The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-08-17
PRIEST CAPTURED CON-
PANY OF TEUT0NS

French Front, Aug. l3.-lhe sVoT!
Of the capture of nearly company OF
German troops who were trapped II
the Dragons Cave near the famous
Chemin des Danes when the French
troops stormed and carried the German
position along that historic road was
told to the Associated Press CORE
spondent today by Father Ply, a Fran
ciscan priest, who, with a doctor,
brought the prisoners into the French
lines. Father Ply was acting as
stretcher bearer to one of the most
celebrated regiments of the French
army, the One Hundred and Fifty
second infantry.
The Dragons Cave is near the farm
of Hurtebise, or what was farm, for
it has now become nothing but heap
of bricks, mud and splintered timbers.
He is a small man, is Father Ply,
who, when the war broke out was en-
gagged on missionary work in Brazil.
The call of his country brought him
back to France, and although he is a
native of the south Of France he vol
unteered for service in the ambulance
section of the One Hundred and Fiji
ty-second, a regiment from the Yes
ges. He explained to the correspond
ent how, on the day of the battle, he
had been detailed to go out and tend
TO the wounded, but not to advance be-
yond a certain trench, which was very
near the most advanced French line.
When he got there he found no one
IT., T7rav,a, rA1I,nrr bod for,
ward with one bound right TO the
track Of the curtain fire put up by
the artillery and had reached the Ger
man trenches on the other side of the
crest out of sight with miraculously
slight losses. The priest and a COM
panion looked about in search OF
wounded but could find none. Then,
thinking under the circumstances they
were justified in disobeying orders
they climbed over the top of the
trench and went farther forward.
German Screams for Help.
A little farther forward they saw q
German running about with his clothes
afarne and uttering cries for help, at
the same time pointing behind him to
hole in the ground where two other
men were gesticulating. The priest
went on thinking to find some more
wounded men-perhaps men of hi:
own regiment-but soon he saw they
were Germans. At once he paised hi;
crucifix in the air in the belief il
would protect him, and he continued
to advance. The Germans did no
threaten him as he approached anc
soon he saw they were wounded.
On arriving at the entrance of what
he had believed was dug-out he founC
the hole went far into the side of tht
crest. He entered the Dragons Cave
still holding the crucifix before hin
and shouting "Catholicl" Inside h
found the hole spread out in all di
rections and that it was full of armed
German soldiers. Four or five o.
them were officers and, under the i'm
preston some of them at least woult
understand French, he called ont il
that language that he was a Catholic
priest and that if there were any Ger
man wounded there he was prepares
to administer the rites of the church.
One of the officers spoke to him
asked what he was doing there anc
what was going on outside. He in
formed him the French had made {
long advance over their heads and hac
crossed the crest and that they haC
better lay down their arms, for they
would either be killed or taken pris
oners in any event
Officers Agree to Surrender.
The officers then held discussion
among themselves, at the end of which
one of them with tears streaming
down his face said he supposed they
must resign themselves to their fate
but they could only surrender to ar
officer.
Father Ply scrubbed on a piece Of
paper note to one of the French
captains, which was handed to his
companion who had remained outside
the cave.
While the note was being carried ia
the French officer, a German doctor
in the cave showed the priest the rest.
ing place of several German wounded
Among them was Jesuit priest who
was serving in the German army as a
soldier with whom the French priest
spoke in Latin. To the other wound
ed Germans Father Ply gave the con-
ISOLATION of the church.
Afterward, while awaiting the re-
turn of his messenger with the French
officer, Father Ply advised the Ger
man officers to disarm their men in
order to avoid any possibility of mis-
understanding. He himself superin-
tended the operation, telling each SOL
der to discard every weapon he pos
sessed, but that they might retain