The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-10-30

i&NAIAIEtSEAs ELtSS&as tA' I@SA~AtNi+o
moved OUT III town. crossed the bridge
over the River Dyle and marched
about eight hundred yards down the
river, where they hastily took a posi-
ton.
Hides on a Prison Porch.
l saw several fires started BY Bel
gian shells aud ! passed the famous
cathedral of st. Rom5old, which had
been badly damaged. We crossed sew
eral briG ges. the Beleians firing on US
at right angles from down the river.
On the bridge the Germans advanced
as fast as they could run, making US
keep ahead Of them. On the last
bridge | crossed | found myself alone
with a German officer. He Inspected
my flag. heard my story and told me
to take refuge in the porch OF the
prison, which stood close by, and wait
until the general came up.
Whole columns kept on coming, all
crossing the bridge at a run III groups
of %. After them came light naval
guns drawn by marines. The general
staff followed soon after and also took
shelter behind the prison. Apparent
ly, the Belgian artillery had been
warned Of this fact, for their shells be
gan to burst near the prison.
Several wounded soldiers were
brought into the office and | marveled
at their f%ortitude.
| also was surprised to see the Ger
man officers expose themselves With
absolute disregard of their lives. Dur
ing all the street fighting they were al
ways among their men. commanding
them to take shelter near the walls or
behind projecting corners. | saw the
soldiers doing this while the officers
themselves were walking right in the
middle of the road. The officer with
whom crossed the last bridge chat
ted with me. utterly Indifferent to the
fact that bullets were flying about us
and fattening themselves against the
iron work Of the bridge.
Given Staff Officer Guard.
interviewed Admiral Won Schroe-
der. commanding the marine division.
He was a hearty old sea dog, smoking
a short German pipe and dressed like
a yachtsman. He told me that | might
return to Antwerp and tell the Bel,
CLANS there that he would be with
them in a couple of weeks.
You also may wire London said
the admiral. that | will be there in a
couple of months As | had had
enough of marching toward Antwerp
at the head of an attacking column,
begged the admiral to let me go tt
Brussels.
Granted" said the admiral. NO
only this, but two staff officers vii
take you in their motor car"
They did so, treating me with thu
: greatest cordiality. The country pre-
sented a shocking aspect. Every vii
. lage church and farm building had
been burned to the ground, all goinG
down before the tide of fire. The fields
were desolate and the inhabitants hac
fed. As We passed a village calico
Hopstade / saw four 46-centimetel
: 1S.1-inchl guns being put into posi-
: ton. knew then that Antwerp as &
fortress was doomed.
? Charged with Being Spy.
: On my arrival in Brussels the Ger
: mans consideration for me came tx
. an end abruptly for the time being.
i was sent to the war office building
? the upper rooms in which had beer
converted into a prison. Here ! wa:
), brought before a judge and subjected
to a drastic search and c~ross-eXamina
: ton. The detectives found some goot
: war maps, with penciled indications O
the position of the German artillery
notes | had taken for myself, and alst
t a amer with undeveloped films o
l. military pictures that | had taken il
the course of my journeyings within
n both the German and the Belgian
q lines.
Z On this evidence ! was charged
with being a spy, in spite of the abun
q Ian proof of my position as a CORE
spondent. The judge bluntly told m
g that | might be shot the next morn
0 ing. and this suggestion was prompt.
q made to the commanding general, VIII
8 summoned me to appear before him
Again | stated my case. Unlike tn
y Judge, the general seemed more anS
e ious to do justice than to shoot a.
legged spies.
Held Until Antwerp Falls.
# "You nave important information
Y about our dispositions before Ami
if werp.' said he. This information
If you gained by passing through forbic
e den territory. and | see that you note
down the position of u heavy al
o tillery. You must remain unde
s. guard here until Antwerp is in GU
y hands. then you may 60 free"
d cannot say 10Y | Tejoiced whe
o the day Of my release dawned no
h how s%orrowful l felt for my fellow
e prisoners | left behind. AS soon a
Antwerp fell the Germans set abou
u repairing the roads between that cit
Of and Brussels.
the Frenchman he was an Englis