The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-12-05
AMERICAN ELUDES GERMANS.
Illinois Man Safe After Hard Ex-
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iiiiiOis Man Safe After Hard Ex.
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London, Nov. 22.-Lieut. Patrick
OBrien Of Momence, ILL.,, the first
American member of the British fly
ing corps to escape from Germany,
has arrived in London. O'Brien elud-
ed his captors by jumping from the
window OF a speeding train He then
became fugitive for ~ days. and, as
his goal was within sight, narrowly
escaped electrocution from the charg-
ed wires along the Holland frontier.
Last night O'Brien was dined by a
group OF admiring fiiers, who had be-
lieved he had been killed when he
was reported missing on August II.
last.
OBrien. who is 27 was flying in the
American aviation squadron at San
Diego. when he went to Victoria, B.
c. and obtained a commission in the
Canadian army. Going to France the
next year he distinguished himself by
his great daring over the German
lines.
In an encounter on August II, there
were 20 German machines to six Brit
ish. .O'Brien's machine alone engag-
ing four enemy craft and accounted
for ore before O'Brien was shot
through the upper lip. He fell with
his damaged airplane 5000 feet.
oBriea says he can not explain why
he was not killed. When he regained
consciousness he was in German
hospital.
Later the lieutenant spent three
weeks at prison camp at Courtrai
before he was started for the inter-
Tor of Germany. There were three
other prisoners under strong guard in
his compartment when OBrien as a
ruse, had the window opened by COM
planning OF the smoke.
The train was now GO miles inside
Germany and travelling at 80 miles an
hour but O'Brien decided to take
desperate chance. He jumped from
the train, skinning the whole side of
MS face. reopening the wound in his
lip and losing consciousness. 1t was
about o'clock i'm the morning and
'he darkness shielded him. When he
recovered he was lying in field
Then for 72 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 leached the Dutcb
'rohuer' At the time Of his flight he
rad piece of sausage on which he
subsisted for several days, after which
his sole sustenance consisted 30 .,,
nips and other vegetables.
O'Brien did not know German but
he used little French on q l,ina,,
Belsian who sheltered him for sevora,
days. The Belgian gave him o1d
clothes to cover his uniform ana "a
rected him to the nearest route to tbo
frontier. O'Brien swan the rivor
Meuse near Namur and the next dav
was challenged by German sentries
who decided he was a peasant.
But his narrowest escape was 20.
served for his last day as a fugitive
when he could see Dutch territory. TO
circumvent the charged wire O'Brien
built bridge i'm nearby wood and
threw 1t across the wires. But it broke
under his weight and O'Brien receiv-
ed shock which he says he can still
feel. When he recovered he dug with
bare hands a tunnel under the wire
md although it was slow progress af-
'er several hours he had hole big
enough to crawl through.
He concealed himself i'm n hay barr
until the next morning, when he hur.
ried to the nearest British consul VIII,
arranged for his transportation tt
Lonon.