South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-06
American Held Prisoner by
Germans Writes Poem About
Big Bell at Notre Dame

ITO the big bell at the University of
Notre Dame. NOtre Dame. Ind, L. S.
A." is the dedication of a poem re-
ceived at the university from Belgium.
The poem, which is called THE Voice
From the Tower" was written by Will
liam Holslag, Notre Dame student in
1894, prisoner of the Germans in
1914-15, under suspicion Of being a
British spy
The sheet on which the verses are
written is a curiosity TO American
eyes. 1t is nine by fourteen inches in
size and covered with seal marks and
thumb marks. The markings are di-
vided into two groups each consisting
of a seal mark and five thumb marks,
one near the top the other near the
bottom of the page. Each seal and
two of the five thumb marks are violet
in color, the other three thumb marks
being a dull purple. The seal mark
reads: Militarische Uberwachungs-
STEELE Ctr. Brussel. On the violet thumb
marks a figure is done in black ink
which no one at the university can de-
cipher.
The envelope in which the sheet
was enclosed bears one thumb mark
with the same mysterious figure. The
stamp is German. IL reads Deutsches
Reich, but across IL in black type is
printed the word Belgian and also with
pen and ink word which looks like
Fourwarden.
The verses were sent by Mr.. Holslag
TO Father Cavanaugh- That Mr.. Hols-
lag. who went TO Europe TO write for
several American magazines is still a
prisoner or at least under surveillance
is apparent from the fact that ordina-
~ letters from Belgium received at the
university bear no such markings as
those described. Rev. j. A. Nieuw-
land who receives mail regularly from
parts of Belgium occupied by the Ger
mans. says no such marks have ap-
peared on any of his mail. IT has been
suggested that possibly the poem is in
tended to tell "a further story if one
reads between the lines. The poem
follows:
The Voice From the Tower.
(To the biz bell ~ The University OF
Notre Dame. Notre Dame, Ind. L.
:. Al
on prisoner unsilenced, though shac-
killed. and bound,
I hear your laundering voice;
1t frightens me at the midnight hour
or at morn makes me rejoice;
Tell me: wha. would you have me
know?
Is it victory YOU proclaim?
\ feast day. guest, or con- mencement's
glow?
Speak out or silent remain:
The voice,
sixteen tons and a hamn er
Drawn from the bowels IF the earth;
Hung in a tower. with TOiCe of power,
I sound out sorrow or mirth"
Oh prisoner unsilenced. though walled
in. alone,
I hear your far away voice.
Ii frightens me STILL at the midnight
hour
or at morn makes me rejoice;
Tell me. does some poor brother go
To his grave on the wooded hill
With black rObed comrades followins
slow?
ooh speak, or forever be still:
The voice,
Sixteen tons and a hammer
Drawn from the bowels of the earth,
Hung in a tower. with voice Of power
sound out sorrow or mirth."
oh prisoner-au through my long.
lone life
have heard your haunting voice,
IL trightens me al the midnight hour
or at morn makes me rejoice.
IL came 10 me far. near the Polar star,
In the desert and jungle deep.
And now. Ger this sea-SDeak, VIII
this always be.
TIL go 20 my last, long sleep?
The voice.
sixteen tons and "A hammer
Drawn from the bowels OF the earth;
Hung in a tower. with voice OF power,
j sound out SORROW or mirth"