Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-09-25
Tells WAR TRAGEDY
Wounded French Officer De-
scribes Thrilling Escape.
Slips Out Of German Prison and
Makes Way Back to Own Lines
Peasant Baby Shot. In His Arms
by German S~entineIs.
international News service.)

X Paris.-A lieutenant In the Frenc
d Foreign legion has just told the 10
lowing story here:
1t was on the night of August q
after the retreat from Luneville. T,
wards five ! received a ball in tn
. forehead-see the seal on the right o
! the frontal bone. | fell stunned b
the blow. One of my men picked m
/ up, n | could hear him confused
saying: Our lieutenant is dead M
comrades took me behind a wall an,
left me there.
!, towards seven | came to myself II
a fever, and believing l was In tn,
thick OF the battle. / shouted For
ward but those to whom | gave tn,
order were German ambulance men
They took me on a stretcher to Lune
vile and shut me in the barracks O
the chasseurs, which had been trans
formed into a hospital.
%The window bars we're old and the
~feverSgave me the strength of ten. ]
dug at the cement with a knife, and
tore out a bar. Slipping through,
fell from the first story into an empty
passage leading to the Rue Jollivet.
was bleeding at the knees, but what
matter? / crawled a few yards and
saw the uhlans defiling past in the
main street. Close by was a house
where had seen a light appear and
then go out. After knocking gently
n getting no answer, / broke down
the door with my shoulder and went
In, revolver in hand. A whole family
was hiding under the staircase, and in
a whisper | said | was French and
they had nothing to fear.
"A trembling woman's fingers were
held cut to guide me. Give me q
CLOAK, a hat and a pair of trousers I
said. In a second or two these were
forthcoming. Which Is the first road
l come tor The road to Bayou A
mans toneless voice added: Iieuten-
ant, you are going-let us 20 with
you! lit my pocket-lamp to look at
my companions-a lower middle-class
family, the man pale, with chattering
teeth, the woman also pale, but reso-
lutte, and two children, one of seven
and the other a baby of nine months.
All right I said, we will go-all FIVE
of us!'
Disguised as a civilian, with bowed
shoulders like an old man, l led the
way, carrying the baby. We ran and
crept along the banks of the Moselle
the bridges were occupied by
troops. We had to go on noiseless-
ly, for had heard the cultural cries
Of the sentinels on outpost duty. The
baby began to wall. The outpost heard
is and 'Wer da?' rang out $50 yards
away. We did not reply and a shower
II bullets swept us, whistling on all
Run, and run fast!' | cried, and
took the baby again.
He was crying just now, but was
luiet again. Another shower of bull
cts. My left arm felt heavy and my
title finger especially hurt me hor-
Iorribly. At last we fell into a dense
Grub. God be thanked! we were
aved! But the underground was
hick. The man had a knife with him 4
nd had still mine. So we went at it 6
utting a path through. The woman, I
lotherly even in her terror, offered to /
ike the baby to tighten me. No, no!f
said, he does not weigh much and
o is asleep
w cut so hard into the wood
card afterwards that 1t was the for |
1t OF Parroy-that we came to a
caring and a path. But how heavy
70 baby was! A grand, fine boy, said |
% mother, and did not doubt her in .
% least. We walked hard, going .
estward. Suddenly French voices C
.allenged, Halt, who goes there?' "A :
'ench officer l answered, and ad. -
need to explain who we were and -
hence we came.
But you are wounded, lieutenant!
ys the sergeant. Hush! Say moth.
: for the sake of the Others l re-
ed, for by the glare Of the lantern |
d 9 blood also on the baby's bon
/. Two men to take these good
ople to the rear l ordered with a
h of satisfaction, and as for me,
70 me to the first aid station
i held out the child to its mother, -
ing: BE careful, no shaking; he -
sleeping, do not wake him. | went
al a Jog trot, without turning
nd for fear of betraying emotion.
the little finger taken off-see-
two bullets through the shoulder,
h up.
that was nothing to compare
b what | vas suffering. For | can
you now, gentlemen, | had known =
r since the first shot that | was
rying a dead baby"