Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-09-15
CORRESPONDENTS SAFE
Americans Had Anxious Time with
German ARMY.

Americans HaQ ANXIOUS ihho "~'
German Army.
The party of American correspond
ents who accompanied the German
army for nearly two weeks across BEL
gium and into France, found them
selves safe on Dutch soil last Thurs
day after being held prisoners.by the
Germans for four days under unusual
circumstances.
The Associated Press correspondent
reached Rotterdam, late Wednesday
night. For the past week the party
had been under surveillance at Aix-la-
Chappelle, whittier they had been
brought on a train with prisoners from
Beaumont, Belgium. The party in
cluded Roger Lewis Of the Associated
Press; Irwin S. Cobb of the Saturday
Evening Post and the Philadelphia
Public Ledger; James O'Donnell Ben
nett and John 7, McCutcheon OF the
Chicago Tribune, and Harry Hensen
of the Chicago Daily News. With them
on the trip to Aix-la-Chappelle were
three other correspondents, Maurice
Gerbeauld, Belgian newspaper man;
Lawrence Stein Stevens, an American
artist, formerly Of Detroit, and Victor
Hennebeard, King Albert's special
photographer.
The party Of five Americans left
Brussels on August 23rd, with special
military passes and were the only cor
respondents successful in reviewing
the German army. The party pro-
ceeded by carriages TO Nivelles, where
the sound of cannon so frightened the
carriage driver that he returned to
Brussels, leaving the correspondents
to continue on foot.
The party marched along with the
army, sometimes In sight of fighting,
until Beaumont was reached. Here
the Germans had established tempo
rary headquarters. At Beaumont the
correspondents were held up by Com
mandant Mittendorfer, whose suspi-
cions against all newspaper men had
been aroused by party Of three cor
respondents picked up the previous
day, who represented themselves as
Americans, although two Of them were
Belgians. The trio had been taken to
Beaumont jail. The party included
Gerbeauld, Stevens and Hennebeard
and a negro chauffeur. All were ar
rested for photographing and travelling
in an automobile which unlawfully
carried a Red Cross flag,
The five American correspondents
were allowed to spend the night on the
stone floor of a Belgian school house
which had been converted into bar
racks for the German troops They
were courteously treated by the SOL
diers, who. after the days thirty-mile
march, sang, danced and otherwise
entertained them royalty until mid
night.
The next day the Americans were
kept waiting in the public square in
the center of group which included
Prince August Wilhelm, the third son
of the emperor, and other high mill
tary authorities.
After being repeatedly told that
they were not prisoners, the Ameri-
cans were locked up with the three
correspondents arrested the day be-
fore. Stevens had already been SEN
fenced to be shot as an English spy.
The Jail was filthy, harboring a large
number Of French prisoners taken in
the skirmishes south of Beaumont.
One side of the Jail was stacked with
tons of German high eXplosives-a
rather uncomfortable situation, as the
French prisoners were constantly
fighting surreptitiously cigarettes un-
der cover of their straw bedding.
After a short Incarceration the
Americans, through the kindness of
German lieutenant, were removed to
a small cafe, where later they were
followed by the three other suspects.
For two nights they slept on the floor
under heavy guard. They still were
told they were not prisoners, but were
warned that they would be shot II they
moved out one step from the house.
After they had given their word that
they would not attempt to escape their
guard was doubled.
No food was supplied the prisoners,
their only sustenance being bottle of
wine brought them by petty officer.
During their Imprisonment the Amer
leans received an alarming visit from
an intoxicated German officer who
called them English spies and insisted
upon giving convincing demonstra-
tons Of the sharpness Of his sword
when he heard English spoken. The
officer cleverly remarked to the Ger
man soldiers of the guard: "Ha!
They have betrayed themselves; they
call themselves Americans, but they
speak English"
At Beaumont, the correspondents
say. hundreds of French and English
prisoners were brought in from the
direction of Maunbeuge. All were well
lIedleu. ilIdIly viz HlSht 'hN -hi''Ni
leans were taken with a hundred Eng
lish and a hundred French prisoners
to a prison train, the destination of
which was unknown. They were ask
ed politely enough by the German Of
ficers to walk alongside the prisoners
and act as guards. At the same time
the officer said in an aside to the Ger
man guard: Keep your eyes open on
those Americans. If they move or
step from the ranks, shoot them"
The train, carrying besides the pris-
oners, several cars of wounded Ger
man soldiers. arrived at AiX-le Chap
pelle after a two days slow journey.
All eight of the correspondents were
packed into Il single second class COM
partment without food or drink and at
the mercy Of Belgian snipers who fire.
quently fired from houses as the trains
passed. The p"rty arrived at AiXla-
Chappele carefully guarded by secret
service and military guards and were
forbidden to leave the city. The sur
veillance of the military guard and
the police relaxed when the authOri-