The Raymer enterprise., 1914-09-10
Little Kansas Photographer Is
Arrested Eleven Times. but
Keeps on "Snapping."
FOOLS FRENCH AND GERMANS
Makes Pictures IN Trenches During
the Desperate Brittle at Mons, Win
Bullets Failing Thiek-Mar.
veious Adventures Of Don.
aid c. Thompson,
BY e. ALEXANDER POWELL.

AIthefp-A lItLie man wearing an
american army shirt. pair Of British
1Hirer'g breeches. French puHees. and
4 aeafoFth HighLlHtars helmet. and
carrying camera the size Of parlor
phrnograph blew into the American
Consulate in Osteul
ite announced rbat his name was
t"nald c. Thompson, photographer
tmn Topeka, Kan Europe is chocka-
block with war photographers. but
Thompson Is the only una have come
ACROSS who has ssan war aud actually
Photographed II
go one bat All American could nave
~ r1omplished what he has done and
ap american but i Kansan.
The little man Is built like Harry
lauder He is hard as nails, tough as
rshide, aud his faca IA tanned to the
.plar OF wellsmoked meerschauul.
'iis face is perpef8alig wreathed in
Pdat he calls his sanfDWer smile
Arrived on Tramp Steamer
NUN lissph tfti' AhfiA isltHEHe on "a
traun steamer with an oyercoat, a
pthbrush, two clean nandknfclnefs,
stl three Of the largest sized cameras
trtde. tie expected 90 have some of
ttam smashed, he explained. SO he
brought along three as matter Of
pfatautiun
lis papers consist 1f an American
passport, certificate Of membership
IA The Elks. and i letter from Sam
t,5Bhes. Canadian minister Of militia.
40 ghorizing him to take pictures Of the
{ taadian troops These aud his IN.
ss iEated nerve haze taken aim ' here
~ other civilian hls been
Arreaed Nine Times
Thompson made une attempts To
~ from Paris 70 The front, was ar.
c'ssed nine times. and spent nine
nights In prison Each time hp was
u,iEen before Il military tribunal
Utterly Ignoring subordinate officers.
a. would demand TO sec The officer
commanding lie would grasp the as
.,pished official bv The hand aud near
" wiring II Oh, meanwhile inquiring
F1LIetously after the generals health
aud that Of his family
low many languages do you
9tcak"' | asked
Three, saId he English. Amerl.
IA and Kansas
On one occasion he cOmmaudeered
a motorcycle standing outside a cafe
md rode II untii the gasoline gave ont.
CA another occasion hr explained to d
Wrauch officer who arrested him that
a. WAS In search Of his wife and
daughter. who were dying somewhere
na the Belgian frontier The officer
trt, so affected uy the pathos of the
sspry that he wepr on Thompson s
rrek and sent him Forward in Red
,aSs autAr1btle Whenever he was
Ppcd by patrols he would flourish
ris letter from the Canadian minister
1t militia tnd Say ne Vas trying to
uHrtake the Canadian troops
Nive Canada, the French would
suJut "Ilurrah for our brave allies. "
+ud permit him 10 proceed He did
o5t think Ii necessary TO inform them
ttst the nearest Canadian troops were
= name Of the place censored
Threatened Win Death.
When he was within the sound ot
rle German guns he Was arrested for
tua ninth tlns. tried b. a military
tlbunal, aud told he would be shot II
~ were no' mt Of Fmnce In ~ hours
lie vas gent back TO Paris in a motor
guarded by two gendarmps, who ac-
Impanied him to the station and saw
nm buy u ticket to London lie
dropped OIL the train. however. at
hmiens
shortly after midnight a train Of
Rat cars loaded with wounded pulled
trFo the station Fhotnpson climbed
HH the top oi an American refugee train
sanding on the next track and made 4
Htshlight picture A panic ensued in
tAe station Ia everyone thought a Ger.
man bomb had exploded
Thompson vas pulled down and
roughly handled. but the British sol
dlers interfarad and said be belonged
10 their regiment, 30 he vas released.
Shortly Afterwards train loaded
.ith artillery being rushed to the
fsont pulled into the station. Thomp,
son erawled under the tarpuuln GOV,
ering a field gun and fell asleep. When
he awoke next morning he was at
Mons
Goes Into Trenches.
A regiment OF lLighlanders vas pass.
Ing. He borrowed helmet aud fell
H. with them He marched four hours
under sccrching sun and then went
id.o the trenches with the soldiers.
All through that terrible day Thomp,
son piled his trade as the soldiers did
theirs. Men were shDt dead on either
aide OF HIM The British we're so
hard pressed he WIS dsregarded, SO
he dashed forward and lay down i'm.
mediately In the rear OF the British
guns. He said that the German fire