The sun., 1918-11-13

l., INV CmDEh lC, IL
became drowsy and the other turned
his attention TO the landscape I
jumped TO my feet and dived through
the window on the other side of the
car Tho opening could not have been
more thanl eighteen inches by twenty
four inches, but I went through the
center and landed in an awful crash
on the rails of the other track. The
train was running perhaps forty miles
an hour. and ! struck my head blow
that stunned me for moment
MY worst injury, however. was that
In striking the roadbed. my knees were
baby cut and II was with the greatest
difficulty that / struggled to my feet
My ,egs would hardly move as strug-
gled to run away from the train. which
had by this time stopped. The guards
were coming after me, firing as they
ran. l managed to get some distance
along the railroad embankment before
the guard caught UP with me. Then
a bullet, which I distinctly felt pass
close to my left ear warned me that
there was no further use running the
chance of being killed when there was
no hope for my escape. The first guard
who came UP to me was like mailman.
eral times, then kicked me down the
embankment where he followed me and
beat and kicked me until his strength
was exhausted and he had broken his
gun.
Guards Beat and Kick Him.
His comrades were no more merciful
and I was yanked to my feet, though
almost insensible from being beaten and
kicked while on the ground, and forced
to march Ave miles along the roadway to
VilHngen. While the guards were beat
ing me some of the Baden peasantry
working In the fields came over and
looked on, but did not hear any pro-
test or approval. In fact the people of
Baden are submissive and detected
race and during the entire time I was at
Vlllingen and in our walks about the
country never saw the slightest mani
festation of joy or even anything that
approached il.
Upon reaching the prison camp the
commandant had me brought to his
office. wh@e he threatened me with
death II l made any further attempt 20
escape. 1 was then put into n cell.
where the surgeons plastered me with
paper bandages After being confined
for some days I was brought before a
court and sentenced to three
weeks solitary Imprisonment for at
tempting to escape.
lowing to my injuries and the
wretched food supplied, when my con-
finement was ended ] only weighed 100
pounds. having lost thirty pounds since
leaving Karlsruhe. Our food had been
very bad ever since our landing at Will
helmshaven. On the submarine IL was
fairly good. but on land II had consisted
of sour black bread. soup largely made
from tree leaves, and a detection which
was known as ersatz coffee. Had IL not
been for the food supplies furnished by
the American Red Cross. my recovery
would have been doubtful. as l needed
nourishment that the ordinary prison
fare did not afford"
Lieut.. lsaacs in describing several
abortive attempts made to escape, which
were frustrated through treachery OF
the Russian prisoner attendants, said
that he and his companions in their
walks about the country, which they
were occasionally permitted to take
under guard, had been able to get a
good idea OF the roads and most likely
hiding places. All the time the prisoners,
who with Isaacs had determined 20
escape, were secreting material which
| would aid them in their getaway.
Got Three Wire Cutters.
They had taken all the screws out
OF the doors that could be extracted
without the barracks becoming unin-
! habtable. had stored away wire taken
| from the netting back of the tennis
courts. strips Of wood from broken pro-
vision boxes. maps and compasses. gen
orally procured by bribing some OF
the Russian attendants. and most i'm
| portant of all. three pairs OF wre cut
| tiers. One pair was secured from a
! Russian prisoner, n second purchased by
Russian attendant from one Of the
| German guard and a third made by one
| OF the prisoners.
! II was announced October by the
| commandment that Vilingen was to be
used In the future as camp for Ameri-
cans only. that the prisoners OF other ma
| tionalities were to be removed As such n
change is always accompanied by thor
| ough overhauling and inspection OF all
| prisoners and every possible hiding place
/ within the camp Isaacs and his COM
panons decided that they must make
! their break for liberty before this In
spection took place or else the material
they had accumulated wguld be d!scov-
cred. Here again Lieut.. Isaacs tells his
own story
We knew we had TO act quickly II
were were to have any chance of gettin,;
away The windows of the barracks
/ were guarded by steel bars and harbed
| wire. Then came a ditch in which was
| a barbed wire fence and posts around
which was stretched a great quantity OF
wire. Further out. at distance OF
about seven or eight feet, was very
! strong fence. also protected by barbed
| wire, which at the top curved inward
| thus preventing any man climbing over
| 1t from the bottom OF the inner side
| Outside OF this fence was the sentry
/ line. guards being posted at intervals OF
! about\thirty yards At first 1t seemed
that the barbed wire in the ditch and or
the fence presented difficulties which
could not be overcome, and some OF us
thought re would have a better chance
| by attempting to overcome the guards
/ at the gate to the camp: but ! thought
I knpV how we COnll yet over that DQrDed