The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1918-02-25

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 rs 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
scriptcd
He told me he was very sorry to
hear that London was il ruiu> 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
| changed the subject because he
was so stubborn in his belief Il was
my intention to try and pump him for
information as to the methods Of the
German Snipers, who had been caus'
ing Us trouble in the last few days
preached the subject and he shut
up like clam After "A few minutes
he very innoccntly said:
"German snIpers Get paid rewards
for killing the English"
! eagerly asked "What are theyp
fle anSwered
"For Killing or woundlng I'M English
private the Sniper gets one mark. Forl
killing or Wouudng an English officer
he gets five marks hut if hc Kills a Red
Cap or English general, the sniper gets
tWenty-one days tied to the wheel of
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 an
English general. With Il smile he re-
piled:
"Wcll You see if 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 Il while he
Winkcd at nae and Winlicd back, then
the escort came to take the prisoners
to the rear. shook hands and wished
him "lhe best Of luck ana safe Jour
ney to Blighty.'
| liked that prisoner he was q fine
fellow, had an Iron Cross, too. adj
YiSed him to keep 1t ont of sight, or,
some Tommy would be sending Ii home
TO his girl in Elighty as souvenir.
One dark and rainy night while on
guard we were looking over the ton
from the fire step of our front-line
trench when we heard a noise imne.
diately in front Of our barbed wire.
The sentry next to me challenged.
Hiatt, who comes there" and hroughtI
his rifle to the aim. Ills challenge waSl
answered in German A captain in the
next tNverSe climbed upon the sand
bagged parapot to inyestigate-a brave |
but foohardy deed-"C Crack" went "A |
bullet and he tumbled back into the
trench with Il hole through his stomach |
ana died a few minutes later A lance
corporal IN the LcXt platoon was 50 en- |
ragged at the captains death that he |
chuckCd a Mills bomb in the direction
of the noise with the shouted warning
to us: Duck your uappers. my lucky !
lads A sharp dynamite report, flare |
ln front Of us. and then silence.
We Immediately sent M two star
shells. and in tlIeir light could see two !
dark forms lying on the ground close |
to our wire. A sergeant and four
Stretcher-hcarers went out in front ana |
soon re*Tned carrying two linn
bodies. Down in the dsgout, in the !
iickerlng light Of three candles, we
saw that they We're two German Off
GERS, one a captain and the other an
'unteroilizier,' Il rank one grade higher
lhan a sergeant general, but below The
grade Of lieutenant.
The captains face had been almost
completely torn away by the homh's
explosion. The unteronaier 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
sickenng and completely pervat. ed the
lugout turned away in disgust.
hating to see a man cross the Great Dl-
vide full Of booze.
One of our officers could speak Ger.
man and he questioned the dying man.
In faint voice, interrupted by fre-
quent hiccoughS, the unterotiizier told
his story.
There had been a drinking bout
among the officers in one of the Ger
man dugouts, the main beverage being
champagne. With a drunken leer he
Informed US that champagne was plen-
tiful on their side and that it did not
cost them anything either. About seven
that night the conversation had turned
to the "eontemptible' English. and the
captain had made a wager that he
would hang his cap on the English
barbed wire to show his contempt for
the English sentries. The wager was
accepted At eight O'Clock the captain
and he had crept out into No Mans
Land to carry out this wager.
They had gotten about halfway
across when the drink took effect and
the captain fell asleep. After about
two hours of vain attempts the unter-
0flizier had at last succeeded in walk
ing the captain, reminded him of his
bet, and warned him that he would be
the laughing stock of the officers mess
If he did not accomplish his object, but
tho nnntnin NnS 1rnnhlinn Ill .,,.n,. -.