The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-14
HORSES KILLED
IN BATTLE FED
HUN PRISONERS
Chief Occupation of Men
Taken Captive Is
Burying Dead
.HOLILANDER TELLS
OF EXPERIENCES
Jerry Won Hof of Dickin-
son, Tunnels Way To
Freedom

Dickinson, N. D.. Jan. 14.-TakeI
prisoner by the Germans while work
| ing on a. Belgian railroad and after
digging his way to liberty with -four
| others by removing the dirt each
! day in their pockets to the burial
grounds. Jerry Won Hof, Hollander
i9 years old, has applied to Post
master Lish OF this city, for enlist
ment in the United States that he
might help punish the Germans fol-
their terrible cruelties. While on
visit to Dickinson he related a re-
markable story of his life during the
time that he was a prisoner Of the
Germans.
Won Hof came to this country in
May, 1915. and is now working on
the farm of Joe OulSrop, about ten
miles northwest of Dickinson.
Bury Dead Soldiers.
81 was working on a Belgian rail-
road when / was taken prisoner by
the Germans" said Won Hot. "My
chief occupation while in the prison
camp was to bury dead soldiers. The
chief article of diet for the informed
soldiers was the flesh of horses kill
ed in the battles. So tough was the
meat that / ate that / ruined my
teeth by the constant gnawing and
tearing at this particular diet. Black
birds were also on the menu"
Won Hof stated that while at work
and at the meals, the prisoners were
closely watched by the German of
flcers who used clubs with frequency.
He states that it was a weekly GUS
tom to line up and applaud the Ger
man officers as an object lesson in
discipline.
Tells of crueIties.
The cruelties as practiced by the
Germans were told by Won Hof with
deep feeling. For two years he was
forced to witness barbarities which
caused a revolution of feeling and
now actuates him to seek service in
the American army. A common
practice was to cut off the fingers OF
men, and sew up the open stumps.
Little children were deformed by the
cutting off of their hands. The breasts
of Belgian women were cut off and,
in some instances, men were buried
alive. The burial party of prisoners
once came upon q grave which con-.
tanned a number Of student priests,
bound together, hand and foot, and
the expression on their faces and
the absence of fatal wounds ea-
denced that they had been buried
alive. ..s,.
During the long stretch of conflne-
ment in camp, Won Hof was always
watching for an opportunity to get
away. Surrounding the camp was an
charged wire fence which
prevented escape. Four other men
with Won Hof conceived the project
of digging beneath the fence at
nights, removing the dirt each day in
their pockets to the burial grounds.
BY constant digging and covering of
the excavation by means OF straw,
the FIVE gradually made an opening
large enough to allow
them to crawl under and escape tol
Holland. The tunneling process con-
sumed several nights.
Arriving at Holland, the men sep
arated and Won Hof, securing a job
as coal passer on a boat of the Hol-
land American line, arrived i'm this
He has two brothers livingI
i'm this state, one at Halliday, who
sent him money for transportation
from New York.
Refuses to Swear Allegiance.
Won Hof described the prisoner
a suit of yellow, down the
back Of which runs broad red
SlEADE. 0UG OA IAA6 CuSIUHlH Oh AnES
Germans toward the prisoners is toi
allow them a small compensation i'll
they will swear allegiance to the
kaiser and will submit to having his
likeness tattooed upon their right
arms. Won Hof refused and says that
in consequence, he was given no
by the Germans.
The Belgian boy is too young to
bring a message Of German senti-
ment other than that displayed by
actual cruelties. He had no oppor-
tunity to talk to the Germans and
learn their feelings. However he be-
lieves that the soldiery as a class
lives in fear OF the officers and con-
siders that a revolution in that coun-
try is inevitable once democratic
leadership is established among the
There is some question as
to whether Won Hof is an alien
enemy Though claiming Holland as |
his birthplace, he has an intimate |
OF German, French and
He says he will continue !
his efforts to gain entrance to the
army.