The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1917-03-08
German PRISONER
ESCAPES TO U. S.
Captive Makes Amazing Get-
away From French Camp.
CROSSED SEA As STOWAWAY

Fisk, Captured In Marne Battle, Elud.
cd Guard In snowstorm, Fled by
Night to Freneh Coast and Stole
Aboard Norwegian eark-Won't Be
Sent Back.
Two years in a French prison camp
at Rouen prompted Otto Flick, q 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
lived at Philadelphia.
There is every prospect that he will
be free man as soon as the immigra-
don 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
it's 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
tie of the Marine, 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.
FREQ From Danger.
Flick at first enjoyed his respite from
everlasting fighting by day and march
ing by night He was content to eat
the 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
the 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 sentincls on guard over the camp
was relaxed on stormy nights. The
night of Dec s, 1915, brought q storm
of thick snow and heavy wind, and,
selling his opportunity to pass the SEN
tinels, he scaled thirty-twO foot wall
surrounding the camp and, dropping to
the 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
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 ut dawn
] slipped, like n 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 IIavre.
Stole Aboard Ship.
MoOred to 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 hawser and hid In the
| hold behind the water tanks Of the
| ship.
The Metropolis sailed three days lat
err, on Dec 10, and ut the end of three
days more his meager supply of provi-
sions, consisting Of loaf of bread,
was exhausted. In a semistarved con-
| dition he gave himself up to Captain
Turgussen while he was writing the
days log. The captain was consider
ably mystifed at Fieks appearance
and had difficulty in solving the mys-
terry 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
Flick 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
officers.
UPROAR IN PRISON.