The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-09-28

Once IN q while a Belgium Ladie9
Relief society visited the prison and
brought US handkerchiefs, American
soap-which sells at about S1.5O q
bar In Observation-Disclosures and
American made, but whether they
were supplied by the American re-
lief committee or not l don't know.
At any rate these gifts were mighty
useful and were very much appre-
ciated.
One day I offered a button off my
uniform to one Of these Belgian ladies'
as a souvenir, but German guard
saw me and was never allowed to
20 near the visitors afterwards.
The sanitary condAions In this
prison camp were excellent as a gen.
eral proposition. One night, however.
discovered that I had been cap.
tured by "cooties."
This was a novel experience to me
and one that I would have been very
willing to have missed, because In
the flying corps our airdromes are
number Of miles back of the lines and
we have good billets and our acquaint-
ance with such things as "coOtieS" and
other unwelcome visitors Is very linn
tied.
When I discovered my condition, I
made q boiler and reused the guard.
and right then / got another example
Of German efficiency.
This guard seemed to be even more
perturbed about my complaint than
myself, evidently fearing that he would
be blamed for my condition.
The commandant was summoned
! and I could see that he was very an
cry. Someone undoubtedly got a Sc
we're reprimand for it.
| I was taken out Of my cell by a
guard with rife and conducted about
q quarter Of a mile from the prison
to an old factory building which had
been converted into an elaborate fumf-
eating plant. There I was given
pickle bath in some kind Of solution,
and while I was absorbing 1t my
clothes. bed clothes and whatever else
had been In my cell was being put
through another fumigating process.
While I was waiting for my things
to dry-it took perhaps half an hour
I had a chance to observe about one
hundred other victims Of "cooties"-
German soldiers who had become in
Tested In the trenches. We were all
nude, of course, but apparently 1t was
not difficult for them to recognize me
as a foreigner even without my uni
form on, for none Of them made any
attempt to talk to me, although they
were very busy talking about me. I
could not understand what they were
saying, but knew I was the butt OF
most Of their jokes and they made no
effort to conceal the fact that was
the subject Of conversation.
When I got back to my cell found
that 1t had been thoroughly fumigated.
and from that time on had no further
trouble with "cooties" or other visi-
, tors Of the same kind.
, As we were not allowed to write
] anything but prison cards, writing was
3 out of the question; and as we had no
t reading matter to speak of, reading
D was nil. We had nothing to do to
pass away the time, so consequently
e cards became our only diversion, for
we did. fortunately, have some OF
q these.
s There wasn't very much money as q
+ rule In circulation. and think for once
= in my life held most of that, not due
> to any particular ability on my part
It In the game, but happened to have
y several hundred francs in my pockets
4 when shot down. But we held a lot
terry that was watched without quite
r. such intense interest as that. The
d drawing was always held the day before
d to learn who was the lucky man. Thert
q. was as much speculation as to whit
# would win the prize as If 1t had beer
d the finest treasure In the world. Tit
ID great prize was one-third Of loaf O
m bread. Through some arrangement
K which I never quite figured out, l
lie happened that among the eight or tel
officers who were there with me, ther
re was always one-third of a loaf
Mt bread over. There was just one wa
IN of getting that bread, and that was {
o. draw lots. Consequently that was wha
of started the lottery. believe If ma
adj had ever been inclined to cheat p
ad would have been sorely tempted In TIL
It instance, but the game was played at
lit solutely square, and If man had bee
as caught cheating the chances are ths
at he would have been Stunned by tn
st rest of the officers as long as he wa
In prison. I was fortunate enough
We win the prize twice.
in
ed -.