Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-26
FIRST GERMAN DEsERTER
ARRIVES AS STOWAWAY
Probably VIII BE Dcportcd, and
This Means lie VIII BE
Shot.
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WRECK
Story of Escape From His Regiment.
Help Given Him by French Girl
and Risks lie Encountered, Reads
Like Movie Drama.
Special TO The Times Dispatch

NEW YORK. November 2a.--tarl
Schulz. the first desertcr from the Ger
man army 10 reach New YORK; arrived
her. to-day on the Neightcr Noorder-
dyk. on which he slowed away at Rot
terGa,n lie will be taken TO Ellis
island tomorrow, and his exclusion
from this country may mean that he
viii he returned Ia Germany ny the
Netherlands government In that event
he will he shot for doscrtion.
Schulz is a mental and physical
Y.rcck from terror that his deportation
from America means death.
The story Of his escape from his reg
ilnont-the King of Saxony's Light In
fantry-the help given him 10y French
girl with whom he was in love. and
III. risks he ran in getting from the
interior OF belgium to rotterdam,
reads like a movie drama. rie desert
ed because. he said. there was not
cnoughNfooh TO go around. and the men
wcr" starving.
Here is his story as he tcld it on
the deck Of the Noorderdyk. TO which
he was brought yestcrda" under
guard from the ships bridge.
II, seems have escaped from death
in the trenches or starvation only to
Toe taken back and shot AS Il criminal.
Had known OF tho United States i'm
migration laws ana regulations that
surround stowaways. nev"r would
nave endured the harGships I did to
desert the army.
IL know that th"rc is nothiaE meancr
uor more cOutemptiLle than ucsertion.
Hut could stand il no longer. Our
regiment was i'm ignom!ny because cv-
cry battle in which il had been en-
gagged had been lost. Our commanding
officer had been denoted. and scnt back.
The King OF SaXony's Light In
fautrr was covered with shame. was
private. and had been with tho regi-
ment for two years before war broke
out We were at the siege and cap
turc Of I.i.re. the first victory for
the German colors. From chen on, we
never won anything.
KEPT IN IGNORANCE
OF ENACT LOCATION
After n three days battle. we were
rcpulscd. hut were told that We were
nearing Paris. This went on for weeks.
We lost count OF time. ana one day
at the approach OF what proved 10 he
a serious defeat for our arms. we were
told that Paris was only f"w miles
distance. The signs Identifying the
town wcre torn down. and ". were
kept in ignorance OF our exact ioca-
ton.
I'VE waited there for weeks. Half
ration: was the order OF the day, and
later quarter rationg. Some days there
was no food at ali. and the men were
on the verge Of rebellion. Only the
thought we would soon tie in Paris
kept the regiment together.
Half the regiment agreed TO desert.
7 know of 10 men who got to holland,
as did. Ny escape was due TO tho
love Of a Belgian French girl whom !!
had met when we first entered the
town. She aided by lending me her
clothes. and as laundry girl ] man
aged to make my WAY from the fight
ing line to the Dutch frontier
Seven times l was held up and sub
JCctcd To the ribaldries of German sol =
diers Fortunately they did not pene-
tratc my disguise and after three
months OF hardships l managed to
reach Rotterdam. There I mad friends.
and they gave me clothes and money
and helped me 10 steal aboard the
NoorGcrdyk while she was coaiinE
II lay in the coal bunltcrs for two
days. y party from a British cruiser
boarded US in the Downs. but they did
not find me. When | felt that all
danger was past | went on deck and
gave myself up. Since then | have
been given odd jobs TO do in exchange