The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-11-09
Billy THORN Caps Career by
Fighting in Legion After
He's Dead"
TOOK YEAR TO GET there
War Is Just One More Thrill to Wan.
derer-Shanshaied to Chile When
He Reaches Rordeaux-Chum
Killed in Row.
By PAUL ROCKWELL.


Paris, France.-A full chronicle Of
the adventures on land and sea OF
Billy THORN, American legionnaire,
would fill volumes which for absorb.
ing interest would rank with Treas
ure Island or any of the widely read
stories of adventure and romance.
Billy was born on a wheat ranch,
near Canton, S. D.. and was christ.
ened Daniel William THORN. The
peaceful occupation Oh following the
plow or operating a steam thresher
did not appeal to him, however, and
at the age of fourteen years he ran
away from home to see the world.
The rowing blood of hardy Viking
ancestors coursed madly in Billy's
ing the Pacific coast, he shipped as
cabin boy on a tramp sailing vessel,
and from that time on Billy followed
the sea with fair regularity for fifteen
years.
Marine on Chinese Gunboat.
Like all sailors, however, Billy had
his spells Of being tired Of ordinary
SCdldIlilS. olCC IC SlliiOCCu do IL uld-
rine on a Chinese gunboat and fought
with desperate yellow pirates and
opium
Ee was a member of Price and
Iosby's legion Of soldiers of fortune
,Ihich fought for first one Mexican
%)-etender, then for another.
That campaign was almost Billy's
.,;,l, r., ,,o,r;1Jo 1o%+lo ,,;%l, -
and of rc~volutionists Billy and a COM
.-de decided to investigate a small
tdope hut which stood in the low
rush near a road. Billy started round
&C side Of the house, his mate round
he other. When Billy came to the
rent of the house the headless body
II his comrade lay in the dust before
sc half open door. Billy saw red"
lie put his hand on the door to push
t open, and a Mexican lurking behind
It cut the hand half off with a machete.
Somehow or other, Billy killed the
Mexican with his bare hands.
Then he heard firing and stepped
out of the hut. A bullet passed
through his face, from cheek to cheek,
md Billy started to run. Just as he
reached the road a second bullet
caught him through the thigh and
Silly pitched forward in the dust.
When he recovered consciousness he
was in a military hospital al. Fort
Roswell, N. M.
After Billy recovered he went to
Australia. He left that country in
T,,o 1n16 ~, 49,, TtoJ;o,, ,,occo1 hD,,rl
for Liverpool. When the ship reached
its destination it was learned that the
great war had broken out.
Goes to Enlist, shanghaied on Ship.
Billy at once announced his inten-
ton OF going to France and joining
the foreign legion.
Jack Hodge, an Australian sailor
who had shipped along with Billy,
decided to join the legion with him
and the Italian captain offered to
carry the two men to Bordeaux on his
boat. At Bordeaux the two comrades
helped load the boat with q cargo for
Chile, then went into Q cafe with the
captain, who proposed a drink to their
success. One drink was followed by
another, and when the two would-be
legionnaires recovered their senses
they were far out on the ocean en-
route for South America.
Some weeks later the ship sailed
into the harbor of AFRICA, Chile. Be-
fore going ashore Billy and his mate
gave the treacherous captain a thrash.
ing that sent him into a hospital and
them into a Chilean prison for two
months. "a
After coming out Of Jail the two.
comrades had to wait AROUND ArtyAI