The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1916-06-24
Fleeing From
War
By DONALD cHAMBERLIN

for America as soon as possible, for l
feared an interruption of travel. But
there was such crowd Of fugittves,
besides the troops, being moved west
ward, that l concluded to wait till
the trains were less crowded, so l re-
mained where l was, and finally there
came time when felt that / could
go through comfortably.
chose a way train, because the
main exodus was on the express
trains. The former are composed Of
compartments holding eight persons,
between which there is no connection.
The latter are also compartments, but
there is passageway so that one can
walk through the train, as in America.
The compartment in which I started
was full, but travellers kept getting
out at the stations until there was
but one person left a woman who
wore a veil thick enough to conceal
her features.
As soon as she and l were alone
she began to show signs Of illness. /
asked her if could do anything for
her, and she replied-in a coarse voice
for a woman, thought-asking me if
/ had any liquor. / told her had
not, Whereupon she said that she had
some very fine brandy which she had
intended to make a present to her
mother, but she must use 1t. Taking
it from a handbag, she poured a little
Of it into glass she produced and
drank it off. Then, suddenly remem-
berfng me, she poured the rest Of the
liquor into the glass and handed it
to me. ,.
Drink it." she said. my gift is
spoiled"
"But II Is more than I care for" I
protested.
''Drink what you like and throw the
rest out of the window"
/ did not propose to throw away such
good liquor and drank it all A few
minutes after had done so began to
4 feel dizzy and the power to move or
II speak leaving me. The woman at once
A discarded all appearance Of illness and
asked me how l liked her liquor /
could not reply, and when she was sat
1sfed that / could not she threw off
her feminine attire and appeared as a
man. Then he took my travelling cap
off my head and put it on his own. His
next act was to go through my pock-
cts till he found my passport, which
he appropriated.
His German speech had been with a
foreign accent and now that he had
taken my passport / suspected that he
was a foreigner to the country trying
to get out of it / was completely
helpless from the effects of the liquor,
which had been undoubtedly drugged
Nevertheless, 1 was perfectly conscious
Of all that was taking place. The man
put his woInan's apparel under the
cushion of the seat, and when the train
stopped at the next station and the
guard unlocked the door OF the com
partment he got out and hurried away.
| endeavored to tell the guard to stop
him, but was powerless even to point
to him. The door was again locked,
and the train moved on
The effect of the drug did not last
long, and when l righted found my
self on train leaving Germany and
required to show passport that 1 did
not have. l was not permitted to re-
main undtsturbed, for later ON In the
day, when the train stopped, couple
of German officials appeared at the
door Of my compartment, evidently
looking for some one. They pounced
upon me and demanded my passport.
/ told them how I had been robbed
Of it, and had but half finished my
story when one of them exclaimed,
''He is our man!' Then they ordered
me to produce any secret papers I had
about me. I protested, and they
searched me-
1t was evident that they were after
spy, and I believed that he was the
man who had drugged me and taken
my passport. They took me out Of the
train, and we boarded one going to
Berlin. When we reached the capital
was taken before an officer and ques-
toned. did not correspond with the
description he had of the spy, and
heard him tell my captors that they
produce letters received from America
and told him that If he would permit
me to communicate with the American
embassy, where my passport had been
vfse6, could further substantiate ny
identity.
They were about to call messenger
for this purpose when telegram was
received stating that man had been
arrested with military information on
his person and bearing the passport of
an American. the name being the one 1
had given. This proved my case, but
was held till the spy was brought to
Berlin and to the Office where was de
tanned AS soon rs 1 saw him 1 recog-
nized him for the man who had drug
ged me- He was Frenchman and
had gathered a lot of military informa-
ton. t.s..
There was not much formality about
such matters, and instead OF trying the
spy the officer who examined him told
his eaptors to take him away. l fan