The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-24
PAID A WAR BRIDE
IN CIGAR COUPONS
New York Man Says Russian
Woman Hid Films for Him I.
For $1,000

during the last few months, returned
yesterday on the New York for "A
weeks stay. Several reasons impelled
him to come back for q few days-one
of the principal ones being the need
Of giving his injured face a chance to
recover, an article in The New York
Times says
Mr.. Thompson was dining in Dix
nude two weeks ago with some Ger
man officers when a shell from a
British warskip fell into the party. lie
escaped with a nicked nose and a face
that was badly cut by flying bits of
shell, but four of the officers We're
killed or mortally wounded.
After a few days in Il German field
hospital he went on to London, where
surgeons told him that he had better
wait a few days before going back to
the battle front, where there would be
danger of injecting the wound. He
decided to improve the interval by
coming home to see his family; for"
as he phrase / it, when | go back on
Saturday I'm going to stay as long as
the war lasts; and that may be one
sheol of q while
In his steancr trunk and handbags
he brought with him some siXty-odd
passes, permits, and official @. Ks,
any number of trophies and souvenirs,
a medal from the Belgian war office,
and q mass Of cheerful recollections
of twenty-six battles of which ne has
been q spectator. When the wal be-
gan he was sent to Paris, and when
the Germans started through Belgium
he managed to get out of Paris in a
train full of American refugees, which
took him DIS far as Amiens.
There he transplanted himself at 2
o'clock i'll the morning to a train of
British ammunition that was going to
tho FRONT hninn hn1nn6 tn find ln6o-
ment among the ammunition cases by
British soldiers who were SO over
whelmed at the honor of being photo
graphed hat they would do anything
for him. When he got off il the gray
Of dawn at the last stop the train
made he had a busy five minutes ex-
planning to British officers, but finally
was allowed to go forward into the
trenches.
Nights Spent In Jail.
"As soon as / got there" ne said
'the Germans began to open up on US
For eighteen hours they pounded Us
with the biggest part of their artillery
and | don't want to see anything hot
ter. You see, without knowing it II
walked right into the battle of Mons
Well, after a couple Of days [ saw tina
the Germans were concentrating mos
OF their fire on the British army, 81
l moved over to visit the French
while. / hadn't been with the French
very long. though, before | ran int
a Lieutenant who q arrested me il
Paris. That was nothing out Of tn,
way for me, for l "a arrested eigh
times while l was there, and spen
nearly every night in Jail; but this fel
low remembered me and said To hav
TO be shipped back to Amiens."
At Amiens Mr.. Thompson was trans
fefred to a train bound for England
with a polite intimation hat he Nigh
find that country more healthy thu
France. The train was w an
he presently found it more comfOT
table to get a seat in the compartment
which nae been reserved for q Rus
STA oma Who she was he did nc
know, but she "a treated with tn
greatest consideration and receive
ceremonial visits from officers at ever
stop. Just outside of Boulognc tn
train was halted, while a search wa
made of all alien passengers, md NJ
Thompson, realizing that the official
would undoubtedly confiscate h
films, begged the woman, who he fe
sure would be immune, to hide thei
IN her person.
Princess-he was sure by that tim
that she must be a Princess-demant
ed 1000 anc as the price of adm
him. Mr.. Thompson paid her all tf
French money he had, about 25
francs, and then asked if America
bank notes would do for the rest. ST
assented, and ne took out a form
dable roll of greenbacks and handle
her a sum which was quite satisfa'
tory.
h hid his films just in time, Fl
he was seized by the soldiers, tumble
out on the station platform at Bo'
iogne, and stripped in full view
several hundred persons, who we,
convinced hat he was a German 81
and pressed as closely around as tn,
could to look for the clover hoof. {
was released. however, and was a
lowed to proceed to England on Il
same boat with the Russian Prince:
from whom he recovered his films
the earliest possible opportunity.
Believe me-" he declared yeSte
day, 81 wanted to get them back b
fore h tried to cash those cigaret
coupons"
Mr.. Thompson went from LUnd
to Antwerp, n then on to the
sian field army. He was at the fro
uith mother American correspOnde