The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-05-04
German Government Wants
"Corsair of the Air." Dead
or Alive.
LEADER OF BOMBING RAIDS
Has Caused Damage Of Grievous Kind
and With Persistency That Seems
to Know No Limit-Reward Of
$6,25O ls Offered.

Paris.-On the head of one man III
the French army the German govern
ment has put price. This man has
caused them damage Of grievous
kind and with persistency which seems
to know no limit.
The sum of $4,000 marks ($6,250)
will be paid for Captain X. Of the
French aviation service dead or alive.
The French government has been very
careful to avoid giving his name, and
1t is believed the Germans know him
only by description.
1t was Captain x. who three success
sive times went to lombard the Ger
man powder and ammunition factory
at Rottweil, in Wuerttemberg. On eacl
occasion he performed an extraordi
nary feat.
The sobriquet Of "corsair of the air
has been given to him. Some of his ex
ploits partake Of the ruthless vigol
of the true pirate.
Captain x. Is the principal leader
of the French bombing expeditions
and he seems like a hero who has
dropped out Of q romantic novel Dan
ger Is his very life, and he plays with
it so that his adventures during the
war have been almost fantastic.
He began by being made prisoner
which obliged him to descend in neu-
trail country, but he succeeded In OBJ
tanning his release. When he returned
to France he was sent to the eastern
frontier for active service.
Though he demands much from his
subordinates, he sets a good example
himself. When he goes out with them
for bombardment each Of the ma
chimes carries a special sign. He takes
his position about eight thousand feet
above the object to be destroyed, while
his companions are discharging their
missiles.
Through his glasses he watches the
results and notes the points which
have been struck and the actual dam.
age done and makes n record Of it all
in his notebook. When the others
have completed their work the captain
descends in spiral. aims with preci.
sion and delivers the final, and gen.
orally the most fatal. blows to the
ShOihy piopClly.
Guards His Flock.
He waits to Judge the effects of his
work, and then he starts for home,
escorting his men and acting as
faithful dog does to the flock, hurrying
to the assistance of those who may
need it. 1t is not without having run
the most serious kinds Of risks that he
I, 80
During one bombardment he fought
with a large German aviatik armed
with two machine guns. His whole
machine was seriously damaged by
shots, number Of important parts
Of the apparatus being cut and torn.
but he continued on into German ter.
ritory and went direct to a railway sta
tion and factory which he had set out
to lombard. carried out his mission
and returned safely to his base.
The first time he went to attack the
powder Fl ctory Of Rottweil was, on
March 3. 1915. Tho journey lasted
five hours and twenty minutes. Ten
minutes afte" he began the attack on
the plant conflagration was noticed
beneath him, and he realized that he
had destroyed at least an important
part Of 1t. ie had brought four large
shells witt. him and he descended very
low In order to deliver his attack 80
that each of the shells struck home.
One Of them landed In the mixing
basin OF nitric acid and slycerine and
the others ff', on the buildings.
Flames at once arose aud the smoke
made q column forty-fva hundred feet
high.
His next important bo,nbardment
was at the railway station which the
French authorities indicated as ". TO