The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-11-30
FLIER'S ESCAPE
HEROIC STORY
Shot: Falls 5000 Feet; Jumps
From Train; Digs Under
Charged Wires.
DODGES FOES SENTINELS
Survives Turnip Diet; Lives
Through London Banquet
in Celebration.
DODGEs FOES sENTINELS

LONDON Nov. 2s.--Lieut. Patrick
O'Brfen of Momence. H.. near Chicago.
the first American member of tho Brit
ish Flying Corps to escape from Ger
many. has arrived In London. O'Brlen
eluded his captors by jumping from the
window of a speeding train. He then
became a fugitive for seventy two days.
and as his goal was within sight. mar
rowly escaped electrocution from the
charged wires along the Holland from
tier.
After cabling his aged mother, Mrs.
Margaret O'Brien. at Momence to expect
to see him soon, Lieut.. OBrien called
upon American Ambassador Page to
seek advice regarding his desire to be
transferred to the American flying
corps Last night O'Brisn was dined
by group Of admiring disre who, like
scores OF friends along the 'front.' had
believed he had been killed when he was
reported missing on August II last
was In San Diego Corps.
O'Brien, who Is a sturdy young man
of %. WAS flying In tho American av!a-
,ion squadron at San Diego. Cal. when
he went to Victoria, b. c., and obtained
commission In tho Canadian army.
Going to France the next year he dis
tinguished himself by his great daring
over the German lines. On the morn
ing OF August II enemy gunners forced
him to descend. but fortunately he
landed behind his own lines.
Late afternoon of the same day saw
him Up again over the German lines.
fighting the enemy. There were twenty
German machines TO six British in the
encounter. CBrien's machine alone en-
I ssginS four enemy craft and accounting
for one before O'Brien was shot through
the upper lip. He fell with his damaged
airplane from height of 5000 feet.
VBrien says ha cannot explain why he
was not killed. When he regained con-
! sciousness he was In German hospital
Later the Lieutenant spent three
weeks at prison camp at Courtrai be-
fore he was started for the interior of
Germany. There were three other pris-
oners under strong guard In his COM
par,ment when OBrien as a russ had
the window opened by complaining 6f
the smoke.
The train was sixty miles inside Ger
many and travelling at thirty miles an
hour. but O'Brien decided to take a des-
! pcfdlc CuoiiCos 11c yoHipeu from inc
train, skinnine the whole side Of his
face. reopening the wound In his lip and
losing consciousness. 1t was about 4
o'clock in the morning and the darkness
shielded him. When he recovered he
was lying In a field.
Then for seventy-two days he was a
fugitive. travelling only at night. He
, trudged through fields and swan rivers
and canals in Germany. Luxembourg and
Belgium before he reached the Dutch
! frontier. At the time Of his flight he had
a piece Of sausage. on which he sub
sisted for several days. after which his
sole sustenance consisted OF turnips and
other vegetables found In fields
O'Brien did not know any German
but he used q little French on a kindly
Belgian who was so happy to meet an
American In British uniform that he
sheltered him for several days. The
Belgian then gave him old clothes IA
cover his uniform and directed him by
the nearest route TO the frontier. O'Brien
swan the River Meuse near Namur and
the next day was challenged by German
sentries. who decided he was a peasant
Builds Bridge over Wires.
But his narrowest escape was reserved
for his last day as fugitive, when he
could see Dutch territory. To circum.
vent the charged wires O'Brien built q
bridge in q nearby wood and threw II
across the wires. But II broke under
his weight and OBrhn received SHOCK
which no says hs st!l! can feel Wher
he recovered he dug with his bare handl
a tunnel under the wire. and althoull
It was slow progress after several hour,
he had q hole big enough to craw
through. which he did. unobserved
Even then O'Brien was not sure HI
was In Dutch territory, so he concealed
himself in q hay barn until the mex
morning. When daylight came the firs
thing he saw was people making wooder
shoes. He then walked out into the oper
and hurried to the nearest British Con
sui, VINO arranged for his transportation
to London.