The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-01-08
A WIG IN
WARTIME
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN

In the spring Of 1914 | joined the Eu-
ropean invasion Of American tourists
and made Germany my stamping
ground. Before leaving home I sent
to Washington for q passport. for.
though at the time there was not much
prospect Of using one. l preferred t.
be provided. The document described
me as Edward Boyer. aged thirty-one.
ave feet eight inches high. eyes. hair
and complexion dark.
In Berlin l contracted typhoid fever:
and when | recovered my hair fell out.
leaving my skull a polished al a piece
Of ivory.
On the 18th Of July the bomb Of the
European var exploded and l was ad
monished that II l wanted to get out
Of the wal son aud back home l must
bestir myself. I had not yet recov.
cred my strength. but l was due In
America on the 18th of August and
resolved to start at once.
The first thing needed was a wig. J
sailed forth to get one. having just
an hour before the train on which !
was to leave would start This gave
me about twenty minutes to procure
q hair head covering. l found a place
where such things were sold, but IN
fortunately the only wig they had
that would ct my head was Of an
auburn hue. There was no other place
to procure one within a dozen blocks.
| looked at my watch and saw that !
had just ten minutes to get the train.
I paid for the auburn wig. clapped 1t
on my head and started for the stu
ton.
l was On the last passenger train to
leave Berlin. The war was brand new
to me. but not to the Germans. who
were prepared for It, Two things espe.
ciaIly l had not considered. for I had
not heard Of them-the Germans spy
system and their methods Of detecting
their enemy's spies.
l was brought to my senses by see
ing q German officer come through the
train examining passports. l had mine
in a hand bag. got it out and had 1t
ready when the man reached me. He
read the description. looked at me. and
noticing my red wig, his expression
changed at once to one Of f1ercenes
He said something to US in German
that l did not understand and. calling
some soldiers, turned me over to them
for safe keeping, then went his way
through the train.
An American gentleman who under
stood German announced to me the I'm
pleasant information that | had bee
arrested as a French spy. He had
heard the officer say that the passport
travelled on belonged to n having
a French name and that it described
a black headed man, while l was q red
headed man. Never had there been a
more barefaced attempt to carry infor-
nation out of Germany for the use OF
an enemy.
Here was 4 pretty pass. In my hur,
ry to get away l had forgotten my
passport. or. rather, l had thus far not
been required to show it, and it had
would be now required.
When we reached a city, didn't
know what city, was taken from the
train and conducted to the headquar
tiers Of an officer who. ! judged by
the respect paid him. was Of high
rank. He received M with a lowering
brow. read the description in my pass
port and. looking at my wig, said what
by his expression | judged to mean.
Take him out and shoot him."
The soldiers advanced to take me.
In a at Of desperation l seized my red
wig and. throwing it on the floor.
trampled OF 1t and cried out, II Am
not q red headed man: l am IN Amer
lean citizen"
There U have been something
ridiculous In the act. for the officer
burst into a laugh. Then an inter.
prefer was called. who translated my
story. As o o az 1t was understood
that I was an American and the pass.
port belonged to me ! was set at lib.
erty. with an apology. Realizing that
my train had gone on. I asked for q
permit to travel on q troop train. anl
n was given me.
l could not endure to travel without
my wig. SO l retained it. During my
journey through Belgium l fell In with
a Frenchman with a red head. As
soOn as we passed into France he gave
me his passport. which he nc longer
needed. Having had SO much trouble
with my own passport. l decided that
possibly l might have use for the 9th.
,er. so l accepted it.
While working my way south toward
Paris l was set upon by a party of
French spy hunters Thinking to get
rid Of them without their noticing the
difference in my hair from that laid
down in my passport. | used the one
given me. Unfortunately a keen eyed
fellow noticed how the hair of my wig
fell on my neck and, grasping the wig.
held 1t up amid shouts from the 9TH
ers, crying:
"A spy! A spy!
Again | was taken before an officer
this time y Frenchman. who. or re.
ceiving the report Of my captors, or.