the officers and
men when they saw my force. Then
the Belgian flag was hauled down, and
one of my men made German flag
from Belgian pair of black pants,
white shirt. and red French sash.
This We hoisted. Meanwhile we had
inspected the wine cellar and so were
able to celebrate our victory with
few bottles of champagne. The corks
po-red wonderfully.
"The fort had not been bombarded
and , ne1d it until was relieved for
other work. We took four heavy FL
small calibre pieces. about 100 rifles
and revolvers. 500 hand grenades and
several thousand rounds of rifle am
munition.'
Berlin, Oct 2S.-1mmedlately after
the revival Of the Iron Cross at the
beginning of the war not less than
$50. 900 of these decorations We're or
dered, and about 100000 of them have
already been conferred. A Berlin
| firm. which makes specially OF
manufacturing orders. keeps twenty
men employed all the time making
these crosses. They are made OF cast
iron, laconered in black and bordered
with silver; the first class, in addition
to this has the reverse side OF silver.
The Iron Cross was instituted in 1913.
during the Napoleonic wars, by Fred
erick William III. as reward for
bravery in the field. 1t is conferred
on officers and pl>vates alike and is,
in fact. the most democratic OF all
the Prussian orders.
Lisbon. Portugal. Oct. 2s.-Portugal
! is excited at the possibility of taking
part in the war as an ally OF Great
Britain, under the treaty which re-
auires this course, if asked. to supply
a contingent of at least 10000 troops.
The Portuguese army is equipped
with new Schneider Oannet artillery.
which, it is said. Great Britain will be
glad to have The government, anti
cipating winter campaign, has or
dered $4,000 thick uniforms and is
buying great number Of mules.
independence day. October 5, was
not observed with the usual festiv1'
| ties, but the money that would have
been spent on fireworks and public
shows was contributed to the British
and Belgian sufferers from the war
Addresses of sympathy were present.
ed to the Belgian and British minis
tiers by a committee at the head OF a
procession of $4,000 people.