West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-03-11
REMARKABLE ADVENTURES
OF A GERMAN OFFICER
Was IN Foreign Country When the
Three Months to Reach the
Fatherland and Get into the
Army

| BERLIN. Feb. 2S.-The adventures
of Edgar Blocking are among the
most remarkable of the many exper-
fences which Germans from many cor
ners of the earth have had i'm trying
to reach the Fatherland for patriotic
service
Booking was in Abyssinia when
| Germany went to war last August.
He had been living i'm that remote sec
ton for six years. and was widely
known there as former captain of
cavalry in the German army. The
ingenuity he was called upon To exer-
cise I'm his trip home was worthy OF
Phileas Fogg. whom Jules Verne sent
Around the World in Eighty DAYS -
II included an imaginary case of rab-
les. to feign which Boecking had the
nerve to burn two holes in his leg.
These were TO represent the bites of a
mad dog for treatment OF which he
successfully begged aid I'm expediting
his trip to the Pasteur Institute In
Cairo. He carried out his blum even
TO the extent of submitting TO the Pas %
teur treatment.
When Blocking determined immedi-
| ately upon the outbreak of the war to
return to Germany to volunteer. he
first considered which was the safest
Of tha thrao ,ouaI ro,,oo 80. - a..
sinia. The quickest. via Jibouti, would
take him into French Smaliland.
where he was well known and could
not hope To escape detention by the
French officers. A second route. via
Massaua, led through neutral Italian
territory. but French and British war
ships were on the watch and were
searching all Italian ships carefully.
Apart from the danger OF the hostile
ships, this route required a two month
trip by caravan I'm the rainy season.
The third choice, which Boecking Sc
lected. Notwithstanding that Il was
perhaps the most risky way of all, was
through the English Soudan.
He secured a pass purporting to be
issued by neutral state and started
out with eight mules and six servants.
lie believed that the English would
hardly assume that German had the
nerve to travel, after the outbreak of
hostilities through a region so strictly
guarded as the Soudan. He started on
September % and Notwithstanding the
rains covered the distance, which ordi-
narily takes 81 days, i'm %.
In Gambela he encountered an Ital-
ian acquaintance, and, casting about
for an excuse for his presence, recol-
lected that this Italian had, in the pre-
vious year, been bitten by rabid dog.
a thlng not uncommon in Abyssinia.
Blocking promptly imagined that he
too had been bitten, and told his friend
he was on his way to Cairo to be
treated at the Pasteur institute there.
He explained the situation to his
friend, asking him TO announce his ar
rival to the British authorities. and he
in the meantime repaired to his hotel
and carefully burned two holes IN his
calf with red hot poker.
He had to wait i'm Gambela ten Laws
for "A steamer TO Khartoum. The
whole time he suffered torments OF
mind for fear that the authorities .
might be moved TO telegraph to the
British Legation at Addis-Abeba n
query as to his identity. They did not
do so. however. and Blocking left Ga
mbela by steamer, still kcenly alive
to the necessity Of preserving ap-
pearances
THE victim OF a rabid's dog bite. "
he said TO himself, must If possible.
reacn the Pasteur institute within 30
days to bee ertain Of a cure II is
'her efore up to me. IL / want to make
my dog story creditable, to keep with
in this period, or. at least, to exec Il
II as little as possible To this erd ne
left the steamer at small station ON
the White Nile, and Travelled or 10
Khartoum by rail
AS he left the train he was greeted
by seven English officers, who told
him he could not proceed immediately
t. Cairo. and that, since he had been
bitten, he must accompany them tc
tiic British military hospital Two nj.
fcers accompanied him thither. Two
surgeons examined his bites" and
praised his foresight I'm cauterizine
them. Blocking continues:
after I had spent three days as a
military prisoner in the hospital, word
came that ! was to be brought before
the governor general At noon ] stood
before his excellency and learned e
my great delight (Which I did not ex
hibiU that. as a citizen OF the neutra
| state Of - I was free. His excel
lency was kind enough TO talk viii
me for an hour about conditions ir
Abyssinia and he sent me back to tn,
hospital in his own automobile. Their,
all my belongings were returned TO m,
and / was told that II was greatly re-
gretted that in consequence of a de
nunciation as German officer. / ha,
been arrested ! was to he permitted
to go TO Cairo unhindered, but a mill
tary escort would be given me {,
prevent me from being molested.
II was held four days in Khartoum
but 1 can speak only in terms o
praise Of my treatment there. II I ha,
been recognized as German Il woul,