The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-09-16
Little Kansas Photographer Is
Arrested Eleven Times, but
Keeps on "Snapping."
FOOLS FRENCH AND GERMANS
Makes Pictures In Trenches During
the Desperate Battle at Mons, With
Bullets Falling Thick-Mar-
velous Adventures of Dom
aid c. Thompson.
By e. ALEXANDER POWELL.

Antwerp.-A little man wearing an
American army shirt, a pair of British
officers breeches, French puttees, and
q Seaforth Highlander's helmet, and
carrying a 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, Topeka, Kan. Europe is chocka-
block with war photographers, but
Thompson is the only one I 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 q 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 ~wellsmoked meerschaum.
His face is perpetually wreathed In
what he calls his "sunflower SMILE"
Arrived on Tramp Steamer.
Thompson reached Europe on a
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 q 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.
m~itigated 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.
tonlsbed official by the hand and near
ly wiring it off, meanwhile inquiring
s%olicitously after the generals health
and that Of his family.
How many languages do you
,speak?" I asked.
Three" said he. English, Ameri.
can and Kansas"
On one occasion he Communicated
a motorcycle standing outside a cafe
and rode it 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"
and permit him to proceed. He did
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 II
he were not out of France in "a hours.
He was sent back.to Paris in a motor
guarded by two gendarmes, who &C.
companied him to the station and saw
him buy a ticket to London. He
dropped off the train, however, at
Amiens.
Shortly after midnight a train Of
fiat cars loaded with wounded pulled
into the station. Thompson climbed
on the top Of al American refugee train
standing on the next track and made a
fashlight picture. A panic ensued in
the station, as everyone thought a 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 a train loaded
with artillery being rushed to the
front pulled into the station. Thonp-
son crawled under the tarpaulin COW
ering a field gun and fell asleep. When
he awoke next morning he vas at
Mons.
Goes Into Trenches.
A regiment Of Highlande's vas pass
ing. He borrowed a helmet and fell
in with them. He marched four hours
under a scorching sur and then went
into the trenches with the soldiers.
All through that terrible day Thomp-
son piled his trad. as the soldiers did
theirs. Men were shot dead on either
side Of him. The British were SO
hard pressed ne was ~disregarded, so
he dashed forward and lay down i'm
mediately in the rear Of the British
guns. He said that the German fire
Weeds as Cover Crops.
The question is sometimes asked:
Why cannot weeds he used as cover