Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-11-22
AUP MAN SEES ANTWERP FALL
CASTOR Marbaix Eyewitness to
Desperate Siege in Europe.
TRYING EXPERIENCE
Hides Under Load Of Potatoes in
Escaping Through German Lines
and Is Nearly Captured
80 a Spy.

NJ. CASTOR Marbaix. manager Of the
Hupmobile Hamburg parts depot. Just
arrived in Detroit from Belgium. where
he witnessed the fall of Antwerp. NJ.
Marbaix is ono Of the first persons to
arrive in this country from the doomed
city and his narrative is very interest
ing.
Before coming to the plant of the
Hup Motor Car company at Detroit" said
Marbaix. Il decided first to visit a num-
Der of relatives in Belgium. This is how
/ encountered the first German imperial
army Que its march to Paris.
To reach Belgium, l had TO take a
roundabout way. first went to London.
then to Ostend and from that place TO
Antwerp When l reached London. my
German passports awaited me nothing.
and it was only through the assistance
of Mr.. Whiting, Hupmobile dealer there.
th''t l was saved many difficulties
First View of War.
AT Antwerp, 1 had my first view Of
the war. 1t was just before the fall of
the city, and with the Germans only
few miles from the town, the inhabitants
were In the utmost confusion. Refugees
Fleeing from destroyed or threatened dis
trtsts, at first in scattered. struggling
Groups, and then in solid columns, passed
through the town unendingly.
II at last located my brother who was
a volunteer in the medical corps in the
army, and accompanied him on his rounds
among the Belgian lines. We motored
from the town to the most outward ring
OF forts, which was then bearing the
nf he NJ nd ynfn l,f
ever wounded we could find, bringing
them back to the hospitals. which were
already overlooking. The CHASTITY sights
that ! witnessed among the dead and
wounded has since been the cause of
many sleepless nights for the horrors
are unbelievable Men manned by shrap-
mel were literally torn to pieces and l
saw with my own eyes one poor fellows
arm shot away.
LAS the object of my search was near
Mons, 1 proceeded there in all haste and
had to pass three times through the Ger
man lines. The first two attempts were
unsuccessful and each time 7 was sent
back. At last, however. I hit upoo an
idea which carried me through and also
ne''rly cost my life.
Under Load of Potatoes.
Il had probably Travelled about half
the distance between Antwerp and Mons
afoot Cthere were no trains or vehicles
running) when l stumbled upon a farmer
with load of potatoes who was going to
my destination. He was we'll aware OF
the presence of the enemy I'M this vicinity
and he told me that the only way we
could safely get through the lines was
for me to get at the bottom of his wagon
and be buried in the potatoes.
The journey took two hours over cob
blestone roads and the suffocation / en-
dured is woll-nigh describable. We had
Travelled about sixteen kilometers (ten
nles) when l heard a sharp command
10 halt In a cultural sound in German
addressed to the farmer, and could dts
tinctly hear the conversation which or
dered the driver off the wagon as the
German soldiers wanted TO buy the load
of potatoes. You can imagine the feeling
of dread that came over me when / began
10 understand what was about to take
place. l knew the Germans would shoot
me on the spot as a spy. and there would
be no investigation as to who I was
where l was from or anything concerning
me. l at last made out that the CriveT
was trying to explain that the potatoes
were to be confined to the German regi-
ment, which laid some distance beyond
and after showing passports, etc, we
were allowed TO proceed