Arizona republican., 1918-01-05
BRITISH CAPTAIN WITH CLUB SLAYS
 EIGHT GERMANS
Republican A. P. Leased Wire

WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN FRANCE, Jan. 4.-The full story of the | heroism of a British captain who was so moved with hatred of the Germans for crippling his child with a bomb, that he attacked and killed eight of them with club. and withstood a sud- den German onslaught by his inspir- ing leadership, had just been received. The ta.e has made the captains name a byWord of gallantry and bravery in the British camp. Here are the facts: When the Germans delivered their tremendous assault against Masneres and Marcoing during their general of fensiVe on November 13, those two towns and the territory about them were being he'd by a division of Eng fish troops. On the staff of the com manding general there was a dashing captain who may be designated as Captain Black for purposes of this narrative.
 Black was man of long service and much beloved by all the troops. He had been a jovial companion unti! re- gently, when during q German air raid over England his baby girl was crip- | pied for life by a bomb. Black has become bitter against the Germans and | had sworn that he would exact full penalty for the airman's deed.
 The captain little knew when he | turned in on the night of the twenty ninth of November how soon he would be able to get his revenge. Next morn ing the Germans attacked Masnieres in force and the brigade to the right of | the troops holding the town was forced to fall back The brigade in the town, however, stood firm and fought the off HeD, rl,iI r1f l mans had swept by to the south of the town and were swarming westward.
 Captain Black came out of his head quarters south of Marcoing to find five Germans already in possession of great dump nearby. So quickly had the en- emy advanced that this was the first intlmation that they were nearby. Black had in his hand a heavy walk ing stick which was his only weapon. Without a moments hesitation he charged the dump alone and beat about him So fiercely that he brained all five opponents before they recovered from the surprise. He had made good his VOW, but his work was not finished
 Other Germans appeared west of Les Rues Nerts, a southern suburb Of Masnieres. Black collected all the sig nallers, cooks, orderlies and other serv : ants available, and with two companies of regulars delivered an attack towards Rues Nertes. The Germans fell back and fierce hand to- hand fighting fol- lowed. Black led his little army from house to house and as often as the Germans made a stand he drove then out until finally the whole suburb hac been cleared with the exception of one machine gun whose crew of eight mer I kept pumping bullets into the British ranks. Black charged this machine gun witt one orderly. Four other brave orderlie. had been shot down beside him previ f ously and this one also was caught a: the machine gun was reached. Blacl | then attacked the Germans with a re yolver in each hand and shot down tn, last man of eight. This cleared Rues T Nertes of the enemy and outposts wer established about the place. Black had l been wounded during the fighting. bu = he held on to his command until re . lief came next day
 l This story is not the only one to b : related of that bitter day about Mas !. n1eres A regiment which had tn = stiffest part of the fighting in the tow was made up of troops known IS die = hards,' and they fought all day witt l and never gave step in the face of
 great onslaught made against then During the fighting the colonel ha
 been wounded in one eye and so seri ods was his injury that his other ey became useless. His troops continue
 to be hard pressed that it scene, probable they wou give way.
 The colonel knew they needed all tn encouragement possible to enable ther to bear the awful strain He calle
 for an orderly, and led by his servar
 ne started making a round of the fror line to speak words of encouragemer
 to hls troops. For hours this blind ma
 with bandaged eyes kept up his tram
 among his men with his hand in ths
 of the orderly who was his only guid
 This heroic example was the final wor
 for the Tommies. They loved the
 colonel and they stood and died for hil
 and held their line.
 Masnieres produced another thrillin
 incident next day. The Germans re
 newed their attack and came down i
 waves. The assault at the crossing 2
 the canal bank was particularly fierc
 and the British. after sustaining ti
 shock for some time began to way,
 and the general rushed to the spot, H
 took stand in the midst of his troor
 and rallied them about him along tl
 bank. He spoke to them with assu,
 ance and pleaded that they be calr
 The Germans were sending forwa1
 another great wave of infantry.
 It was then that the general uncor
 sciously echoed words of the famo,
 orderissued by an American general :
 the battle of Bunker Hill-"Steadv me
 steady, do not fire until you see tl
 whites of their eyes. The crossir
 was held and the Germans driven bac