The Alaska daily empire., 1918-05-13


 below.
 Just at the break of day our at tentlon was called to a long line of prisoners who were coming out of the town guarded on both sides by infantry and cavalry" said Lieut.. Stephanovich last night. The prison CTS consisted of old men, wounded soldiers, old women and children. As they approached a large open pit which had been dug during the night, one of the young soldiers sensed what was coming and broke away. He ran at top speed and doubled back and forth, closely pursued by three men on horseback Finally he was overtaken and cut down with a sabre.
 Witnesses Terrible Scenes The remainder of the prisoners were driven to the edge of the pit and then told to tie blindfolds or each other and kneel. The armed cavalry rode among them cutting them down with sabre and bayonet Some of the living endeavored tc hide under the piles of the dead Others attacked the murderers with their bare hands and tried to pull them off their horses. Others stil tried to run away but were met by the foot soldiers and impaled or their boyonets. It was an awful l sight and one which I never want to see again.
 Shortly afterwards we recaptured the town, and there I found my sister who had been made the sport of the brutes in the Bulgarian Army. Some l time afterwards I was badly wound ed with a bayonet cut in the abdo men. It was during one of the minor battles we were overwhelm- ! ingly attacked and it came to hand | to-hand fighting A big Austrian thrust at me with his bayonet, but | by grasping it in both hands. 1 man. l aged to escape with my life, although badly wounded. I also was shot | twice in the left leg.
 knicked On the Head
 After lying unconscious for hours came too and asked for water | An Austrian officer hearing my re | Iuest, kicked me in the head with his heavy boot which nearly fin ished me as the bones of my skull were fractured. When I recovered consciousness I was in an Austrian hospital and after recovering a little strength was placed in one of thei prisons.
 Previous to the war I had been member of the Intelligence Depart ment of the Serbian Government and acting as spy had served four years in the Austrian Navy. They | traced my record and sentenced me to be hanged as a deserter l was placed in solitary cell and chained by one hand and foot The window of my cell was a small one and looked out on the prison courtyard and all I saw for days and days was one excution after another. Those executed were principally Croatianf and Serbians, men, women and chil 1ren without stint. Hundreds and hundreds of them have been put to 1eath in that spot
 Made His Escape
 After waiting for several week. for my execution I decided to die fighting rather than allow them the 'hance to torture me. One night asked for water and after working my chains loose, sprang on the guard md broke his neck from behind while his back was turned. l an m expert in Japanese tricks whici learned in the Austrian Navy an6 t was an easy thing to do.
 q then donned his uniform an6 took up his duties. Soon an oppor tunity came and leaped and climbed over a six-foot fence and landed or the back of another guard I choke( him to death, but as another guard was approaching l was forced tt seek concealment.
 Weak from confinement and my wounds, I was forced to lie three lays and nights without food ol water. l was discovered by an Aus trian officer and I begged him to kill me rather than take me back He proved to be an officer of Ser bian birth and was dissatisfied with the service. He gave me a forged pass and discharge, gave me money and something to eat. I then started for Trieste.
 While on the way to Trieste, entered a hotel in small village one day and encountered an Austrian general and his staff. They ques toned me closely and finally or dered me confined until they made an investigation. They took my pass and compared the signature, but il was so cleverly done that they dio not detect the forgery. All the time I was confined I could hear then talking about my escape.
 Later they released me and made my way to Italy, thence to Rome where I visited my mother and then tO the United States. "l