Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-03


potatoes. and conceived a plan to get
them. Every other afternoon they took
us for walk in the country, and it oc-
Cured to me that it would be compare
lively simple matter for us to pretend
to tive and sit. down when we came to
the first potato patch. sa
1t worked out nicely When we came
TO the first potato patch that afternoon
We told our guards that we wanted to
sit down. In the course of the next I'VE
minutes each of US managed to get a
potatoe or two. Being Irish, 1 got six.
When we got back to the prison 1
managed to steal a handkerchiefful of
sugar. which, with some apples that we
were allowed TO purchase, we easily con-
verified into a sort of jam.
We now had potatoes and jam, but no
bread. 1t happened that the Hun who
had charge of the bread was a great
musician. 1t was not very difficult 10
prevail upon him TO play US some music.
and while he went out to get his either,
l went into the bread pantry and stole a
loaf of bread.
as Cents for an Egg
Most of us had saved some butter
from the day before, and we used II
to fry our potatoes. BY bribing one
of the guards we induced him to buy
some eggs for us. They cost % cents
apiece: but we were determined to make
this banquet a success, no matter what
it cost.
The cooking was done by the prison
cook. whom, of course, we had to bride
When the meal was ready to serve il
consisted of scrambled eggs, fried po-
tatoes, bread and jam and pitcher OF
That was the 29th of August. Had
known that it was to be the last real
meal that I was to eat for many weeks
| might have enjoyed it even more than
I did, but it was certainly very good.
We had cooked enough for eight, hut
while we were still eating, another
Joined us He was an English officer
who had just been brought in on a
stretcher For seven days. he told us
he had lain in a shell hole, wounded
and he was almost famished, and we
were mighty glad to share our banquet
with him.
We called on each man for a speech
and one might have thought that we
were at a first-class club meeting.
few days after that our party wa:
broken up and some of the men. L sup
pose l shall never see again.
Souvenir of Adventure
One of the souvenirs of my adven
ture is a check given me during this
banquet" by Lieutenant James Henry
Dickson, of the Tenth Royal Irish Flu
siIeers, a fellow prisoner. 1t was for :;
francs and was made payable to the or
der of Mr.. Pat O'Brien," second lieu
tenant" Poor Jim forgot to scratch
out the London" and substitute "Cour
trail on the date line, but its value a.
I &c inst
When he gave il to me he had no ides
that l would have an opportunity Sc
soon afterward to cash it in person, al
| though I am quite sure that whatever
financial reverses / may be destined tC
meet my want will never be great enough
to induce me TO realize on that check
There was one subject that was talked
about in this prison whenever converse
| ton Jagged. What were the chances OF
| escape?
Every man seemed TO have a different
! idea, and one way, / suppose, was aoou
as impracticable as another None of u!
/ ever expected to get a chance TO put oul
ideas into execution. but il was inter
esting speculation, and, anyway, one cal
never tell what opportunities might pre-
sent themselves
One suggestion was that we d1sguisE
ourselves as women. "OBrien woulC
stand a better chance disguised as
| horse" declared another, referring Il
| the fact that my height q am six feel
| two inches) would make me more con
| spicuous as a woman than as man.
! Another suggested that we steal a Ger
man Gotha-a type of airplane used TO-
| long distance bombing. 1t is in these ma
! chimes which are used for bombing Lon
| don. They are manned by three men
/ one sitting in front with a machine gun
the pilot sitting behind him and an OBJ
| server sitting in the rear with another
machine gun. We figured that, at
pinch, perhaps, seven or eight OF u:
could make our escape in a single ma
! chine They have two motors of very
| high horse power, fly very high anc
make wonderful speed. But we mad M
| chance to put this idea to the test.
Only a Dream
! I worked out another plan by which
| | thought ] might have a chance II
/ could ever bet into one of the German
! aerodromes ! would conceal myself
! in one of the hangers, wait until one OF
| the German machines started out, and
as he TAXED along the ground, | would
| rush out. shout at the top of my voice
! and T.oint excitedly at his wheels. This
/ I figured. would cause the pilot to stop
! and get out to see what was wrong. BY
| that time | would be up to him. and
! as ne stopped over to inspect the ma
/ chine | could knock him senseless, jump
= h.. hn N