The Washington times., 1915-02-20
SOLDIERS At FRONT
MOURN IRISH JOKER
RegimentaI Wit Becomes the
Victim of His Own Escapade,
Explains Priest.

LONDON. Feb. 12 (by mail to New
York).-"What was the saddest funeral
that you conducted at the front?'
You may take your pick between
two" answered the young Irish priest
who reached London today straight
from the trenches to spend six days
leave of absence. Here's the first one"
There was a young Irish Joker In our
regiment who was the idol of his mates
because of his good humor. He used
to wake himself up laughing. his COM
rades said. One day he went into a
cottage and whispered to the woman
there: I'm German. get me something
to cat The woman put dinner out for
him and while he was eating slipped
away to the English cavalry OUTPOST
and told them that there was Ger
In her house. The cavalrymen dashed
up to the house. l suppose the joker
took fright as he really was close to
the German lines and mistook the Brit
ish for Germans. Any way he went to
the window with his rife raised for
action and the troopers riddled him. He
was stone dead when picked up.
The soldiers stood around and cried
like women when we put the little Irish
Tommy away. And had to write a
he had been killed In action. She has
three little daughters, the youngest
four. and even II didn't tell the whole
truth they'll never know that their
daddy didn't die in battle.
Priest Killed BY Bomb.
And then there was the funeral OF
the old cure in little town in France.
The whole village loved him like a
father. He had guided the lives of most
Of the folk since they were able to
walk. One afternoon German fiier
dropped bomb on the little church
where the cure was at prayer.
All they ever found of him was the
right nand with which he had blessed
the Viilagers. the people washed the
hand and prepared 1t
Tor burial in an old walnut jewel box
as tenderly as IL they We're laying their
beloved priest in a magnificent casket.
the grave was a small one, but all the
village folk gathered beside 1t and wept
their hearts out while | read the funeral
service. The German shell-fire forced
me to cut the burial service short, but
end.
In four months on the firing line. you
see many sights that YOU would like is
FORGET. Curiously though, those that
leaVe the most vivid Impressions are
thosc that seem unimportant.
Causes Troubled Dreams.
Il have seen many aeroplanes fall.
three in one day, but there is 4 single
incident that causes troubled dreams
There had been a fight in the sky be-
tween German and an English aviator
The German machine had been broken
and 1t began to flutter downward like an
injured bird. Suddenly out of the wreck
a black object fell. 1t was the pilot who
had been Jared from his seat. He must
have fallen a mile. 1t seemed to me as
though 1t took him ten minutes to drop.
| can't describe my feelings-they were
too horrible to explain"
When asked whether he had many
close calls himself. the priest replied:
"Of course. You cannot live so near
war. and not have many narrow squeaks
One night soldier guided me to a house
where ] wanted TO see an officer, The
soldier waited outside while ] went in
had just left him when a shell fell and
when we ran out he was dead And. by
the way, It's at such times that you get
the sick feeling. While the firing is 20
ing on you're not disturbed I'm the least
But it's always after one Of those mar
row misses that you feel weak and sick
and Nuttery The best men feel that
way. They tell me So"