Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-09-11
Little Kansas Photographer Is
Arrested Eleven Times, but
Keeps on Swapping"
FOOLS FRENCH AND GERMANS
Makes Pictures In Trenches Durlna
the Desperate Battle at Mons, With
Bullets Failing Thick-Mar-
seious Adventures Of Dom
aid c. Thompson.
BY E. ALEXANDER POWELL

Antwerp.-A little man wearing an
American army shirt, a pair of British
omcer's breeches. French puttees, and
a Seaforth Highlander's helmet. and
carrying camera the size of a parlor
photograph blew into the American
consulate in Ostend.
He announced that his name was
Donald C. Thompson. Photographer.
from Iopeka, Kan. Europe is chocka-
DOCK with war photographers, but
Thompson is the only one l 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 is built like Harry
Lauder. He is hard as nails, tough as
rawhide. and his face Is tanned to the
color of a well-smoked meerschauni.
HIS face is perpetually wreathed in
what he calls his "sunfower smile"
Arrived on Tramp Steamer.
Thompson reached Europe CT
tramp steamer with an overcoat. a
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 as a matter of
precaution.
His papers consist of an American
passport, a certificate Of membership
In the Elks. and a letter from Sam
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 Times.
Thompson made nine attempts to
get from Paris to the front. was ar
rested nine times. and spent nine
nights in prison. Each time he was
taken before a military tribunal.
Utterly ignoring subordinate officers,
he would demand to see the officer
commanding. He would grasp the as
tonished Official by the hand and near
ly wiring It OF. meanwhile inquirins
solicitously after the generals health
and that Of his family.
How many languages do you
speak7" asked.
Three" said he. English, Ameri-
can and Kansas"
On one occasion he commandeered
motorcycle standing outside a cafe
and rode 1t until the gasoline gave out.
On another occasion he explained to a
French officer who arrested him that
he was in search of his wife and
daughter. who were dying somewhere
on the Belgian frontier. The officer
was so affected by the pathos OF the
story that he wept on Thompson's
neck and sent him forward In a 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"
not think it necessary to inform them
that the nearest Canadian troops were
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 a military
tribunal. and told he would be shot IL
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 |
fiat 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 a |
fashlight picture. A panic ensued in
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 train loaded
with artillery being rushed to the
front pulled into the station. Thomp.
son crawled under the tarpaulin COW
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 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 we're 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 hi the rear OF the British
guns. He said that the German fire