Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1916-01-28
in DARING ESCAPE
Interned British Naval 0fIcer
Flees From Denmark
Takes Back FromIso Not % ~ ~
Escape. Then Makes 0stAway
While noubly Guarded ~ /

}5sa
London, ~ Lieutenant Commander
Layton, 8 British naval oficer who
was interned at Copenhagen, has just
made bis escape ii exciting circnmp
stances. and arrived here.
At first, he was allowed " tho
Danes . fair amount Of liberty On pa-.
role, but q lew days after his intern,
ment began be went To the command
ant Of the barracks and told him he |
wished TO take back tho word Of hon,
or be had given mot to Try 70 eecapA |
The ccmmandant, interpreting this |
- an intimation that he would en.l
doavcr to escape, told Layton that no
would have 70 have him very closely
watched His quarters were placsd
under double guard, and thers alwayS
seemed to be three or four seHtries
watching his movements. The pros
pect Of escape seemed small, and. 10
mako matters worse, Dayton wap
seised with q violent influenza cold,
which prostrated him for the time b.
tAg. s'E@4 8
Two sentries stood at the door n
his room. and they never seemed 10
relax their vigilance. They were con.
stantly looking through the peephols
IN the door Of Iayton's room, to go
that matters were ell right
They did II % usual On the partics
uiay evening that he escaped. Things
were apparently quite Ii order, and
their prisoner was apparently lying %
the bed. Al 3 matter Of fact, be wAs
not. and at moment whom the ~
tention Of one Of the sentries was el,r
gagged and the other had been sent oA
IN errand, Layton opened the door
and slipped into another room, where
be found Z thick serge civilian suit.
IN due course he found himself at q
window overlooking the street, and
With q rope which he haA Aiscoysre1
be lcwersds shimselt intes ! street
The barracks were on an island. and
for better security patrols had been
placed everywhere. The escaping Of
1cer met two Of them. but succeeded
BY ruse IN passing them.
Hia NEXT obstacle was the canal
The night was dark and bitterly cold.
there being several degrees Of frost,
but. clothed as he was, Layton took
the most direct course, and swan for
Il. In spite Of the fact that he was
gtill suffering from influenza he did
this successfully, and having GOT To
land, be took on his clothes and
wrung them out, 30 90 to show no Oh.
vious sigma Of water.
On the ferry beat be turned himself
into . porter, and managed 10 Get .
Job Of carrying passengers bag 10
the station. There he boarded . train,
and In due course reached the dook.
side, where he caught q train to Chris.
tlaniaA
He used several disguises during
the remainder Of his voyage 10 Chris
tiania. iust succeeded In escaping de-
lection, and finally sailed from Bergen
TO England. On the boat to England
passenger asked him II Il was true
that he was an American. He replied
that he was. whereupon his fellow.
traveller remarked.
II you we're not 90 darned sure
about II, should say you were &
British naval ofiicer.''
When the travel-stained young Engs
lishman, without money, presented
himself before a transport oflcer at
the British port, he was not unnatural
" looked upon with suspicion. but he
was soon able 70 establish biz idsn-
tity.