The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1917-11-30

LONDON, Nov. 29-Lieut. Patrick
O'Brien, Of Momence, ILL.,, south OF Chi
cago, the first American member of
the British flying corps to escape from
Germany, has arrived In London.
O'Brien eluded 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
sight, narrowly escaped electrocution
from the charged wires along the Hol-
land frontier.
After cabling his aged mother, Mrs.
Margaret O'Brien, at Momence, to ex-
pect to see him soon, Lieut.. O'Brien
called upon American Ambassador
Page to seek advice regarding his de-
sire to be transferred to the American
flying corps. Last night, O'Brien was
dined by group of admiring fliers,
who, like scores of friends along the
front had believed he had been killed
when he was reported missing on Aug
II 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,
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. On the morning of August II
enemy gunners forced him to descend,
but fortunately he landed behind his
own lines.
Falls 5000 Feet.
Late afternoon of the next day saw
him up again over the German lines,
fighting the enemy There was twenty
German m ~ sic ~
encounter, O'Briens machine alone en-
gaging four enemy craft and account
ing for one before O'Brien was shot
through the upper lip. He fell with
his damaged airplane from a height of
eight thousand feet O'Brien says he
cannot 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 be-
fore he was started for the interior of
Germany There were three other
prisoners under strong in his COM
partment when O'Brien, as a ruse, had
the window opened by complaining of
the smoke
Ihe train was now sixty miles inside
Germany and travelling at thirty miles
an hour, but O'Brien decided to take
desperate chance. He jumped from
the train, skinning the whole side of
his face, re-opening the wound in his
lip and losing consciousness 1t was
about four O'Clock in the morning and
the darkness shielded him When he
recovered he was lying in a field.
Travelled BY Night.
Ihen for sexenty-two days he was a
fugitive, travelling only at night He
trudged through fields and swan
rivers and canals in Germany, Luxem.
bourg and Belgium before he reached
the Dutch frontier. At the time OF
his flight he had piece of sausage on
which he subsisisted for several days
after which his sole sustenance con.
sisted of turnips and other vegetables
found in the fields
OBrten did not know the German
language. but he used little French
on kfnly Belgian who was so happv
to meet an American in British uni.
form that he sheltered him for sew.
eral days. The Belgian then gave him
old clothes to cover his uniform and
directed him to the nearest route tc
the frontier. O'Brien swan the river
Meuse near Manor and the next day
was challenged by German sentries
who decided he was a peasant
But his narroWest escape was re
when he could see Dutch territory
To cfrcumvent the charged wires
O'Brien built a bridge in a nearby
wood and threw it across the wires
But it broke under his weight anc