Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-30
Continued from Last Issue;


T WAS now right in from OF this cleo
trio barrier, and as L studied it l
saw another way, of setting by.
If couldn't get over it, what was the
matter with getting under it?
The bottom wire was only two inches
from the ground and, of course, 1
couldn't touch it, but my plan was to
dig underneath it and then crawl
through the hole in the ground.
had only my hands to dig VITA, but
l went 1T it with will and fortunately
the ground was not very hard.
When l had dug about six inches.
making a distance in ali of eight inches
from the lowest electric wire, l came
10 an Underground wire. l knew enough
about electricity to realize that this
wire could not be charged, as it Was IN
contact with the ground, but still there
was not room between the live wire
ana tbs Underground wire for me to
crawl thrt Ugh, and / either lad u go
on digging deep enough under this wire
10 crawI Under it or else pull it up.
Underground Wire Too Large to Break
This underground wire was about as
high around as a lead pencil, and there
was no chance of breaking it, The
jack-knife 1 had had at the start of my
travels 1 had long since lost, and even
if had had something to hammer with
the noise would have made that method
Improbable.
l went on digging. When the total
distance between the live wire and the
bottom Of the hole 1 had dug was thirty
inches, ] took hold of the ground wire
and pulled on it with all my strength.
II wouldn't bulge. 1t was stretched
taut across the narrow ditch 1 had dug
about fourteen inches wide-and all
my Juggling didn't serve to loosen it.
1t was just about to give it up in de-
spair when a staple gave away in the
nearest post. This enabled me to pui,
the wire through tine ground a little
and 1 renewed my efforts. After a
moment or two pulling as had never
pulled in my life before, a staple on the
next post gave away, and my work be-
came easier. I had more leeway now
and pulled again until, in all, eight
staples had given way.
Two Inches From Instant Death
Every tirhe a staple gave way It
sounded in my ears like thu report o. a
gun, although : suppose it didn't really
make Wv much noise. IL -erthe!eSs,
each time / would put my ear to the
ground to listen for the guard. If !
heard him I would stop working and lie
perfectly still in the dark till he ha'
gore By.
Ely pulling on rna wire I was nov
able to drag it tn: cLgl the ground
enough &c place it back from the fenc,
and so IN digging.
The deeper l went the harder became
the work, because by this time my fin
ger nails we're broken and ! was nerv-
ous-afraid every moment that 1 would
touch the charged wire.
L kept at ii, however, with nv mind
constantly on the hole 1 was digging
and the Liberty which was almost with
in my reach
Finally L figured that I had enough
space to crawl through and still leave a
couple of inches between my back and
the live wire
Before I went under that wire no.
tlced that the lace which the Belgian
woman had given me as souvenir
made my pocket bulge, and lest it might
De the innocent means of eIectTocuting
me by touching the live wire, / took it
out, rolled it up and threw it over the
barrier first.
Then lay down on my stomach ard
crawied or rather writhed under the
wire like snake, with my feet first. and
there wasn't any question of my hug
glng mother earth as closely as posi-
bic, because I realized that even to
touch the wire above me with NV bacJr
meant instant death.
Anxious as l was to get on the other
side, 1 didn't hurry this operation. 1
feared that there might be some little
detail that had overlooked and I ex-
ercised the greatest possible care in
going under taking nothing for granted
when L finally got through and
Strengthened up, here was still sew
eral feet of Belgium between mo
and liberty, represented by the six
feet which separated the electric
barrier from the last barbed wire
fence, but before I went another stem
l went down on my knees and thanked
God for my long series of escapes and
especially for this last achievement.
which seemed to me to bring me free
DOM
Then / crawled under the barbed
wire fence and breathed the free air of
Holland. 1 had no clear idea lust