The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1917-03-02


I'd Guard In snowstorm, Fled by
Night to French Coast and Stole
Aboard Norwegian eark-Wont Be
Gent Back.
Two years in a French prison camp
at Rouen prompted Otto Flick, Ger
man prisoner of war, to make desper-
ate break for liberty, make his way to
Havre and stow himself away on the
Norwegian bark Metropolis, which ar
rived at Philadelphia.
There Is every prospect that he Will
be a free man as soon as the immigra-
ton officials have considered his case.
A solid six feet Of muscle and sinew
and twenty-six years old, Flick was as
signed at the beginning Of the war to
the crack Prussian guards division of
tho German army, under the command
Of General Won Kluck, which fought
its way through France in September,
1914, almost to the very gates Of Paris.
Captured on the firing line during the
terrific fighting which marked the bat
tic of the Marne, Flick was first sent
by his French captOrs to temporary
prison camp behind their lines and
later transferred to the prison camp
at Rouen, one of the largest and most
strongly guarded prison camps in
France.
Frss From Danger,
Flick at first enjoyed his respite from
everlasting fighting by day and march
Ing by night. He was content to eat
tho scanty prison fare Of bread and
soup and at night to lie on the few
Wisps of straw that separated him
from the damp earth, resting happy in
tho knowledge that his loved ones in
tho fatherland were spared the horrors
of war and that he himself was safe
from French bayonets.
But gradually thoughts of escape en-
tered his mind. With the powers of
observation bred by German military
discipline, he noticed that the vigilance
Of the sentinels on guard over the camp
was relaxed on stormy nights. The
night of Dec. 8, 1916, brought q storm
Of thick snow and heavy wind, and,
seizing his opportunity to pass the SEN
tinels, he scaled a thirty-two foot wall
surrounding the camp and, dropping to
tho ground, found himself on the banks
Of the river Seine.
Knowing that escape to the frontiers
on the east was closed by marching
troops and interminable miles of
trenches, he decided that his best
chance to escape lay in following the
course of the Seine westward to the
sea-, Avoiding the main Travelled
roads, he stole through the woods along
the banks of the river and at dawn
slipped, like a hunted rat, into a peas
ant barn. Stealing his food where he
could find It, he covered 100 miles In
this way until at the end Of ten days
he found himself at the mouth Of the
river and at the seaport of Havre.
Stole Aboard Ship.
Moored to q dock he found the Nor
Wegian bark Metropolis, and, utilizing
his knowledge Of French acquired dur
ing his Imprisonment, he ascertained
that her next port was Philadelphia,
which spelled freedom to him. Wait
ing till the crew went ashore to say
farewell to their friends, he climbed
aboard over a hawser and hid In the
hold behind the water tanks of the
ship.
Tho Metropolis sailed three days lat
CT, on Dec. IS, and at the end of three
days more his meager supply of provi-
sions, consisting of q loaf Of bread,
was exhausted. In a semistarved con-
diton he gave himself up to Captain
Turgussen while he was writing the
days log. The captain was consider
ably mystifed at Fiek's appearance
and had difficulty in solving the mys-
tery because Flick could speak only
German and French, while the cap
tain speaks English and Scandinavian,
but the captain finally grasped his
story and put the stowaway to work.
During the remainder Of the voyage
Fiek was treated as one Of the crew,
doing the same work as far as lay in
his ability and receiving the same al
lowance Of food and tobacco. On the
arrival Of the Metropolis in Philadel-
phia he was confined to his quarters
until the arrival of the immigration
omcofs.