The sun., 1918-10-06
ELLER BACK WITH
NEWSOF THE BOYS
Great Hurdler Meets Athletes
a-Plenty in Seven Months
Sojourn in Trenches.
WITH GOTH AT BACCARAT
Goes Over Top With EN- at
Chateau Thierry and Stages
Big Meet at Colonies.
NJ GEORGE =. UNDERWOOD.

BY GEOhGE Ne ONbHH "Vo~s
Right from the front line trenches
Jack Eller, national hurdiing champion
Of 1907, 1908. 1910, 1911 and 1919.
holder Of many fence flying figures, and
boxer. wrestler and oarsman besides.
brings some mighty interesting informa-
ton and observances.
Unable TO get his leave of absence
from the New York Police Department
further extended. the athletic cop re-
turned home to New York O week ago
after seven months of active service
with the Y. NJ c. A in France, most OF
tho time right in the thick Of the Tight
ing. He was under constant shell hre
on the Luneville sector for two months,
and later took part in the great Yankee
drive at Chateau Thierry. where for
three days and three nights he carried
supplies to our boys on the front line and
then. when cigarettes. TOBACCO. matches,
coffee. chocolate. candy and candles ran
out, pitched right In and served as
stretcher bearer for thirty-elght long,
sleepless hours. o.
IT will not be here long" says Eller,
his gray-blue eyes shining with a pecu-
liar light and his strong, rugged counte-
nance showing his determination
There's work TO be done over there, and
I've got to get back to II. There Is and
must DO some way for the Commissioner
10 allow me another leave Of absence
This Is no place for a strong. able bodied
man like myself. My God. II people
home here only could understand condi-
tons over there!
buy q Bond:
There are those Of us who cannot
CO." continues Jack, 'but there isn't one
OF us who cannot at least buy Liberty
bond. That's what the Commissioner
called me back for. TO help the Police
Department sell $5oooo.00o worth Of
Uncle Sans fighting bonds. The man
or woman who doesn't buy n bond, and
buy to the limit Of his bank roll,
is not worthy Of being called an Ameri-
can. Every drop in the bucket Ia going
to help drown me Kaiser"
The trouble with people over here"
says Filler. '1s they don't hate enough.
It's All unpleasant word to use. but
hate. hate. hate IL what Is filling the
hearts Of our boys In France and Is
sending the Hindenburg line crumbhng.
Z One cannot be there long without having
the feeling encompass him. II grew
upon me in a great rush as saw the
long line Of refugees from the stricken
fields. beheld our boys blown and bat
tered to smithereens or sent to their
fuges a white man would not stoop to.
1t eliminated In a wave OF anger that
almost drove mo mad when I hurried to
a church that just had been bombed In
Paris and heard the shrieks and means
Of the women, children and babes who
only a short moment before had been
offering UP their prayers to the Creator.
i worked there with my feet slipping
and sliding in the blood and crushed to
pulp remains of innocent mothers. wives
and children. And I'll say right here
that cried till there wasn't tear left
in me, and with every gulp I swore the
Hun would pay for the dastardliness Of
II all.
They Shall Pay:
There wasn't one of us that terrible
day." continued Filler. his voice quivering
with emotion, who did not make a great
vow In his heart that the Hun should
pay for 1t. And d-n him, he will
There can be no peace till those terrible
scores are settled. and the love Of God
and the brotherhood OF man az with a
hot iron are burned into the heart Of the
Hum"
Eller arrived in France last February.
and for two months spent most OF his
time with the Iowa and Alabama regi-
ments in the vicinity of Badonviller on
the Lunevllle sector in the foothills of
the vosges. The sector was under CON-
slant shell fire, barrage and gas attacks.
There were three different lines of
trenches Filler had to visit three times
day. carrying tobacco. cigarettes.
matches, coffee. chocolate. candies and
candles--the latter to light the dugouts-
TO the soldiers.
81 had one rather amusing experience
there" laughs Jack. ''I was making my
way along a line of trenches when sud
denly a big German shell burst with a
big 'Zoom! behind me. blowing in the
walls and throwing the timbers and
stones all around me. With my pack
pounding my back and humping against
the sides of the trench I took II on the
dead run. Despite the weight I was carry
ing I don't think Bernie Wefers in his
palmy days ever did a hundred as fast
as did.
''Heinie" Chases Him.
But fast as went Helnie kept follow
fng me- l hadn't run sixty yards when
there was another terrific explosion just
behind me. once again ] fattened my
self and waited for the lumber and
stones to stop falling. Then / started
another desperate sprint. The Hun fire
searching along the line kept chasing me.
il was duck and run. duck and run for
half n mile before ! had sense enough
10 seek a dugout ] didn't enter it.
fell in 1t. I have 70 laugh yet when
1 think OF the surprise on some of the
soldiers faces there in the dugout when
came tumbling and rolling into their
midst"
Later at Badonviller Filler spent
twenty days in dugout, dealing out
supplies TO the soldiers from A. NJ.
until midnight daily. Then he was placed
IN charge OF the c1nteen at Baccarat.
Ave miles behind the lines, and had
charge Of the athletic and recreational
activities OF the soldiers. Jack MCGEE.
the former Boston Gistancer, who trained
Bowdoln athletes. and Smith, the Buff
falo professional who left his job at the
University of Maine. were among his
assistants.
Part of the Rainbow Division was
on that sector" says Eller, "and I met
many of my pals in the 165th-the old
Sixty-nlnth. While at Bsccarat I ran
into Capt Jimmy Archer. the old Winged
Fist sprinter; Capt. Tom Reilly. tho for
mer New York University football cap
tain and n. Y. a. C. shotputter; Ser
geant Gene Sanger, Ed Hussey and Billy
Fee. tho Millrose athletes. who were
members OF the old Seventy first N. Y.
unit transferred to the l65th; Pat
Flynn. the ten mile champion. and a lot
OF the boys from the Knights OF st.
Antony and Loughlin Lyceum of Brook
Ign,
AT Baccarat ! laid out a nth OF a
mile track and promoted n weekly meet.
Most or the athletic events consisted Of
hand grenade contests and relay races.