The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-09-01
STRIPPED BY FEMALE GUARDS
IN GERMANY. HAD THRILL
ING EXPERIENCE.

-.,,,og women and their chaperone,
who we're stopped many times, ar
ras-ad and searched on the suspicion
that they were Russian spies, while
taav we're attempting to leave Ger
many. The young women were Miss
rvra Brown Nickerson of Provi-
aonce R. l., Miss Katherine Scher-
,narhorn of New York, and Mrs. Con-
7yav Evans of Florence, Italy.
You see, we three were making a
motor car trip through Germany"
said Miss Nickerson. eve left Berlin
an August 2 in a German car which
zra had hired, and the first night got
a. far as Hanover. There our eX-
nerience in being held up began.
1T seems that "a little before we
arrived two Russian spies had act
ua1,v been arrested. When we got
ont of our automobile at the hotel We
found ourselves surrounded by an
enormous crowd. l could not dis
+inguish what they were shouting at
us except that they were demanding
that we be questioned.
A young officer came up through
the crowd, saluted, and asked who
we we're, We showed what papers
we had, although there was not a
passport among them. The crowd
kept shouting that we were Russians
and we kept saying that we were not,
that we were Americans, and the Of
fcer protested himself satisfied with
what credentials we had, and we
we're allowed to enter the hotel.
Everything was quiet next morn
ing, and we were off at II o'clock,
hoping to make the Dutch frontier
by that night, our intention being to
20 on to Rotterdam, where we were
sure we could catch the. Holland
America steamer. We had had an
early breakfast, and as We approach
ed Minden We were looking forward
TO a good luncheon. We arrived in
the town about two O'Clock, and the
first thing we saw was four soldiers
standing in the middle of the street,
with their guns at their shoulders.
You may imagine that We halted
very promptly.
The soldiers took down our bag
gage and opened every trunk and
bag we had. When they had finish
ed they took US to the military COM
mander of that district, where we
were asked a lot of questions. Then
We we're led into a room and kept
there for half an hour with soldier
on guard At the end of that time
port, a piece of white paper, which
said that the three ladies had been
examined, that they were not. spies,
and that they had nothing of sus-
picious nature with them. That pass
port was of great assistance, and
helped us through at almost every
one of the eighteen points that we
were stopped that day.
At a little place called Rheine,
however, it proved Intellectual. There
We ran plumb into a mob of about
500 people, in front of which were
Two soldiers with guns. They made
Mrs. Evans get out of the automobile
and walk to the office of the COM
mander, where she had to show her
passport and swear in her best Ger
man that We were what we claimed
her to return the mob pressed about |
Us became abusive. Several of them |
struck me ON the head with their
nSts, but I was more scared than
nurt. However, we were not kept |
long. and when Mrs Evans came
back and climbed into the car the
soldiers waved their hands and |
shouted to the crowd and it parted |
and let US through. I
But when we got to Gronau,
which is about quarter of an hour
from the Dutch frontier, we found
"Iteen soldiers drawn up across the
road, each with his rife up, pointing
II at us. Of course we stopped at
once. /
The discovery of nothing suspi-
clous in the car or the baggage did
"ot satisfy them. They marched us
oH 10 an inn and took us upstairs
ana cross-examined each of us. Then
'ney sent each of us to a separate
room, each of US in charge of two
women, These undressed us until
wy mad not a shred of clothes on.
-''s' Evans two female guards even
"eht so far as to take down her hair,
III me apparent belief that it con-
tanned dispatches.