Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-09-10
WAR CORRESPONDENTS ESCAPE
FROM GERMAN ARMY AFTER
TARiLLlNe EXPERIENCE.
HELD PRISONERS FOUR
DAYS AT AIx-LA.cHAPELLE
Brought Under Suspicion by Action Of
Party Of Three Correspondents
Picked Up as spies-Foreisn News
paper Men Disregard Military Orders
and EngIishman Is to Be Shot.

f~%'
party of American correspondents who
accompanied the German army for
nearly two weeks across Belgium into
| France. found themselves on Dutch
| by the Germans four days under un-
! usual circumstances. The Associated
Press correspondent "sac.led Rotter-
| dam last night.
| For the last week the party has been
under surveillance at Aix-!a- Cha pelle,
whittier they had been brought on a
train with prisoners from Beaumont,
Belgium. The party included Roger
Lewis, the Associated Press: Irwin S.
Cobb, the Saturday Evening Post and
the Philadelphia Public Ledger; James
O'Donnell Bennett and John T. Nc
| Cutcheon, the Chicago Tribune, and
Harry Hansen. the Chicago Daily
News.
With them on the trip to Aix-ia-
Chapelle wereathree other correspond
ents, Maurice Gerbauld, a Belgian corre-
spondent: Lawrence Stein Stevens, an
American artist, formerly of Detroit,
and Victoria Hennebeard. King AL
bert's special photogranher.
The party oV five 71Americans left
Brussels on Aug. %, with special mill
tary passes and were the only CORE
spondents who were successful in fol-
lowing the German army.
Correspondents Held as Spies.
The party was successful in follow
ing the army, some times in sight Of
the fighting, until Beaumont was
reached. At Beaumont the corre-
spondents were held up by Command
ant Mittendorfer, whose suspicious
against all newspaper men had been
| aroused by a party of three corre-
| spondents picked up the previous day,
who represented themselves as Ameri-
cans altho two were Belslans The trio
| were taken to Beaumont Jail. The
party included Gerbauld, Stevens and
Hennebeard and negro chauffeur. All
We're arrested for photog-a phing and
| travelling in an automobile which un-
| lawfully carried Red Cross flag.
The American party was allowed to
| spend the night on the stone floor Of
a Belgian school house which had been
L
racks. The correspondents were court
eously treated by the soldiers. who,
after the days thirty miles march. sang.
| danced and otherwise entertained them
royalty until midnight. The next day
the Americans We're Kept waiting in
the public square in the center Of a
group which included Prince August
Wilhelm, the third son of the emperor.
and other high military authorities.
Stevens Condemned to Death.
After being repeatedly told they We're
not prisoners the Americans were
locked up with the three other cor
respondents the day before. Stevens
had already been sentenced to be shot
as an English spy. The Jail was filthy
and one side was stacked with tons of
German high explosives rather rn-
comfortable situation. in view of the
| fact that other prisoners We're con-
| stantly lighting cigarets under cover of
| their straw bedding.
After a short Incarceration the
Americans, thru the kindness of a
German lieutenant. were removed to
a small cafe adjoining the prison.
where later they were followed by the
three other suspects. For two nights
they slept on the floor under d heavy
i guard but still told they were not
prisoners but warned that they would
be shot If they moved step out of
the house.
Msnaoed by intoxicated Officers.
After they had given their word of
honor they would not try to escape
their guard was doubled. No food was
supplied the prisoners. their only sub
|stance being a bottle Of wine.
i Later the Americans received an
alarming visit from an Intoxicated
German officer, who called them Eng
lish spies and insisted on giving con-
vincing demonstration Of the sharp
ness Of his sword when English was
spoken.
Finally the Americans were taken
with 100 French and 100 English pris-
oners to a prison train. They were
asked politely enough by the German
officer 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. II they move or step from
the ranks shoot them"
At Mercy Of Belgian snipsrs.
The train, carrying beside the pTis-
toner's several cars Of wounded German
soldiers, arrived at Aix-la- Chappelle
latter two days ride. All were packed
lin small cars without food and drink
and at the mercy of Belgian snipers
The party arrived at Aix-la- Chapelle
j and were forbidden to leave the city
The surveillance Of the guard and the