The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1914-09-10
uttis Kansas Ptetographer 10
Arestsd Eleven Times, but
keeps ea "Snappino."
FOOLS FRENCH AND GERMANS
0oAo0 eiesseeo la veeaehes 0Uese0
oUslses ealila0 YhIek-Asr-
vesoUs AdveNtvees o. 0oa-
aed e. ThompeoR.
0y Z. ALEXANDER POWELL.

oy Z. ALEXANDER POWELL.
Antvsrp.-A little man wearing an
American army shirt. . pair Of Britith
omcef's breeches. French putteeG. and
. Seaforth Highlander's helmet. and
carrying . camera the size of parlor
phonograph blew into the American
consulate in Ostend.
He announced that his name was
Donald C. Thompson. photographer,
from Topeka, Kan. Europe IL chocka-
block with var photographer. but
Thompson 10 the only one have come
ACROSS who has seen war and actually
photographed 1t.
No one but an American could have
accomplished what he has done and
no American but . Kansan.
The little man IL built like Harry
Lauder. He IL hard ~ nails. tough a.
rawhide. and his face IL tanned to the
color OF Q well-smoked meerschaun.
His face is perpetually wreathed in
what he calls his 'sunlower smile"
Arrived on Tramp Steamer.
Thompson reached Europe C. Q
tramp steamer with an overcoat. .
toothbrush. two clean handkerchiefs.
and three Of the largest sized cameras
made. He expected to have some OF
them smashed. he explained, SO he
brought along three a. . matter Of
precaution.
His papers consist of an American
passport, certificate of membership
q kA k~
Hughes, Canadian minister Of militia,
authorizing him to take pictures Of the
Canadian troops. These and his un-
mitigated nerve have taken him where
NO other civilian has been.
Arrested Nine Tlmss.
Thompson made nine attempts 70
get from Paris to the front. was ar
rested nine times. and spent nine
nights in prison. Each time he was
taken before = military tribunal.
Utterly ignoring subordinate omcers.
he would demand to see the oficer
commanding. He would grasp the A.
tonished oficial by the hand and near
ly wiring 1t Oh, meanwhile inauirinS
solicitously after the generalia- health
and that Of his family.
How many languages do you
speak?" asked.
Three" said he. English. Amerl-
can and Kansas"
On one occasion he commandeered
a motorcycle standing outside . cafe
and rode 1t until the gasoline gave out.
On another occasion he explained to q
French omcer who arrested him that
he was In search Of his wife and
daughter. who were dying somewhere
on the Belgian frontier. The officer
was 30 affected by the pathos Of the
story that he wept on Thompson's
neck and sent him forward in = Red
Cross automobile. Whenever he was
stopped by patrols he would flourish
his letter from the Canadian minister
of militia and say he was trying to
overtake the Canadian troops.
"Vive Canada," the French would
shout. "Hurrah for our brave allies"
and permit him to proceed. He did
not think 1t necessary to inform them
that the nearest Canadian troops we're
At name Of the place censored).
Threatened With Death.
When he was within the sound OF
the German guns he was arrested for
the ninth time. tried by . military
tribunal, and told he would be shot if
he were not out Of France in "a hours.
He was sent back to Paris in a motor
guarded by two gendarmes. who ac-
companied him to the station and saw
him buy ticket to London. He
dropped of the train. however. at
Amiens.
Shortly after midnight train of
flat cars loaded with wounded pulled
into the station. Thompson climbed
on the top Of an American refugee train
standing on the next track and made
hashlight picture. A panic ensued i'll
the station. as everyone thought Ger
man bomb had exploded
Thompson was pulled down and
roughly handled. but the British SOL
diers interfered and said he belonged
to their regiment, so he was released.
Shortly afterwards a train loaded
with artillery being rushed to the
front pulled into the station. Thomp-
son crawled under the tarpaulin Gov
ering = field gun and fell asleep. When
he awoke next morning he was at
Mons
Goes Into Trenches.
A regiment Of Highlanders was pass.
ing. He borrowed helmet and fell
in with them. He marched four hours
under a scorching sun and then went
into the trenches with the soldiers.
All through that terrible day Thomp-
son piled his trade as the soldiers did
theirs. Men were shot dead on either
side Of him. The British were so
hard pressed he was disregarded. SO
he dashed forward and lay down I'M
mediately in the rear Of the British
guns. He said that the German IRE