The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-23
With Mangled Hand He Fin.
gered III. Gotten Booty.
TRYING TO EMPTY POCKETS
French Officer Caught Depraved
Man in the Act.
There Was No Red Cross Hos.
pital for Him After That.
(By William G. shepherd)

(6y WuldHu ". 0oSp1AS10I
On the Battlefield Of scissors. Oct.
2s.-when I was almost at the door Of
the house where I am stopping. this
evening. I saw. In the glare OF the
Iamplight from the doorway, a French
soldier with a German prisoner. The
soldier was looking into the lighted
hallway and the German stood defect
edly with his head down and his right
arm in a sling. A Swiss fugitive was
with me. q young man from the dew
astated town of Senlis, and he asked
permission of the soldier to speak to the
prisoner.
when he comes out of the house." said
the Frenchman.
At the first words OF the SWISS tho
prisoner smiled with relief. and, step
ping aside in the darkness. seated him
self YEARLY on a stone. He said his
arm was broken. In the light had
seen that the sleeve was torn ana
bloody.
arm suffering terribly" he said to
the Swiss. my hand is swollen to
twice the size and am in terrible pain.
I was caught because I was too weak
and sick at the stomach to get away.
Now. instead Of taking me to the hos
pital. they bring me here. am very
much worried"
'Don't worry" said the Swiss. 'The
French are very kind to their prison.
ers. They will take you to the hospital
and get your arm well and then they
will make you do easy work"
As the two men talked noticed the
injured arm moving in the bandage. 1t
seemed to me that the sling hung
loosely from the neck instead Of being
Weighted down with the wounded arm.
The French soldier was worriedly keep
ing his eyes on the open doorway. wait
INK for the ofIicer he had been sent to
AK for, MY Swiss friend. unnoticing.
talked on. trying to assure the young
German giant that no harm would
come to him.
He Was Afraid.
We've seen hundreds Of German
prisoners in this town." said the would
be comforter, land not one of them
has been harmed by the French. The
two hospitals are full OF wounded Ger
mans, and you'll go to a hospital. too.
''But why do they bring me here?"
per. I'm afraid they'll! shoot me.
Help me If you can," he pleaded.
Then I saw a thing that made me
give a half yell.
is out Of the bandase." I thought the
German was reaching for revolver. The
swiss jumped back and shouted to the
French sodier Just at that ms Instant NTH, the
doorway. Where is that prisoner he
said.
Here" said the Frenchman, reaching
over and taking the German by the left
arm. He dragged the prisoner into the
Hight.
We saw that his arm was not In the
sling Instead 1t hung, limp and bloody.
in a most grotesQue position. for the
great swollen fingers of what had once
looked like a human hand were in the
u1an's coat pocket.
Take your hand out OF your pocket"
said the officer.
The upper part Of the prisoners arm
twitched with the effort; his face writhed
In pain His arm was broken and he
could not move the lower part of 1t.
s'Bring a DOCTOR" ordered the officer.
RED Cross official came and gently lifted
the terribly swollen hand from the pocket
and put II back into the sling. Then we
saw the doctor put his own hand into the
rocket and bring out five watches and
small handful of French silver money.
s'stolen from the dead" said the officer
mo wonder he was trying to empty his
pocket with that broken arm"
The officer examined the watches and
found they were all French.
''TIe doesn't belong in q Red Cross hos
pital,'' said the officer. Take him to a
coIIar It's finished for him.
And the next morning, after short
rorlrt martial. ha was shot.