New-York tribune., 1914-09-28

SreSt that lea oaE int tAe town. We
knew that IL We followed u We snoeia
finally reach the square, ihfyitaple w
BeIRian towns, where the ehufeh sno
the town hall and the more pretentieus
buildings are always TO be found.
There were many soldiers passing
back and forth as we slowly MADE our
waS Along thS oobbled street, when
rose and FELL across the hilly uneven
ness Of the town. Nobody ehal'
lengea rs .,
We knew the town was jsrmed with
troops and that we might have great
dificulty in getting q place 70 sleep.
Also, orr horse and cart must be eafed
for. We decided 10 report. 70 the Of
heer In command, rs We had done with
such excellent results many times be-
fore.
From this moment our troubles be-
gan. We did not realize that the town
hall of Beaumont held the General
STAFF Of the army operating in that
part of France and Belgium. Compared
TO all the officers with whom we had
hitherto come In contact, these we're
rhmeasurabiy higher in rank. We had
bumped into the whole works OF the
German army.
Our equipment consisted Of one tired
horse, a most peaceful-looking cart,
Two bicycles and no baggage. We had
unshRven faces, dusty clothes and
soiled linen. We were dressed for the
street and not for the aeld, for we had
started out from Brussels for an atter-
noon ride, which had extended into
days.
Most obviously our appearances was
not such as was calculated TO Impress
the high officers of the most perfect
and imposing army in the world. I
prefer not to imagine what we looked
iiRe when we drew up before the town
hall in the square at Beaumont
Correspondents Resemble Tramps.
A great flag hung above the door Of
The hell. Several hlghspowered motor
cars stood before It. Two sentrieS
were posted ut the entrance Of the
building, and to them we went, a
rough, dusty looking crowd OF fvd,
who looked more like tramps than war
correspondents Our tired roAa mare,
more notherly looking. than Usual,
stood alone with her little cart Among
the splendid motor cars.
An Ofiieer came out, a stern, hand
some man, upon whose coat was the
white cloth cross indicating his no
bility. These crosses are worn only
by officers of very high family and
nobility. Mere counts and barons do
not wear them unless they have won
distinction by some exceptional ser
vice.
The officer took us in in one sweeping
glance, an all embracing glance that
noted our rough equipment and un-
shaven faces. Two of our party wore
straw hats, such as are seen only in
cities,
"WhO are you and what are you
dcihg here?"
He spoke excellent English and he
was polite, but there was an absence
Of that genial warmth which we hoped
10 find,
awe are American newspaper cor
respondents. We have come to report
ourselves"
"How did you get here"
We pointed to our horse and the
bicycles, explained how we had come,
and told him we thought 1t was our
duty to report ourselves and get per-
mission TO go on.
Not Permitted to Go On.
The officer smiled grinily. We would
not be permitted to 80 on, he said, Tor
the German army allowed no eorre-
spondents with it. We explained that
we had been with the army for some
days and that our passes had always
been accepted as satisfactory when VIZ
had presented them, as we always DID
when arriving in a town occupied by
the army
lie asked TO see our passes, and we
presented the ones we had got from
General Won Jarotsky in Brussels, the
passes which we had always found to
be so potent. The officer looked at
them one by one. He studied the ofn-
eial stamps carefully.
"They are not dated" he said.
Another and high officer then came
out Of the door and said something IN
German which Hansen, who speaks
German, understood, 49,,
"They are part Of the same outfit"
raid the officer "Tthe others had these
kind Of passes, which are meant for
Brussels"
We were then asked to step inside,
and we went into a beautiful hall, upon
tie walls of which were lion skins and
many other African game trophies, the
property, as we learned later, OF Prince
Caraman Chimay, who Is the bufgo.-
master Of the town and whose great
chateau stands in a beautiful park TO
the rear Of the town hall, which also is
his library. II was this nobleman who
married Clara Ward, an American heirN
ess, of Detroit. He Is now In Paris,
having escaped the Germans.
We had hardly sat down when most
imposing looking ofheer came out OF
room, glanced at as and asked Us TO 90
outside. A conference was being held,
bfobably concerning the plans Of battle
then being formulated. We went out.
General Rather Friendly.
In a moment or two a general, .ac-
companied by the first officer We had
met came out and looked at our passes.
He was rather friendly. He said that
the German army allowed no cOrFe-
none of them following 1t, If we had
gone forward and had been found ct
the front we would have been shot,
he said.
Two men had been caught with
in their lines with cameras, he told us,
and had been arrested, These two men
had the same kind Of passes that we
had. They had been arrested two DAYS
before, marched on foot two long, hard
days and were prisoners In Beaumont.
Instantly we knew who they were,
C. Co and his friend, the Bel
Eian photographed. c. was
Frenthmah who for many years lad
been the Brussels correspondent of an
American newspaper. We had lunshed
with him the day we started and had
seen him taken prisoner the second
day we were out.
6Thess two men will be sent as prls.
eners Of war to Ljsge," said the gen.
eral, "but yeu will be sent back to