El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-20
GERMANS WORK THEIR PRISONERS
To DEATH BEHIND FIRING LINE
English Soldier Relates More Of His Experiences as
Prisoner and His Final Escape From the Brutality
of the Hun; No Mercy for Sick Men; Forced
to StarVe and Work. Even When H.
By THOMAS ROBSON.
Concluding, InstaIment.)

=
n without a bite to help him on his way
so he decided to return to the camp
He crept through the hole in the wall
through which he had escaped, went
back to his hut, threw himself on his
bed, and no one was any the wiser
that he had ever been out Of the lager.
| While at Burgsteinfurt heard Of a
French airman who is being kept in
[ close confinement Ever since this
/ officer was taken prisoner he has
Z never been allowed to leave his cell
I for any lengthy period By some
/ means or another he managed to get
/ word through to our camp about his
| Imprisonment. and a French noncom-
| missioned officer told me the reason
I for his comrades treatment
Attempted Kaiser's Life.
It appears that this airman, through
some means. which I need not mention
here. was aware OF the fact that the
kaiser was on visit to the western
front. The airman also knew where
the All Highest was stationed. so he
swooped down upon the spot; but,
( luckily for the kaiser, he had just left
his headquarters about three minutes
before the airman made his attack
The f'renchman was so anxious 20
complete his work that he swooped
within range Of the men in the
trenches, and unfortunately was
brought down. He was taken pris-
oner. and afterwards brought before
a superior officer. He was asked to
divulge the secret Of hoT he had
learned that the kaiser was on this
part Of the front. but he refused to
give any information HIS captors
then informed him that he would be
kept in close confinement until he
had the sense to give them the in
formation they so badly needed.
The airman retorted that they could
keep him in the cells for the rest OF
his life, as he would never divulge his
secret
Determined to Escape.
One day the news leaked out that
party OF US were TO leave Burgstein-
furt for a working command. We
were not told OF our destination, and
It was not until some time later that
I discovered we were going to a place
like Herbede, 8 working camp con-
nected- with 1Iinden Lager.
A party Of five Of Us was entrainsd
for our new destination On the train
stopping at a station a number OF
school children entered the compart-
ment, and they seemed to be quite de-
lighted to talk TO US. They learned
that we all knew a little about foot
ball and suggested that we should get
team together and they would fix
their college team up and play US. We
accepted the challenge in a good
humored manner, just to please the
youngsters. Later these same college
boys tried their hardest to get the Of
ficer OF the working command play |
US at football
Food Is Terrible.
On arriving at our destination we 4
were rammed into a room which was |
part OF an old picture house. which /
was run in connection with q public /
house in prewar days. A part OF the I
hall had been partitioned off TO house j
the new arrivals, and when we got 4
was almost pitch dark.
There were seven Russians with Us, i
making q total OF y. They told Us /
tina the work was soft. but the grub 4
terrible The information was cor
rect. and before I had been in the /
kit TO buy food.
We were all very anxious to get i
away from this camp. but we knew
that It would be best II we waited a
little while. so that we could build
ourselves up from what we received /
in our parcels from home, which had
not yet come TO hand. When these ar
rived we made up our minds to escape
as soon as possible.
The day at last arrived when we
determined to try to escape when on
our way to work. We arranged ev-
y
The atmosphere was thick with mist
This suited US to a teei
(Nearly 1900 words cut by the British
,ensor.)
Arriving at Lank. on the Rhine,
after spending II days in clink at
Minden. I discovered that we were
only 40 kilometers from the frontier.
was glad. There was hope in the
knowledge.
The Escape Is Made.
On the morning following our ar
'ival we were ordered TO go to work
n the brickyard, but for about six
weeks kept the lead well on the
wing and rested as many days as
worked, so that, when the moment
ihould be fresh and equal 70 the ef-
.ort.
Then the day Of our great adven- }
ure daWned. When night came, I and I .
hree other Of the boys concealed
ourselves in a small building, the {
lack Of which led into a garden.
iere we remained hidden for a time S
lntn we thought it safe TO clear out.
All being clear, we made our way 7
ut OF the small building. and along
With a F'renchman. I started off over
he marshland.
The first night was one Of a series
Z adventures on account OF the .
ough, dangerous nature OF the q
marshes Several times we were on y
he point OF being captured by sem n
ries or civilians, and once a dog
tarted the whole OF his species in s
he district barking, but we man
ged TO escape detection h
Trapped in the SWnmps.
After crossing a small river, we c
an into the most difficult part Of
ur journey, that Of crossing the n
larshes, which form a natural bar 20
be frontier. We could not see a foot 5
q front Of US, and all the time we 4 I.
rere travelling we were over the ~
nkles in mud. After several attempts f.,
re struck what we thought was the "
light road, but it led US right into the "A
fiddle Of a large swamp. over which
was impossible to travel
We therefore decided 10 retrace our
.eps, but TO our horror found we / 4
ould not get back. We had lost the !
bad, and were surrounded by the =
sWamps. I threw myself y
n the firm ground. telling the a
renchman we would rest until the
reak Of day, and then get out OF IL
nth the help Of daylight. Luckily
here was a little underground which
ormed a bit Of shelter. Then the rain
anne. but throughout IL all I slept for
TO hours. I awoke 10 find myself
renched through. and I had to dance
bout TO get the warm blood to run
trough my veins.
Halted by a River.
With the first streaks Of dawn we
cked our way through the marshes
1til we were pulled up by a river.
knowing that we would be rlsking