Evening star., 1914-08-19
GRIM WAR TALES
COME ON FINLAND
Returning Refugees Tell of
Fighting at Liege and Mar
row Escapes.
JAMES A. PATTEN USED
CART TO FLEE EUROPE
Woman Tells Of Shooting Of German
Spies in Brussels-Liner Stop
ped by Cruisers.

PV0 " Va OAoSA9s
NEW YORK,x August 19.-First-hand
tales Of the an1sl1ng a* Liege and grim
Of. the war sweeping Europe
came into port today on the lips of
America nrefugees from the continent
aboard the Red Star liner Finland. Many
of the Americans aboard were without
money or baggage; some had been held
as spies; others had made their way on
foot from the interior Of Belgium to Ant
werp amid the scenes and dangers OF
warfare, and nearly all had stories OF
hardships encountered in their flight.
With a Dutch pilot aboard Capt. Bar
man steered his ship through Httle-used
channel of the harbor Of Antwerp to the
North sea, where he found the horizon
smudged with the smoke Of British bat
tleships In his perilous passage through
the mine-strewn waters there were nc
buoys to guide him. His way lay over
the shadows, and he had to tighten the
ship of all her water ballast to make the
course without scraping the bottom. Time
after time the ship was stopped by wal
vessels, although she few the American
nag.
All told the liner brought 1852 persons
262 In the first cabin. 21b in the second
and as steeraee.
SprinlIed among thu, ,fnsricans were
handful Of Germans Ahb were expelled
from belgium. and. being unable to make
their way to Germany. decided to come
to the United States R. de Barry. agent
for the North German Lloyd at Antwerp
with his wife and boy. was among those
expelled, Notwithstanding that he IL Z
Belgian.
At Dover 150 passengers were EN-
barked, a majority Of them bedraggled
Americans who had hed the continent
Passing down the English channel the
liner was repeatedly stopped by British
men-of-war.
After clearing Lands End tho voyage
was without special incident until thu
liner was stopped by q British cruiser Of
Nantucket light. Another cruiser me'
her of Ambrose channel lightshtp at the
entrance of New York harbor.
James A. Patterns Trip.
James A. Patten Of Chicago and Mrs
Patten, passengers, said they were ir
Carlsbad when war was declared be.
tween Germany and Russia. They lef'
for Nuremberg in an automobile. and. ar
riving there. were taken to the guard
house and rigidly cross-questioned be-
fore they were allowed to continue. They
boarded a crowded train for Ostend, but
got no further than Cologne. Their
they found themselves in a vortex oi
mobilizing troops and marching citizens
which choked the streets. After lons
delay they managed to get aboard an.
other train for the border, but got nc
farther than the little town Of Herbsthal
near the frontier. which they reached al
10 O'Clock at night in q downpour Of
rain.
I'VE managed to make our way into
q little cafe" Mr.. Patten said. "anc
there We got one slice Of bread apiece
our first meal for tho day. Next day
I hired q horse and cart to take III
over the Belgian frontier to verviers
Three other Americans were with US
"on the road we passed the most pitt
ful procession OF German refugees
nesins from Belgium. Some were In
vehicles, but the majority were trudg-
ing in the dust. pushing or pulling
their beggage In carts. Women with
babies at the breast were walking
under tho MONDAY sun.
Travelled In Carts.
From verviers we proceeded by an
other cart toward Liege. We had not
three miles when We came
upon q party Of Belgian engineers en-
gagged in mining the road. They had
great piles Of dynamite stacked there
ready to plant in the bitches they were
digging across the roadway. They ad-
vised us we had better go to Liege by
aTwo hours iater another party OF
Americans were halted at that very
spot by a skirmish between the Bel
CLANS and Uhlans They were forced to
lie in q ditch while the Belgians fred
over them. Next day 5000 Germans
the engineers planting.
I'VE arrived at Llege at 1 o'clock the
afternoon of August and managed to
get a train for Brussels two hours later.
the thunder Of the forts cannon repuls-
ing the first onslaught Of the Germans.
The town was cold with fear
other passengers on board the Finland
said that Mr.. Patten had bought steam
ship tickets for nine stranded Americans
B. r Weeks, jr.. and his sister. Miss
A. L. Weeks, of Spokane, WASH. told Of
the situation at Brussels August 5. after
the German troops had invaded Belgium.
Saw Spies Shot.
They saw q squad Of soldiers pursuing
a man in uniform over the housetops. dr-
ing at him as they ran. One Of the shots
went true; the pursued man threw up his
hands and pitched headlong from the top
Of a four-story building to the street.
He was q German SPY. the soldiers
thought A little later they saw a mob
ffp the clothing from another German
goR aAA laAt him till soldiers wrest-
u him aWSS Next Jay tbs "ictim was
shot Is q SPY.