The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-06-26
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nip and passed around some Tags,
the old reliable Woodbines. The other
prisoners looked their gratitude, but
the big fellow said In English, Thank
you, sir, the rum is excellent and ap-
preciate it, also your kindness"
He told me his name was Carl
Schmidt, Of the Sixty-sixth Bavarian
Light infantry; that he had lived six
years in New York (knew the city bet
ter than I did, had been to Coney
island and many Of our ball games. He
! was regular fan. couldn't make him
believe that Hans Wagner wasn't the
best ball player in the world.
From New York he had gone TO Lon
don, where he worked as a waiter in
the Hotel Russell. Just before the war
he went home to Germany to see his
parents, the war came and he was con-
scripted.
He told me he was very sorry to
hear that London was in ruins from
the Zeppelin raids. / could not con.
vince him otherwise. for hadn't he seen
moving pictures in one of the German
cities of ST. Pauls cathedral in ruins
I changed the subject because he
was so stubborn in his belief. 1t was
my intention to try and pump him fol
information as to the methods of the
German snipers, who had been caus
ing us trouble in the last few days.
1 preached the subject and he shu,
up like a clam. After a few minutes
he very innocently said:
- I----.,--- -----.-->,--,
German snipers get paid rewards
for killing the English"
eagerly asked, what are theyP'
He answered:
For killing or wounding an English
private, the sniper gets one mark. For
killing or wounding an English officers
ne gets five marks, but IL he kills Red
Cap or English general. the sniper getsl
twenty-one days tied 10 the wheel Of a,
timber as punishment for his careless;
ness"
Then he paused. waiting for me to,
bite. suppose.
bit all right and asked him why the,
sniper was punished for killing AMI
English general With a smile he rel
piled:
'Well, you see, IL all the English GEM
erals were killed, there would be no
one left to make costly mistakes"
shut him up, he was getting too
fresh for a prisoner. After a while he
swinked at me and I winked back, then,
the escort came to take the prisoners,
to the rear. shook hands and wished
him ''The best of luck and a safe Jour-:
ney to Blighty." ,
liked that prisoner, he was a fine
fol1nxr hod &4a I'd =
yised him to keep 1t out Of sight, or
some Tommy would be sending 1t home
TO his girl In Blighty as q souvenir.
One dark and rainy night while on
guard we were looking over the top
from the fire step OF our front-line.
trench, when we heard a noise imme-
diately in front OF our barbed wire.
The sentry next to me challenged.
Halt, who comes there2" and brought
his rifle to the aim. His challenge was
answered in German. A captain in the
next traverse climbed upon the sand
bagged parapet to investigated brave
but foolhardy deed-"Crack'' went a
bullet and he tumbled back into the
french with hole through his stomach
and died few minutes later. A lance
corporal In the next platoon was so en-
ragged at the captains death that he
chucked a Mills bomb In the direction
of the noise with the shouted warning
! to us: duck your nappers, my lucky
lads" A sharp dynamite report, a flare
in front of us, and then silence.
(, We Immediately sent up two star
shells. and In their light could see two
dark forms lying on the ground close
to our wire. A sergeant and four
/ stretcher-bearers went out in front and
soon returned, carrying two limp
/ bodies. Down In the dugout, in the
| Pickering light OF three candles, we
| saw that they were two German off,
GERS, one captain and the other an
'-unteroffizier." rank one grade higher
than sergeant general, but below the
! grade OF lieutenant.
! The captains face had been almost
completely torn away by the bombs
| explosion. The unteroff1zier was alive,
breathing with difficulty. In few min
utes he opened his eyes and blinked In
/ the glare OF the candles.
| The pair had evidently been drink
| ing heavily, for the alcohol fumes were
sickening and completely pervaded the
( dugout. / turned away in disgust,
hating to see a man cross the Great Dr.
vide full OF booze.
! One of our officers could speak Ger
man and he questioned the dying man.
In faint voice, interrupted by fire.
! quent hiccoughs, the unteroffizier told
his story.
There had been n drinking bout
! among the officers in one OF the Ger
man dugouts. the main beverage being
| champagne. With q drunken leer he
! Informed US that champagne was plen-
| tiful on their side and that 1t did not
! cost them anything either. About seven