Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-08
BOY SCOUT KNIGHTED
BY KING ALBERT FOR
GALLANTRY ON FIELD
Youthful Hero Receives
Order of Leopold From
Hands of Belgian Mon
arch for Daring Display
ed in Tracking Spies.
Youngest Chevalier, Once Brus-
sells Shopboy, Gave Evidence
of Resourcefulness at Crit
ical Moments, as Well as
Courage in Time of Peril.
NORTHERN FRANCE. March }.

NORTHERN FRANCE. March D.
The youngest chevalier of the Belgian
order of Leopold. and the first Boy Scout
to be decorated for gollantry on the field
of battle, is Joseph Leysln
King Albert recently pinned the Cross
on his breast, In the presence of his
Ministers and military staff, and in Civ
! ing him the accolade. said:
I have the honor to decorate you
with the order OF Leopold. You are
the youngest Belgian hero. con-
| Kratulate you and all the Scouts who
have done such service to their coun-
! try.
Joseph, is years old. was working in
| a shop at Brussels when the war broke
out Already an enthusiastic member Of
the "Baden-Powell Belgian Boy Scouts
| he at once volunteered for any duties the
| military authorities like to set him, and
was soon in the thick of things In the
words of an officer under whom he served
| he became 'Tenfant du regiment"
TRACKED DOWN TWO SPIES.
1t is difficult to get him to talk of his
| experiences, but one of his earliest feats
was the tracking down and arrest OF
| two spies, and of this he gives the fol-
| lowing account:
zone afternoon I saw a crowd of peo-
pie, and found they had gathered around
! two men who had been arrested by our
outpost. They claimed TO be priests. but
1 noticed that they did not wear the
usual white collar and black cravat.
Getting permission Of the officer who
made the arrests, 1 questioned them, but
| they replied, You had better run away
and play instead of insulting two honest
men. We are priests on our way to the
convent at Ltege,'
"They were searched, and released, IS
nothing discriminating was found. But
was convinced that two spies were being
| allowed to escape. and so | got permls-
| sion of the lieutenant to follow them to
| Liege.
Jumping on my bike | overlook the
| two men near Renori AS soon as they
| saw me they ran into wood. but I went
| after them and called out In the name
| Of the law, come out of that wood and
| follow the road, or I will fire on you.
| "'They at once returned to the road.
| Just at that moment two Lancers dashed
| up In a motor car. The two priests at
| once tried to make Off, but | collared
| them, and with the help of the Lanclers
made them get into the car. Then we
| drove to I.iege and handed over our cap
| tives to the authorities.
| "I told the chief of the police that
| though these two men claimed to be
| priests from Liege, / believed them to be
| spies. Then 1 took them to the convent,
! to which they declared they belonged, and
asked the Superior whether he recognized
them as belonging to his community.
The reply was in the negative
FALSE PRIESTS CONFESSED.
Taken again before the authorities,
the false priests at last confessed that
one of them was German and the other
| an Austrian. On searching them care
fully there were found. in their boots.
plans of the forts and trenches They
were spies indeed The authorities there
upon gave me a written declaration that
I had arrested two spies, and l returned
to my regiment"
This was not Leysin's only capture of
Spies Early in August a boy scout of
LieGe told him that two Germans, posing
as Lege wOrkmen, were helping to dig
trench.
''I at once went to the spot" says Ley
sin, ''and asked the men something in
Flemish, to which they replied in German.
No longer in doubt l made a sign to two
sentries. who at once marched them Off to
my lieutenant, to whom explained every
thing. The men were searched. and
found TO lie in possession of plans and
sketches.
"That same morning my lieutenant sent
me to a wood to see II our sentrles were
on the alert Going there on my cycle. I
saw among the trees first a horses head
and then German helmet
UHLAN TAKEN CAPTIVE.
"I at once jumped off my bike. hid be-
hind bush and fixed my bayonet When
the Uhan was only yard or two from
me, seeing me prepared for an attack. ne
raised his rifle as a sign OF surrender.
whistled for the sentries. who at once
captured and dIsarmed him.
"Overjoyed at my prize, I put on the
Germans helmet and mounting his
horse. rode into camp, followed by my
prisoner marching between two soldiers
with fixed bayonets. Thus ] presented
myself to my commander.
What are you going to do with that
horse? he said.
1T is a present for YOU / replied
In September Leysin was attached to
the stan of the Minister of War at Ant
werp. During my service with the Min
ister," he says, 81 have had TO carry Inn
portant messages In all directions, and
nave peilSNldtcu bhe enemy lIeS Ten
times, each time returning safe and sound
after accomplishing my mission. Twice I
have been captured. but each time 1 man
aged TO escape from the claws OF the
enemy. In and around Antwerp l arrested
six spies of whom four were German Off
GERS and the other two civilians.
In one OF my adventures among the |
enemy managed to enter Brussels. where |
my parents live and TO embrace them, as |
well as my brothers and sisters"
Besides the decoration from the King, |
this enterprlsing youth has received the |
Cross OF Merit from the Scouts of Bel |
gium