Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-29
CAUGHT IN BATTLE,
FO|LS HUN, ESCAPES
American Soldier, Captured by
Germans, Fugitive for Sew
e1ty-TWo Days.
WOUNDED IN CONFLICT

Py the Associated Press
LONDON November 2s.-Lieut. rat
rick O'Brien of Momence. Ill, south OF
Chicago. the first American member OF
the British flying corps to escape from
Germany. has arrived IN LONDON
O'Brien Guided 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
sie...t. narrowly escaped electrocution
1r.., the charged wires along the Hol-
il a frontier.
After cabling his aged mother. Mrs.
Margaret O'Brien, at Momence. to e1-
meet to see him soon, Lieut.. OBrten
called upon American Ambassador Page
TO seek advice regarding his desire to
be transferred to the American Flying
Corps. Last night O'Brien was dined
by a group of admitting fiers, who. like
scores of friends along the front. had
believed he. had been killed when he
was reported missing on August IL last.
O'Brien. who is a sturdy young man
of twenty-seven. was flying in the
American aviation squadron at san
Diego. Cal, when he went to Victoria.
T. L. and obtained commission IN the
Canadian army. Going to France the
next year. he distinguished himself by
Ms great daring over the German lines.
on, the morning OF August IL enemy
gunners forced him to descend. out,
Fortunately, he landed behind his own
lines.
Awoke in Boche Hospital.
Late afternoon the next day saw him
M again over the German lines, night
ing the enemy. There were twenty GER
man machines to six British in the en-
ixaA oil At 20
ing four enemy craft and accounting
for one before O'Brien was shot through
the upper lip. He fell with his dam
aged airplane from height OF 5000
why he was not killed. When he re-
gained consciousness he was in q Ger
man hospital
Later the lieutenant spent three
fore he was started for the interior Of
Germany. There were three other pris-
onsrs, under strong guard, In his oom-
partment, when O'Brien. as a ruse had
the window opened by complaining OF
the smoke.
The train was now sixty miles inside
Germany and travelling at thirty miles
an hour, but oBrfen decided to take
desperate chance. He jumped from the
train. skinning 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 dark
ness shielded him.
Fugitive seventy-Two Days.
When he recovered he was lying IN
q Geld. Then for seventy-two days he
was q fugitive. travelling only At night.
He trudged through fields and SWAN
rivers and canals In Germany, Luxem.
burg and Belgium before he reached
the Dutch frontier. At the time Of his
flight he had . piece OF sausage on.
which he aubsiafed for asvArn1 A -
after which his sole sustsnancs con-
sisted OF turnips and other Vegetables
found in felds>
QRrien did not know the German
language. but he used q little French
on a kindly Belgian who was 20 happy
tosmeet an American in British un.-
form that he sheltered him for several
days The Belgian then gave him old
CLONES to cover his uniform. and de-
rected him to the nearest route to the
frontier. OBrien swan the Raver
Meuse near Namur, and the NEXT day
was challenged by German sentries,
who decided he was q peasant.
Shocked by Wires.
But his narrowest escape was reservea
Tor his last day as = fugitive when he
could see Dutch territory. To circum.
vent the charged wires O'Brisn built a
bridge in a nearby wood and threw n
across the wires. But 1t broke under
ms weight and OBrien received q shock
which he says he can still feel when
ne recovered he dug with bare hands a
tunnel under the wire. and. aithoueh Il
was slow progress. after several hours
ne mao mole dug big enough to crawl
through, which he did unobserved.
was in Dutch territory, 30 he conces,.6
himself In a hay barn until the next
morning. When daylight came the 5lrss
thing he saw was people making wooden