The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-10-05
STUMBLED ONTO
THE BATTLE FRONT
Marooned In Little Town and
Cannot Move.
by VIM. G. Shepherd, United Press
Staff Correspondent

Staff Correspondent
ON THE BATTLEFIELD, NEAR
SCISSORS. Sept. 19.-(By courier to
Paris and by mail to New York For
Eve days we-Jimmy Hare, master
photographer and myself-have sat
in this little town waiting. We are at
the battle front, because we stumbled
onto it. l did not know that I was
at the front until informed by q
French officer.
We'll go back" we explained, 1--WE
don't want to go to the front"
"But you are at the front now"
the official explained. you can't go
back now. You will have to stay
changed"
And here we must stay, pledged
not to reveal the name Of the town or
any details OF the fighting. Day aft
er day, hour after hour. automobiles
Of all sorts have been passing the lit
tie house where live, enroute to one
quarter Of the battlefield or another.
They carry soldiers to the front and
bring back dead and wounded. They
transport supplies, food and ammu-
milton. And above all this noise and
distraction the pitiless, persistent
roar of cannon continues, always
without intermission.
When the facts are known about
this battle" said an officer to me, ut
will 60 down in history as the most
terrific and costly artillery duel that
r hot
The scenes about here almost defy
description. A priest just led four
men, caught pilfering from dead sol
diers on the battlefield, to the places
where they are to be shot. A huge
German, magnificent specimen Of
manhood, who came into the French
lines as a spy because his officers
were desperately In need Of informa-
ton as to the position Of French
troops, has just been arrested. How
he ever expected to get information
back to his chiefs / cannot imagine.
AS I looked at him, realized how
much more brave spy must be than
an ordinary soldier. think he must
have resigned himself to a spy's
death before he left the German lines
because when he was held up at a
street corner, he looked over the
heads of his captors as II he were
only an onlooker.
Hell cuddle up at the foot Of a
stone wall pretty soon," said q SOL
der.
1 suppose he did.
The little boys of the town fight
battles themselves using chestnuts az
ammunition. They throw the big
nuts with all Of their strength, and
have seen them throw stones in their
excitement. One little fellow fought
with his scalp laid open. The war
game has hypnotized them. Their
idols are the black Sengalese troops.
They know that the Sengalese would
rather die in battle than in bed be-
cause he believes that the best cor
ner of heaven is saved for the men
who are killed in action. The French
agree with the boys in their
liking.
II wish that / could believe about
heaven as they do" one said to me. |
stumbling onto the front is really |
no fun. It makes everyone angry, al
though you see nothing. But the Off |
GERS tell you that you are going to
run away and tell the Germans what
you have seen. I don't know any !
Germans at all over here. The Off |
GERS told me there was q military |
movement and / saw troops moving. !
But II did get hold Of German !
who would listen to me all I could |
tell him would be that 1 had seen |
some soldiers and I'm sure that the |
Germans know by this time that |
there is such thing as French and
English soldiers.