Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-25

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LIEUT.. Z. =. n. FULLER, JR.
in Switzerland whose dramatic at
tempt to escape was featured in re-
cent dispatches from Geneva, can be
no other than Lieut.. T. J. D. Fuller.
jr., of this city, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
T. J. D. Fuller, 2317 Ashmead place
northwest, is proved conclusively by
letter written during the last few
weeks to his wife and to his parents.
In the dispatches mentioned the avia-
tor was referred TO as Lieut.. Dun
can" Young Fuller, who was born
and attended school in this city, and
who has a wide local acquaintance,
habitually uses the name Duncan
Fuller"
Story of Escape.
The story, in brief, or his unsuc-
cessful attempt to escape and to re-
sumo active service is as follows: AT
the beginning of the American often
sive in the ST. Mihiel sector the avia-
tor, with an observer, went on air
duty.
Weather conditions were extremely
bad, and. flying at an altitude of 10000
1SeC, ln6 TWO IltH pcCdLilo lust It
~, miStaking range OF mountains
along the Franco-SwisS border for the
Vosges, they made a forced landing
600 meters within the Swiss border,
being compelled to descend by SWISS
anti-aircraft fire.
Fuller at first declined to give his
permanent parole, hoping to be ex--
changed, but interned Frenchmen and
British fiiers had precedence over the
new arrivals. Later he signed parole
with the understanding that it could
.3e withdrawn at any time, and went
to Lucerne. He finally did so with
draw it. and voluntarily went to pris-
on at Andermatt, high up in the st.
'sothard range. He was hoping either
for chance to be exchanged, or. as it
has since been apparent, to escape
without violating his pledged word. In
TACT, in one letter he mentioned Avia-
TOR Hitchcock's remarkable escape
with evident admiration.
Makes Rope of Bedclothes.
Lieut.. Fuller made a rope with his
hedclothes on which to slide down from
me window of his room, which he had
from the ground" The rope broke and
he was severely hurt, but took up his
journey on foot along the railroad line.
The alarm was given, and, emerging
from a long tunnel between Andermatt
and Goeschenen, he was re-arrested
and taken back.
The Geneva dispatches refer to Lieut..
Duncan" as having landed in the Jura
Alps with an observer. Duncan Fuller
did exactly and at the same time what
the so-called Duncan is announced
as having done. Moreover, in a letter
written soon after he refers to Lieut..
hsherdon, whom he met in Lucerne, as
the only other American aviator in
termed in Switzerland Fuller's OBJ
server was named Brookhart.
1t is evident that the Washington
nan thought that his internment in the
neutral country might possibly have
been miSconstrued, as he landed so
near the border, and he refers in one
letter to his situation as ''ignominious."
1t was perhaps the unwarrantable
; anxiety lest he be called a shirker that
apparently caused him to give up his
parole and thus remove every possible
. obstacle to an early exchange or an
early escape. That he did not succeed
was a trick of fate.
Praise for Swiss Treatment.
Lieut.. Fuller speaks in glowing
terms Of the treatment accorded him
by the Swiss civilians and military
men. He was compelled to land by
bullets fired by Swiss soldiers, as they
are ordered to fire on all aircraft fly
ing above their territory. One of the
bullets nearly killed the observer.
They were all for u.s." writes the
ldltI on ouT ldiiu-
ing an old woman appeared with a
bottle of red wine and a man with
Jaw eggs for each of u.s. Next Swiss
officers entertained them at lunch.
This more than courteous treatment
persisted up until the time of his
voluntary Imprisonment. During his
short stay at Lucerne, while on pa
role. he had most comfortable quar-
Iers and was cordially entertained by
Americans living in Switzerland.
Observes Discomgted Huns.
I'VE took particular delight in going
for meals to all the favorite hotels
their discontinue. Many times they
left after our entrance" he wrote.
Landlords. however. smiled with
pleasure, and at one restaurant the
orchestra struck up Tipperary.' They
rluch prefer the reputation of keep
iIG pro-ally establishments"
At AnderElatt Fuller had a small
rom kept locked with an enormous
ley and with guard seated outside
constantly. Nevertheless he was treat
fare as the Swiss officers and was al
lowed a daily exercise period. The
:,olitude was the greatest difficulty.
Get Red Cross Food.
Each American prisoner in Ger
many receives a box of food once a
week from the Red Cross at Bern"
1he aviator wrote from Andermatt- I'm
order to know whether he actually re-
ceives 1t, he sends an acknowledgment
card to the Red Cross
ITO defeat this the Germans have
often opened all the supplies into one
conglomerate mess before turning
them over. Imagine eating a mixture
cf bully beef, sweet chocolate and pipe
tobacco. Some of the other stories
would make you boil"
Duncan Fuller graduated from
western High School in 1911. where
lie played on both the basket ball and
lase ball teams He made the fresh
IN crew at Harvard, the varsity
'our-oared crew IL his second year