Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-23
TELLS or PRISON LIFE.

SO. NAVY, 000ltG9 war experiences.
Albert N. Depew. an American vet
cram OF the Trench navy, an author Of
the war book Gunner Depew", drew
an audience Of more than 200 to the
Z. NJ. G. A. Monday night to hear Of
his experiences in the war. ,Depew,
who comes Of a family, the male mem
bers OF which have spent many years
in the navy, had varied. exciting and
frightful experiences during the first
two years Of the grea. war. Depew
was born near Pittsburgh. Pa, but he
spent practically his whole life in the
navy
II SO happened that Depew had just
been discharged from the American
navy when war broke out in Europe.
!, He went to France, enlisted In tho
French navy, aid served until cap
tured by the iGel man commerce raider
Moewe, which Lad such a sensational
career for a few months.
Gunner Deps'y saw a great deal at
the campaign in the Dardanelles AID
at Galhpoli. During the Dardanelies
Campaign he made twelve round trips
from France to the Dardanelles, and
when 1t failed he served on land in the
short but costly campaign at CALI
poll. fighting as foot soldier in the
trenches. He obtained his title OF
gunner during the Dardanelles cam
paign, While serving on the French
battleship Cassard. Previous to this
experience Depew had served in the
foreign legion oaid saw land service in
Belgium. For his bravery and dis
tingushed services he was awarded
the French croix de guerre.
It was while serving on the Georgia
that the ship and crew were captured
in the east Atlantic by the raider
Moewe, and the crew was transferred
to the Yarrowdale. The latter ship
finally found safety In German port
by taking a course due north to north
OF Iceland and after rounding it skirt
ing the coast Of Norway. Sweden and
Denmark into Swinenmde. For three
months he was a prisoner in four DIFF
ferent German prisons, including the
one at Brandenburg, the most motor
ions Of all Depew was gassed,
bombed, bayoneted and torpedoed
during his varied experiences while in
the service, and Is no longer fit for
active duties, having lost an eye as the
result of a wound.
He told the audience parts Of these
experiences and especially Of his
frightful experience in the German
prisons. Two Of his comrades were
crucified by the HUNS while in prison.
Depew declared that as humane fight
ers the Turks were civilized when
compared with the Germans.
Get the idea out Of your head, he
told the audience. that we are fight
ing the kaiser. The sooner you forget
that and remember that we are fight ;
ing the whole German nation and the
German people the sooner we will win
this war;
The frtghtful condition of prisoners
in German prisons he described in
detail. They ere underfed, scantily
clothed. and poorly housed in unsani-
tary, filthy surroundings. He said the
average daily rattons served prison
ers consisted Of cup Of whit evident
ly was coffee made from acrons for
breakfact, a thin, watery coup for din
ner, and a loaf Of bread for each ten
men. with water for supper. He ex-
hihited bayonet wounds received in
flicted by prison guards and he told
how the prisoners were subjected to
the most brutal treatment for the
least iffractioa, even so small a
thing as a question being answered by
q sword or bayonet thrust Eventually
he was released thru the efforts Of
Ambassador Gerard, and was nursed
back to comparative health at Zurich,
Switzerland. He told his story in an
interesting and matter of-fact way.
The Rotary Club took the meeting
as the occasion to present to the Mar
shalltown Club a set of colors of the
allies, the flags of the United States,
Belgium, England France and Italy.
that are to be hung in the MARSHALL