The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-06
NEW YORK BOYS WIN
HONORS ON VESLE
Two. Held Five Days in Ring Of
Machine Guns, Rescue
Wounded Man.
RATIONs LONGEXHAUSTED
Theatrical Unit From MetrOp-
oils Gives Performance I'm
der Roar Of Shells.
by RAYMOND G. CARROLL.

by RAYMOND G. CARROLL.
Special Cable Despatch TO THs SON and the
Public Ledger.
Copyright. 1918: oil rights reserved
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE.
Sept. 5.-That truth, in war time. is
stranger than fiction is illustrated by the
experience OF CORPORAL Frank Schalz Of
Tompkinsville. New York city, and Pri-
vate Edward p. Morrissey Of Buffalo.
who are now back of our lines at Ba-
zoches with a tale Of FIVE days imprison-
ment in the middle of ring Of German
machine guns. All this time the enemy
was unaware of their presence
They brought back with them a
wounded American whom they found in
the open. Schalz and Morrissey were
members Of a detail of engineers who
went out ahead of our infantrymen to
bomb a chateau, and IL necessary set
fire to 1t while the doughboys cleaned
out the snipers and machine gunners.
Each man carried half Of a shelter tent,
four sand bags, a rife and ten grenades
and rations for two days.
They made their start on the night OF
August 26. Schalz, who before the war
was boxing instructor, and Morrissey.
who was born In Ireland, stumbled along
through the darkness. About twenty-five
yards from the edge of town they heard
a man groan. He proved to be an Amer
lean Of Italian birth. They stopped to
care for him. and In doing SO lost con-
nection with their party. The wounded
mans eye had been shot out and Schalz
10 lAt~~
a party of Germans got between the two
men and their companions. while other
Germans cut of the road to the river in
their rear.
Hid Under Charcoal Bags.
Cropping carefully around they found a
pile OF charcoal bags. and knowing they
would have to have cover when daylight
came they dug themselves in. The hole
they excavated was covered with the
charcoal bags. and into this crude dugout
they dragged their wounded companion.
Remaining there all day. they crawled
out at night to get their bearings. and
found machine guns manned by Germans
in every direction.
Sharing their meagre food with their
wounded companion they decided to keep
quiet until the Americans came. Once a
German patrol passed within forty feet
of them and on another occasion q Ger
man sniper took up post in tree less
than fifty yards away. They soon were
short of food and water. So great did
their thirst become that their tongues
began to swell. And then. just as they
were on the point OF desperation. It
rained.
Shall we surrender" Morrissey
asked on the fifth night Never" re-
piled Schalz, who Is German born. I'VE
will make a. good fight and get this
wounded man into our lines"
Finally they decided to do or die.
Picking out the nearest machine gun
post. and when they were within ten
yards OF It, both let fly with grenades.
They heard enemy groans and then, with
Schaiz carrying the wounded man on his
back, they made a dash for our lines.
Other New Workers in Detail.
When they came in they were so
weak they could hardly stand. In the
meantime the Germans, thinking an
other attack had started. called for a
barrage. with the result that the most
terrific cannonading punctuated the re-
turn OF the lost engineer soldiers and
their wounded infantryman.
\ As to the other members OF the de-
tail, they attended TO their work with
great success under the leadership OF
Corporal Thomas F. Reilly of Port Rich
mond. New York city. They grenaded
the cellar Of the chateau and rounded
up snipers. All returned safely. The
members OF this party were Corporal
Allen Stronberg. Sc Handkerchief ave-
rue, Long Island City, and William
Knowlson. ?sS East Ninety-eighth
street. Manhattan and Privates John
Bastedo, Buffalo: Raymond Ball. Smith
town Branch y. Y: Lionel Hodgkinson
Pennington, H.. and Arthur GeorgeT
$50 Genesee street, Buffalo.
Our boys rambled all over Bazoches
whenever they felt like 1t. Tuesday
night patrols led by Lieut. William
Macy, Chicago, and Leonard Cox. 49,
East Eighty-frst street. Manhattan, ex-
plored the town thoroughly.
Gen. Pershing, In the name Of the
President. has posthumously awarded
the distinguished service cross to Cor
poral James II. Patten, Philadelphia, tina
official record reading: HE set an ex'
ample to the men of his platoon wher
they were under fire for the first time
near Brie. July II. He continually cir
culated among his men, encouraging
them and cautioning them. When NOR
tally wounded by shrapne! he refused tc
stop. STAYING with his platoon until ht
died. and with words OF encouragement
TO his men on his lips when he died"
- General Wishes for Rifle.
An American General. walking across
a field with Capt. Theodore Boal. Boals
| burg. Pa, and Lieut. Ben Tillman
Philadelphia. had an unusual experience
| in the vicinity OF Courmont. They hac
been along the front lines making q
reconnaissance and were returning Sud
denly out Of the sky swooped German
! airplane. dropping down to within on'
hundred yards Of them and opening fr'
with machine guns. The General, per
-fectly cool. directed return fire from
the nearby anti-aircraft guns that drove
| the enemy away. He sad later: Il wist
| | had had rife, for I believe l coulc
have potted that German"
curious use Is being made OF thu
| thousands of hand grenades which thu
| Germans left behind at Chateau Thierry
The pioneer troops there are using them t.
mend the roads. employing the grenade:
to shatter the stone needed In the roat
work, Thus the enemy is being madt
to assist indirectly in repairing the dam
age done by his shells.
Under the roar OF bursting shells ant
inside a very lively sector near tn,
Vesle a company OF actors now part Of
the army, gave a performance the othei
night as though nothing abnormal at
tended their efforts, singing. dancing anc
monolousing as though they were OF
Broadway.
Directed by Early BOothe.
/ Major Early Boothe Of the Lamb.
| Club and last Identified with ''Twir
! Beds" as actor and managing director
| is the manager Of this theatrical unit