Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-12-27
Tennessee Boy Sms the Rhine to Swiss Soil After Days of Tramp
ing Through Enemy Country-Seventy Americans in Con-
certed Effort to Escape From Prison-Tree Get Through
Swiss Give Them Kindly Welcome

cans were placed III q camp which
had been used as quarantine camp
and where they were vaccinated
against typhus, cholera and smallpox.
Puryear was kept at Landshut from
August Fl to September II. During
his stay he applied for a transfer to
Villingen, where number Of Ameri-
can pilots were confined. He was re-
moved there on September Is. After
nine days in Jail at Villingen Pur-
year was released. Six days later, on
the night of Sunday, October 6, Pur-
year made his second and successful
attempt to escape.
Puryear had planned to escape with
one other companion. Aviator Willis,
however, asked him to postpone his
attempt for several days, as q dozen
Americans had been planning to es-
cape for some time and it was feared
that if Puryear failed the general
breakOut might be nipped in the bud.
Puryear and his companion agreed
and preparations were made for the
escape. Ladders were made ready, win
dows and bars cut out, and one
American made it possible to short
circuit the string Of powerful electric
lights which surrounded the prison
camp and which burned all night to
prevent escapes The jail delivery was
planned for Sunday night, and the
Americans agreed to break out at sew
eral places, so as to keep the guards
busy.
At 1890 Sunday night the guards
turned out the lights in the prison
camp. This was the signal for all the
men to make their final preparations.
At 10 40 the lights outside the prison
camp were short-circuited by one of
the Americans. From three sides of
the barracks the American aviators
and prisoners made their dash for lib
erty.
Fired on by Guards.
Immediately the German guards
blew their whistles and cooked their
guns. Surrounding the barracks was
a low barbed wire fence, and beyond
that deep ditch with barbed wire
entanglementS in it. Still further was
a ten-fOOt fence with hooks facing
inward along the top. Outside this
fence were the guards with rifles
awaiting. Puryear, Isaacs, Willis an(
their companions had to run this CANT
let, after getting through the barred
windows of the barracks.
The penalty of being caught in tn.
wire was death. Only few days be
fore in the general breakout a Rus
sian had been caught in the wire ant
instantly killed. Puryear climbed
over all obstacles and put his ladde
up against the fence. AS he leapet
over the fence firing began. His com
paniOn had his foot on the lower rOun'
of the ladder as Puryear went over
Once outside the barracks Pupyea
found himself between two guards
Both shouted at him to halt. Strict
according to orders they shoute
three times to him to stop.
Six shots were fired in all poin
blank at Puryear. The guards, how
ever, were old men and their aim wa
bad. At the time they fired one guar
was 20 feet off and the other SO fee
away. Just as the second volley wa
fired at him Puryear stumbled and fe
in ditch. He believes he would hav
, been wounded or killed by these shot
! If he had not fallen.
AS had been previously arrange,
Puryear waited at a prearranged poi1
: for his companion. When the latte
l did not arrive after Is minutes wal
2 ing, Puryear went alone. While h
! waited Puryear heard the guards fiji
: several score rounds. He had now r.
covered his strength and made GOO
t progress. That night he went Is Kill
4 meters.
/ Puryear carefully guarded his Re