The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-06

cottages which were covered with tan
In the hot sun this melted and be-
came so hot that it burned the flesh
from their feet.
Again Transferred.
On August Is Scott with several
others were sent to the prison at
Frankenstein. Here he said the entire
population Of the city was out wait
ing for them-to see what the British
ers looked like. The people became so
abusive that the men in charge had
to take the prisoners to a nearby fac=
tory. From here they were taken to
Westerhope, to the great coal mines
When the men heard that they were
going to this place, they knew that by
SO doing they would be helping the
enemy, and decided to offer resist
ance. They were taken to the coal
mines, and here given numbers, by
which they were then known. When
ordered to work they refused. When
brought before one of the officers for
not working, Scott said that he want
ed nothing but fair play at the hands
of the Huns. He got 1t. Several of the
sentries were given pieces Of rubber
pipe, and ordered to beat up the pris-
oners, which they did in a very thor
ough manner. Realizing that it was
useless to offer resistance to such
subhumans, the men next morning
went to work. Here. Scott said. he
worked until he was utterly exhaust
ed. Refusing to work again he was
taken before the captain. Here he
was given touch Hun kultur him
self. He was tied to a post with
his hands behind him for the entire
day. One Of the officers brought a
bowl OF soup, and set it out of reach
in front of him. After four hours of
this torture, the officer came up to
him, and after splitting on him and
otherwise abusing him, kicked over
the bowl Of soup and united him.
The next day the men decided to dig
a tunnel, and this they started. Two
Of the men, however, ran away. They
were soon caught, and brought back
to the camp beaten and bruised fear
fully. There wasn't a white spot on
his body" said Scott Of one of the
men brought back. They hda, he said,
been beaten with guns and sticks I'M
til they were swollen almost beyond
recognition. The next day the men
were again sent to the tunnel. From
this time until his escape, SCOTS life
was a series Of refusals to work, and
resulting beatings.
Z He was transferred from one camp
to another several times. At all times
the men were treated horribly. If they
refused to work they were given all
kinds of inhuman treatment. One of
these instances was described. One Of
the men upon refusing to work was
taken to nearby swamp tied by his
hands to tree several feet above the
ground and. stripped to the waist, and
left at the mercies Of the poisonous
mosquitoes which infested the swamp
This worked so well and put the pris-
oners in such pain, that it became one
Of the favorite punishments of the
Huns Of this place.
Knocked Out Sentry. .
One day one Of the Hun sentries
said that America was In the war
and on the side Of the Germans. This |
SO enraged Scott that he knocked the
man down. For this he was beaten
badly, so that he could not walk, and
was carried back to his hut by some !
Of the men.
His escape was also Of much inter !
est. He told how he with a partner,
traded some soap to a German for a |
compass. After making plans, and Sc
curing q map, they started out one
foggy morning, by crawling over the |
wall around the camp, when the guard |
could not see them. They hid in a |
clump Of bushes during the first day, |
and met only one man. BY overpower-
ing him, they found the way to a |
nearby woods. Here they started as !
soon as darkness fell. Howthey finally |
got through the woods, how the went |
g. Hun village on a rainy |
night in the clothes OF common Labor |
ers, unseen and how finally they got |
to a bridge near the border line form |
ed one of the most interesting parts
Of the tale.
AS SCOTS companion could not
swim, and they could not risk passing
the bridge, they went downstream. 4
After reaching railroad bridge, they |
crossed 1t while train was passing it, |
and were not caught. After many |
sleepless nights, with sore feet and |
weary bodies, they arrived at the Hol-
land border. From here it was com
paratively easy matter to get to !
''Blighty" and thence to Canada
. Speaks For Red Cross.
In closing his talk, Private Scott
spoke passionately for the Red Cross. |
He said that unless it is given the |
necessary financial support, it can
not furnish the boys with food while |
they are prisoners, nor care for them |
after they are wounded.
In conclusion he said that while he'd
had gone through awful treatment at ,
the hands Of the Huns, he would go
back any times and do it all over
again for his country and democracy.