Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-11-28
Caught In His Own Trap.

In war time spies are everywher'
says Mr.. Gerald Brandon in the Wash
ington Star, but they do not last long
they play so bold game as Lieutenar
Fauxnom played. Perhaps it Is wroni
however, to brand Fauxnom as SPY
for 1t seems incredible that the tru
Fauxnom could have stopped so low
many persons believed that in som
way the Germans managed to get ri
of Fauxnom and impersonated him, bu
| the truth is not known.
| Fauxnom was an air pilot engaged i
regulating artillery fire. He was ca
pabIe in mathematics and had an excel
lent eye for distance and direction. d
the day planned for our infantry attac'
near Souilly, We started to open tn
way for the advance with our batterie
Of heavy artillery hidden in the wood
several miles to the rear. The German
Lines were invisible from the artiller,
headquarters, and we were entirel,
dependent on Fauxnom to direct OH
fire.
= At eight o'clock the bombardmen
began with trial shot from each bat
terry. The aerial observer Immediately
sent down his wireless report.
Direction good. One hundred yard:
too long,"
The range was accordingly shorten
ed, and a second volley fired.
Again the aviator licked in his report
"Direction good. Range still toe
long. Shorten as much as before"
The artillery commander recheckec
his calculations and would have sworr
that they were correct. To make sure
he had the observer repeat his report
and again shortened the range.
A third time the guns roared.
perfect direction and range" sig
nailed the observer. "Let her gol"
With one voice our hundreds of can
non came into play. So rapid was the
service that one report succeeded the
other before the echo Of the first had
died out.
"HelIo! Hello! Artillery headquart-
ers? General headquarters speaking.
Lengthen your range Immediately BY
three hunred yards and have your com
mandant report at once in person to the
general. You are firing on our own
trenchesm
The entire offensive had been delayed
and several thousand Of our own men
massed in the front-line trench for the
attack, had been cut to pieces by our
misdirected fire.
At first the general refused to listen
to the artilleryman, but finally ne al
lowed him to talk. Fauxnom was called
down from the air by wireless to explain
his reports, which he did so plausibly
that the general was undecided where
the blame lay and ordered both officers
to resume their duties.
Later in the day, however, the general
again received Fauxnom in the presence
of the artilleryman. He had decided
to test the loyalty Of the airman.
"There must be no repetition OF this
mornings error" he said. "You see
this point on the map? 1t is concrete
rampant that shelters the German
kommandantur. have information
that the Crown Prince will be there this
afternoon, and | want it annihilated."
The commandant returned TO his
battery rejoicing. His theory was about
to be tested. The general had secretly
ordered him to fire, not at the concrete
rampant, but at battery situated some
FIVE hundred metres to the east OF il.
We posted an observer in the fro nt-line
trench and compared his reports with
those that Fauxnom sent in after each
volley.
The first few shots he corrected slight
ly-a fraction of a degree to the right
or left. Then while we cannonaded our
real target Justify, he reported exactly
upon the concrete rampant five hundred
yards away.
At about six o'clock the command
ant reported to general headquarters.
There he found Fauxnom enthusias-
tically telling the general the result Of
tn fire.
"Good firing, my general" he was
saying. "Precise calculations re-
quiring very little rectifcation. Re-
markable results. The rampant was
literally annihilated. If the Crown
Prince was in the kommandantur, the
Kaiser is now in mourning"
"Your family will be in mourning In
few hours" answered the general.
"You are a spy or traitor. You will
be shot"
Fauxnom made a move for his hol-
ster, but too late. Two athletic aids
pinioned his arms to his sides while
third disarmed him, tore the buttons
from his uniform and the insignia
cap.
He offered no explanations ana left
no messages to friends or family. He