The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-10
ESCAPED A|RMAN
 TELLS OF FLIGHT {. FROM GERMAN SOIL
Lieutenant Hitchcock Has Narrowing Experience While Fleeing From
 BOche Guard

| Paris, September 9.--(By the Associated
 ss)-Lieut. Thomas Hitchcock. Jr., Of l Westbury. N. Y, the youthful member Of the Lafayette flying corps, who waz captured by the Germans sometime ago, but escaped and reached Switzerland Au gust 2S today described his experiences while captive and his flight to neu tral territory, which was accomplished through evading his guards on train. The guard was taking a nap at the time. Hitchcock was forced to walk more I tran hundred miles. This he did m eight consecutive nights, hiding during the day time He lived on the food he lad saved from his meagre rations ir the prison camp He was entirely ig no?ant of the country through which he l passed, but guided himself by small pocket compass. On the eighth day oi his tramp he found himself in a small village. He inquired of small gir. I whether he was in Switzerland, and be- 1 ing told that he was, he made his way direct to Berne, where he arrived Alt gust 30, and called at the American le gation.
 Hitchcock was captured March 6, whe-l he was forced to land after an aerla combat with three German machines. He was wounded in the thigh and his ma chine became disabled at an altitude of 1000 metres, but he managed to land safely inside the German lines. He was immediately seized by several Germans and taken to dressing station. From there he was sent to a hospital at St. Arnold Later he was transferred 10 Saarbrucken.
 It took two months for the wound n Hitchcock's leg to heal. He said he was not maitreated by the Germans, but there was plenty of suffering among the prisoners. who were barely existing. He said he had been saved by the arrival of packages containing food from France After landing inside the German lines" said Hitchcock q fainted twice. The second time I did not come to m5 senses until I had reached the dressing station. In the hospital I received fair treatment only. There was one doctor for the 15o patients, and the food was rot very good.
 q escaped while being transported with two other Americans from Lach- field to Rastadt. There was one Ger man guard for the three of us.
 While the train stopped at sta ton near Ulm, the guard fell into q doze. I snatched the railway map, !, nl, nd money. We were not allowed to handle our money.
 Presently the guard awoke and missed the map and money. Picking up my package of food which. had been saved from my rations. but leav- ing the map behind, rushed out of the door opposite, and ran as fast as pos sible away from the railroad track. The guard yelled after me, but knew that he could not follow because of the two other prisoners he had in charge.
 T then slowed down and began to walk toward the frontier During the day time I always hid in the woods, and at night I evaded towns and will lages, walking around them. I was al- ways on close watch for the Ger mans. for I was in the uniform of French aviator. Most of the territory traversed was farming land. with the people working during the day. When they left the fields in the eve ming I would begin my tramp.
 q made excellent progress, except now and then when I encountered marshes, fences and hedges. I slept during the day time, after having made sure of the safety of my sleep ing place.
 "Arriving at what I thought was the Swiss frontier. I watched for traps, such as electrically charged wires and automatic signals. Appar- ently I evaded all such things.
 "One morning I felt sure I was in Switzerland, but before inquirng I added few extra miles to my tramp and found myself in little village. Then asked a girl. who spoke French, where I was. She said I was in Swift zerland, and then I knew I was safe
 Hitchcock will leave for the United States in about two weeks. He in- tends to transfer from the French to the American flying corps
 Camp Jackson. arrived last evening, to be the guest of her parents, Mir. and Mrs. Mason Dillard. Mrs. Jemison was ac-