The Lamar register., 1918-07-03

that I would have an opportunity SO
soon afterward to cash it In person
although l am quite sure that what
ever financial reverses | may be des-
tined to meet, my want will never be
great enough to induce me to realize
on that check.
There was one subject that was
talked about In this prison whenever
conversation Jagged, and L suppose II
is the same in other prisons too. What
were the chances of escape
Every man seemed to have "a differ
ent idea and one way, | suppose, was
about as impractlcable as another
None of us ever expected to get II
chance TO put our Ideas into execution,
but 1t was interesting speculation, ana
anyway one can never tell what OPP
portunities might present themselves.
One suggestion was that we disguise
ourselves as women. "O'Brien would
stand better chance disguised as Ii
horse - declared another, referring to
the fact that my height q am SIX feet
two inches) would make me more con
FDltuOuS US a NoilAAll Al4slll us u llhlis
Another suggested that We steal "a
German GOthu-a type of airplane
used for long-distance bombing. 1t is
these machines which IRE used for
bombing London. They are manned
by three men. one sitting In front with
n machine gun, the pilot sitting behind
him and an observer sitting in the rear
with another machine gun. We fig
ured that, at a pinch, perhaps, seven
or eight of us could make our escape
in single machine. They have two
motors of very high horse power, fly
very high and make wonderful speed.
But we had no chance to put this idea
to the test.
l worked out another plan by which
/ thought / might have chance II
could ever get Into one OF the German
alrdromes. l would conceal myself In
one of the hangers. wait until one OF
the German machines started out. and
us he taxled along the ground | would
rush out, shout at the top OF my voice
and point excltedly at his wheels This,
l figured. would cause the pilot to stop
and get out to see what was wrong.
By that time would be up to him, and
as he stopped over to inspect the ma
chine, l could knock him senseless.
jump into the machine and be over the
lines before the Huns could make up
their minds Just what had happened.
1t was fine dream, but my
chance was not TO come that way.
There were dozens OF other ways
x,sl InI,
be for endeavorlng TO make his way
right through the lines. Another
thought the safest plan would be to
swim some river that crossed the lines.
The Idea OF making ones way to
Holland, Il neutral country, occurred
to everyone but the one great obstacle
In that direction. we all realized. was
the great barrier of barbed and elec-
trically charged wire which guards ev-
cry foot of the frontier between Bel
gium and Holland. and which Is closely
watched by the German sentrles.
This barrier was II three-fOld affair.
1t consisted first OF burbed wire wall
six feet high. Six feet beyond that
was u nine-foot wall Of wire power
fully charged with electricity. To
touch 1t meant electrocution. Beyond
that. at distance Of six feet. was
another wall Of barbed wire six feet
high.
Beyond the barrier lay Holland and
liberty. but how TO get there was a
problem which none of us could solve
and few of Us ever expected to have
"A chance to try.
Mine came sooner than | expected.