The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-08

Thomas, however, proved himself
even craftier man than the Ger
mans, inasmuch as he succeeded in
escaping over the frontier line.
After spending two months in the
mine, during which period my finger
had showed no signs of healing,
was sent back to Munster, where
went into hospital. Here an opera
ton was performed upon my finger.
AS in everything else, the German
medical man at this hospital showed
no respect for a prisoner OF war.
Without giving me anything to dull
the pain the doctor merely clipped
the best part of my finger off with
an ordinary pair Of scissors.
One day, whilst walking in the
ground. saw a sight which made
me quite miserable. On the road 1
saw, about 200 misunderstanding
Belgian mme who were being fore
IDLY deported into Germany TO work.
Because they had showed signs of de-
fiance these men had been kept pris-
oners practically without food for
nearly week.
could see that they were half
starved. but little did I think that
their hunger was so intense until a
wagon containing the leavings and
refuse from the Munster camp came
up the road on its way to the piggery.
As soon as the Belgtans caught sight
of the Stops they broke through the
guards and threw themselves at the
men who were pulling the wagon,
whilst others scrambled on the wheels
and on the shafts of the wagons.
The Belgians fought each other like
wolves to get at this putrid filth. I
know never wish to see anything
like it again. Men dragged each 9TH
er from the wagon and fought like
wild beasts. The guards rushed upon
them and beat them down with their
rifles, but the men took no heed of
this. They attacked the guards in
| turn,-in fact, they did everything
food, which was quite unfit for hui
man consumption. The poor fellows
were raving mad with hunger.
The following day six of these poor
creatures died from poisoning
through having devoured the unfit
food. The other prisoners in the
lcamp felt so sorry for the Be1gians
that collection of food was made
for them.
4 think it was whilst at Munster
i that we were visited by the Spanish
! Ambassador, who, as representing a
neutral country, was probably making
Inquiries as to the treatment of pris-
4 oners. The rooms at Munster. as II
happened. were greatly overcrowded
but the Germans were too clever fol-
the Spanish representative, who, had
he seen such large number of mer
in one bedroom would probably have
mentioned the matter to headquarters
oil fn hi
4 The Germans apparently knew this
for on the day of his visit a number
81 of US were ordered to leave the room
i and to take our blankets with us. The
4 result was that when the Spanish
4 Ambassador saw only half of the usu-
al number of men in the room he was
.lquite satisfied with the arrangements
and no doubt he would report favor
ably upon his visit. Such is the crafty
method Of the German.
I stayed at Munster doing Igh1
work for about five months. At thu
d end of April, or probably at the be
j, ginning, of May, of this year wa,
sent. along with three others to 8
small town on the banks of tbs
Rhine, within very easy distance Of
Il Dusseldorf. On arriving at our des
tinatton we were led to a paper fac,
tory. which I afterwards found GU
!. supplied paper to number of LEADING
q German newspaper proprietors. WI
were Joined here by another party O
"a.
II My work at this factory was to un
load timber from wagons which wa
to be made into paper. Whilst a
work suddenly made up my mind t,
try and escape. I had clear viey
of the river, and SO began to con
slider the ways and means of gettinl
, away. I felt certain that if I got t.
/ the other side of, the Rhine I woul
I have grand chance of reaching tn
frontier. knew, however, that tn
E Rhine had proved downfall of am
!. bilious men like myself, so gave a
. my attention to studying the countr
v first. knew that If I hurried thing
t / I would have to pay the penalty. an
I. therefore decided there and the
4 Ito get to know more of the countx
: before I made my second dash fc
S. liberty. The thoughts of escapin
e which had entered my mind neve
g left me, and went to my billet ths
: night In a somewhat restless moo
:, In the next article, Private Hob
e will tell you about his second atteml
n to escape. He also reveals the IA
: that an attempt was made to assal
sinate the Kaiser.
- AAsf MOL
. ruNrr, rvrD ry~ur r~Dry,