Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-12-24
case of Here comes Heinie going

case OF Here comes Heinie going
back"
The Russian prisoners at Dulmen
were certainly a miserable looking
bunch. They spent most of their time
wandering around the Russian bar
racks, hunting for rotten potato peel
lngs and other garbage, which they
would eat. When they saw Fritz
throw out his swill, they would dive
right through the barbed wire one
after another, and their hands and
face and clothes were always torn
from it. 1t was unhealthy to stand
between the Russians and their garb-
age prey-they were so speedy that
nothing stopped them.
One morning, just after barley-cof-
fee time, | came out Of the barracks
and saw an Australian arguing with
the sentry. l was not only curious,
but anxious to be a good citizen, as
they say, so 1 went UT and slung an
ear at them. The Australian had asked
Fritz what had been done with the
flag that the Huns were going to fly
from the Eiffel tower in Paris.
That was too deep for Fritz, so the
Australian answered it himself. Don't
you know, Fritz? Well, we have no
blankets, you know"
Still the sentry did not get it. So
the Australian carefully explained TO
me-sO that Fritz could hear-that the
Germans had no blankets and were
using the flag to wrap their cold feet
in.
This started a fight, of cOurse-the
German idea Of fight, that is. The
sentry, being a very brave man for a
German, blew his whistle very loudly
and SentrieS came from all directions
So we beat it to the Australians bar
racks, and there I found the second
American in the camp. He was a bar
Der named StimSOn, from one of the
Western states. He had heard / was
there as we'll as the Boston man in the
Canadian service, but he had been
too sick to look us up, and in fact did
not care what happened, he was SC
miserable. He had been wounded sew.
eral times, and died in day or two
I never knew how he came to be in
the Australian service.
Those two and myself were the only
Americans | knew of in this prison
camp-whether in Canadian, Austria.
liam or French service. The other
two had been captured in uniform, sc
there was no chance of their being
released.
Dulmen was very near the Dutch
border and as it was quite easy to get
out of the camp attempts at escape
were frequent. Most of those who ran
away were brought back, though. The
Germans were so easy on those who
tried to run away that l almost thought
they were encouraging them. One
chap was doing his ten days in the
guardhouse for the sixth time while
[ was there-that is. he had just about
completed his period of detention. He
claimed that the sixth time he had
really got across the border and was
arrested in a little town by the Dutch
authorities and turned over to the Ger
mans. That is against the law in
most countries but he SwOre it was the
truth. / am not so sure, myself. He
got away for the seventh time while
| was at Dulmen and was not returned
Ten days in the guardhouSe is not
such a light punishment after all, be
cause water three times a day is al
the prisoner received during that time
but it is pretty mild compared to some
of the things the Huns do.
One morning I thought for sure
was going Cafard. / was just fed uI
on the whole business and sick of do
ing nothing but suffer. So l strolleC
along, sticking my head into barracks
doors, sometimes trying to have talk
other times trying to pick a fight, II
was all one to me: l just wanted some
thing to do. l found what | wanted
| all right.
had quite a talk with a sentry in
| front Of Il barracks. 1t must have
! lasted three-quaTtCrs of an hour. He
did not know what l was calling him
and / did not know what he was call
| ing me. l could have handled him al
right. but another sentry came up or
my blind side and grabbed me and the
talk was over.
They dragged me to the commando
of the camp and he instructed them t
| give me bath. SO they took me Il
the bathhOuSe, where | was stripped
| and dashed All the time they were
( whipping me I was thinking what {
joke II was on me, because had beer
looking for excitement and had go
more than I wanted, SO I laughed ant
the Huns thought was crazy sure.
I was dumped into a vat of hot watel
and at the same time my clothes were
| given boiling, which was good fol
/ them.
Then I was forced into my we
clothes and marched back to the bar
racks. This bath and the stroll
| through the snow in wet clothes jus
about did for me. Nowadays, when
sit in draft for q second and catcl
cold. I wonder that 1 am still alive Il
catch il. Having gone through Dix
nude and the Dardanelles and tn,
sinking Of the George and four Ger
man prison camps and a few othe
things-I shall probably trip over ;
hole in church carpet and break m,
neck. That would be my luck.
There were all the diseases you cal
think ofiin this camp, including blacl