The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-07-02

don't call II that. They call 1t pot
hunting. / have talked with several
and have been on the line with few.
They wouldn't any more shoot a song
bird or magpie than they would kill
one of their own officers. but shooting
Fritz across the llne-that's another
story. 1t is dangerous business, too.
Many II sniper is snlped himself. Some
Of them camOuflage themselves and
stand for hours in range of a thousand
rifles. There is'a young American Of
ficer from Massachusetts who Is assign
ed to technical work, who spends day
and a night each week on the line
sniping the enemy. He does it be-
cause he likes it. He is an expert rifle
shot and he enjoys the hazards of his
work and gets satisfaction from killing
Huns.
The two best known Hun snipers are
Black Fritz and Crazy Fritz. Block
Fritz Is dead. Crazy Fritz was wound.
ed, but whether he is dead is not
known. Black Fritz harassed the
American sector for weeks. He was a
good shot and put bullets now and then
through soldiers armor hat. But one
day he was spotted behind a log and
q bullet struck him between the eyes.
He was handsome chap" said a
sniper, "and had beautiful hair blonde
as a girls and cOmbed back like col
lege boys"
"If he had blonde hair why did you
call him Black Fritz?"
Because he hung SO much crepe on
our DOORS"
There is another Hun known as
Foolish Fritz, and rather pretty story
may be told about him. He Is not a
sniper. The men in the trenches can
not tell just what he is. Perhaps, they
have figured, he corresponds to an
American football or baseball mascot.
He Ia mere youth and he takes dam
gerOus chances. He might have been
shot hundred times, but the Ameri-
can snipers haven't the heart to kill
him.
zone day." said sniper who has
watched him play around like kitten,
'he crawled up over the top Of the
trench and went over to n log and lay
on 1t. He was there for an hour sun
ming himself. had q bead on him all
the time. but what's the use?-a mere
kid. Another time a new sniper here
saw him and was just about to pick
him when said Nothing doing We
can't exactly understand what 1t
means. About two weeks ago thought
I'd give the yOungster u scare. so put
a bullet In very small tree about
foot from him. He scampered out Of
sight like frightened puppy. ! often
wonder II he or anyone else knows
that he is living In the shadow Of
death. Maybe the Germans figure they
learn something from 1t. However,
you'll never catch me killing that kid"
Negroes Furnish Much humor.
Humor CLEANS frequently through
the grimness of war and much Of 1t
comes from the negro soldiers from
the United States. A particularly dark
skinned private was overhauled re-
Gently by military policeman. 1t was
on country road and the soldier was
ambling along with his military outfit
as well as about $50 pounds Of SOU
venirs of France.
"Where are you fromT asked the po-
liceman.
me, sab? Use from Alabama"
whereabouts in Alabama2"
"Don't know. sab, exactly, but Use
from Alabama"
"Where you going TOT"
"Well. don't 'xactly know, sah."
"Where you coming fromf"
"The last place l member, sab, 3
Barleybuck. Seems to me the train
was on went while rs buying few
things to take back when l Co."
do you know where you are?"
"Can't 'xactly say do, sab docking
around with the feigned erudition Of
an astronomer). but reckon Use some
where In France"
The negroes amuse the French pe0-
pie. The big black boys swing along
the country roads singing or smiling.
They frequently organize quartet "
cannon and II the work In which they
are engaged isn't vitality important stop
beside road to put over" Il few d.
minished sevenths, better known as
barber shops. And they know how to
do 1t. They are happy -go-lucky wher-
ever found.