The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-23
HAD RABBIT EYES
Lieutenant Keilmann Met a
French War Halter.
However, He Was Not Like
American Pacifist.
GERMANS CAPTURED FAMILY
For Two Years He Did Not
Hear From Wife.
Then What He Did Hear Al
most Made Him Maniac.
GERMANS CAPTURED FAMILY
BY E. D. KEILMANN.

He had rabbit eyes. They were red
trimmed and watery. Rarely did they
seem to focus on any one thing He
was a rabbit of a man, small for
Frenchman even, and his clothes hung
about him in folds that made new
wrinkles at every movement At first
L took him for one of the many wine
agents who abound in France even in
war times.
He had come into the little estimat
where we were resting from a days
sight seeing. Every one in the place
seemed to know him and his willing
ness to buy for all was shortly ex-
tended to US. We were interested but
not particularly DESTROYS of his COM
pany. He insisted.
Il do not like the sight of soldiers
in uniform he said, as he took a seat
at the little deal table. yet at every
opportunity 1 talk with them and
drink with them. 1 envy them"
He spoke strange mixture of
French and cockney English, not pos
sible to be reduced to writing. AS he
spoke, however, his eyes lost some of
their wateriness. One could not but
listen. Those eyes seemed to be try
ing to say something.
He Hated War.
'Mais non monsieur, l am not wine
agent. l am here for the first time in
two years and am meeting again the
time of my troubles. 1 am trying to
show them that 1 remember. All,
wish 1 could forget.
Yes, L hate the sight of soldiers.
1 hate war and all the things that
make war and which make war pos
sible. Yet 1 am one of the deputies
of the minister of munitions. L am
engaged in the work of producing the
things that are necessary to this BUSH
ness of hell.
Il was here when the news came
that the Germans had entered Lille.
1t was here that 1 learned that my
foundry, my machine shop, had been
destroyed and that my father and
mother had been shot. 1 was about to
return to my business and my family
when the news came. 1 went mad in
the head. I was a maniac. My wife,
my bebe, there was no news of them.
| They would not let me return. All,
! for a time l needed the attentions of
these my good friends.
was Without Money.
| II was without money but they
cared for me and shortly thru some
of them 1 obtained this position as
assistant to the munitions minister.
Sine. then 1 have worked as never
| before in my life. Yes, monsieur, l
tried to forget. But never could for
get that my wife, my bebe, they were
| there somewhere and l had no word
of them. 1t was two years before l
heard"
| He stopped short and after slipping
his wine commenced to question me
regarding the United States and the
| Americans and 1 in turn quizzed him,
always on the lookout for some real
| information.
Tell me-" said I, sis it true that a
great many of the bosche shells are
| 'duds?''' (Shells that fail to exploded
mo, no. They are very good shells
the German is now sending over to US.
1 should know. I helped make them"
| What? You are joking?
Never do 1 joke about such serious
things. These shells were made by
the French and they were sent back
to the French from British cannon.
Both the cannon and the shells were
sent to the Russian front. Now we
are getting them back. All of them
explode
At that he brought out a letter
| signed by the French minister of mu-
nitions, which stated clearly enough
that on the first of January 164
French shells had been fired by the
Germans on a little town in Flanders
and that the town had been RACED by
| the bombardment.
When he brought out the letter he
read it first and as he did SO he placed
on his thin white nose two pairs OF
i spectac1es At my remarking upon his