Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-08-13

from copy or oldIS dnu Stripes" the official newspaper of tha American EXpeditionary Forces iR France. The paper was sent to Mrs. Ruth Scoggin of Pine Bluff by he" son, Reed Fletcher:)
 This is the story of Private Frank J4enert, a sleepy-looking, f]at-footed. 19-year-old Marine from Chicago wno emerged from Belleau Wood with S2 Boches as his personal prisoners.
 It happened on the night the Amer jeans in that sector rounded out their possession of the woods, killing, ca,p- turing or driving out the remaining German machine gun companies that had clung stubbornly to their final strip Of the debatable forest. It was a little after midnight, and the intelll- gence officer at one regimental heat quarters had turned in with full pack on for an hours sleep when he was awakened by the voice of private calling out his name under his Will dow. The voice went on ill what it's owner fondly believed to be a stage whisper, but which really was a sort of untitled roar.
 Say, come on down, l got some prisoners, l nave.
 "Well, said the lieutenant, stick them in a shed somewhere, and I'll be down and look them over.'
 Into the Moonlit Road.
 q guess I'll have to hire a hall, 7 was the reply the lieutenant heard while he adjusted his helmet and gas mask, and he was chuckling at that bit of Yankee braggadocio as he tum- tled down the stairs and out into the moolit road. The road was crowded. The sleep vanished from his eyes as he gazed upon a German company drawn up in full array, with a beam' ing Marine on guard at either end, and Private Lenert standing at at tention, with his right hand founding the butt of a German captains auto- matic
 Over his shoulder was slung an ex- ceptionally fine pair of German field glasses. He had just tossed away a pleasantly favored German cigaret. Everyone looked very happy, includ- ing the Germans.
 Where in the name of all that' wonderful did you get all these "
 "Oh," said Lenert, cheerfully, they just came along.
 Later when the prisoners had been marched off down the road to bri- gade headquarters, this account of the capture unfolded itself from the tes- timony of all concerned
 Lenert's battalion had been in the thick of the fighting, which had been preceded by a series of hotly contest ed advances since little after sum- down. He himself, in the height of the excitement, had gotten astraS from his company and, confused in his bearings, he was looking for his own people again in the darkness ot the woods when he stumbled into q German company-Walked into a Ger man machine gun, and knew as much by the way they fell upon him. The Boches dragged their lone pris- oner before their captain, who put him through hurried examination an examination carried on in German for Lenert can speak German. Lenert did not know much, but he tried a few details on his inquisitors and noting the profound effect they seemed to have, quite warmed up tC his story. He bent over the map they showed him, and reluctantly describ- ed the position of various American regiments till he had conveyed the impression to the already unhappy captain that this nest of Germans was virtually surrounded.
 And 1 want to get out of here, Lenert went on with growing con- Vction. "rhere's a lull now, bu, they're going to turn the artillery OF this patch of woods and blow it t9 bits. l don't want to te here. I want to get out right now"
 Heap Big Powwow. With this final piece of information to consider, the captain withdrew q little and held great powwow with his three leutenants. The council of war did not last long, and very IrKc- ly was the concluding session of one held a little earlier, the maturing of a plan already considered A moment later and Private Lenert was startled and little embarrassed by having the German captain formally surrender to him. He took the offered auto matic, flourished it several times, and squared his shoulders.
 Throw down your arms" he saia boldly and the soldiers, who were entirely in accord with the proceed ings, discarded their weapons with alacrity. There were 7S of them.
 Any more Lenert asked.
 The captain admitted there might be d few more left, but they were slowed away in dugouts and outposts and would have to shift for them selves. There was no time to lose.
 Leading His Flock.
 Come on, then" said the Marine and. in scandalous contravention of the approved methods, brandished his newly acquired pistol, and led rath- CT than drove his prisoners forth. His sense of direction had improved con- siderably by his study of the map and when he became confused once on the way back the captain proffered his compass and they soon had their bearings again.
 It was like that all the way thru an affable party, with the Germans doing double time every once in a while when they feared they might not get as thoroughly captured as they had decided Inv this tima thav