The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-29
Leaped From Window Of
Train Speeding Through
Darkness
FINDS HIS WAY
ACROSS BORDER
Was Captured In Fight OF
Six British Against 20
German Planes

London, Nov. 29.-Lieut. Patrick
O'Brien, of Momence. Ill. south OF
Chicago, the first American member
of the British flying corps to escape
from Germany, has arrived in Lon
don. O'Brien eluded his captors BY
jumping from the window of speed
ing train. He then became a fugi-
tive for 70 days and, as his goal was
within sight, narrowly escaped elec-
trocution from the charged wires
along the Holland frontier.
After cabling his aged mother, Mrs.
Margaret O'BTien. at Momence, 10
expect to see him soons Lieutenant
OBrien called upon American AM
bassador Page to seek advice regard
ing his desire TO be transferred TO
the American flying corps. Last
night O'Brien was dined by a group
Of admiring flyers, who like scores
Of friends along the front, had be-
lieved he had been killed when he
was reporting missing on Aug. 1T,
last
OBrien, who is a sturdy man OF
%, was flying in the American avia-
tion squadron at San Diego, Cal,
when he went to Victoria, B. c., and
obtained a commission in the Cam
adian army. Going to France the
next year he distinguished himself
by his great daring over the German
lines. On the morning Of Aug. II.
enemy gunners forced him TO de-
scend, but fortunately he landed be-
hind his own lines.
Twenty To Six.
Late In the afternoon Of the next
day saw him up again over the Ger
man lines, fighting the enemy. There
were twenty German machines to six
British In the encounter, O'Brien's
machine alone engaging four enemy
craft and accounting for one before
O'Brien was shot through the upper
lip. He fell with his damaged air.
plane from a height OF 5000 feet.
OBrien says he cannot explain why
he was not killed. When he regain
ed consciousness he was in a German
hospital.
Later the lieutenant spent three
weeks at prison camp at CourtFai
before he was started for the interior
Of Germany. There were three other
prisoners under a strong guard IN
his compartment when O'Brien as a
result, had the window opened hy
complaining of the smoke.
The train was now so miles inside
Germany and travelling at 90 miles
an hour, but O'Brien decided to take
a desperate chance. He jumped from
the train, skinning the whole side or
his face. re-opening the wound in his
lip and losing consciousness. 1t was
about o'clock in the morning and
the darkness shielded him. When
he recovered he was lying in a field.
Fugitive n Days.
Then for seventy-two days he was
a fugitive. travelling 4ly at night.
He trudged through fic. .ds and swan
rivers and canals In Germany, Lux
emburg. and Belgium before he
reached the Dutch frontier At the
time Of his flight he had a piece Of
sausage on WITCH he subsisted for
several days, after which his sole
other vegetables found in fields.
O'Brien did not know the German
language. but he used little French
on a kindly Belgian who was 30
happy to meet an American in Brit
ish uniform that he sheltered him
for several days. The Belgian then
gave him old clothes TO cover his
uniform and directed him to 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.
But his narrowest escape was re-
served for his last day as q fugi-
tive when he could see Dutch terrf-
tory. To circumvent the chargeN
wires O'Brien built a bridge in 4
nearby wood and threw IL across the
wires. But IL broke under his weight
and O'Brien received a shock which
he says he can still feel. When he
recovered he dug with his bare hands
a tunnel under the wire and. al
though IL was slow progress, after
several hours he had a hole bic
enough to crawl through, which he
did unobseFved.
Even then O'Brien was not sure
he was in Dutch territory SO he con.
cealed himself in a hay barn until
the next morning. When DAYLIGHT
came the FIRST thing he saw was peo-
pie making wooden shoes. He then
walked out into the open and hurried
TO the nearest British consul who
arranged for his transportation 10