The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-08-29
ITALIANS FLEE
AUSTRIAN CAMP
Eight Make Their Escape After
Untold Suffering.
TELL HORROR OF PRISON LIFE

Food Scant and Of Poorest Quality
Prisoners Forced to Help FIay Their
comrades-Escaping Italians Make
Their Way to Russia After Undergo.
ing Great Hardships and Are Giver,
Warm Welcome.
IN the little hamlet Of Sa ,eta San
Giuliano. province of Emilia. italy,
lives shoemaker, Luigi Ghttoni. in n
modest home. He has four sons IN tbo
army. Two are row at the front md
two were captured by the Austrians,
One evening recently the door wns
burst open roughly. and the shocmnk.
er cried out In alarm: "Who is thcrc?"
ut is I, Edward, your son." came
the answer. II have escaped from
Austria"
at the sound Of loved ones voice,
the little home was thrown topsy-
turvy, and the good news flew in n mo-
ment around the town. What n gath
ering there was Of friends, relatives
and family for welcoming him to the
home
Edward still bore on his face traces
OF his hardships In captivity, and after
his escape. He is thirty. He had
fought in Libya in the famous Italian
African campaign. AS soon rs Italy
declared war in 1918. he fastened to
the front and took part in several en-
gngcmcnts, but July 20 he was cap
turrd on San Michael, and for 81
months remained a prisoner Of the
AuStranS. He was taken to Lablann
where he remained for six days and
was sent to Mathauscn. There he re-
manned till September. 1916.
Prisoners Flogged Piteously.
"Our life was Il hard one" he said;
"thc suffering was great; the food
Scant and of the poorest quality; the
bcatings with rods frequent and with
out pity. Among SO many tortures
what rackcd the boys most was to be
compelled by force to help fay their
comrades tied to Il stake. This cruelty
was abolished, however, after the
death of Francis Joseph"
he opportunity to escape came,
however, and young Ghittoni proved
equal to the emergency. In Scptcm-
Der he was sent With II batch Of other
| prisoners to Hungary, Dommnvatcr in
I the Carpathinns being their destina-
ton.
eve were divided into squads of
25O," he continued, leach assigned tC
cut down trees, which were to be used
In Notifications. Our treatment die
not improve, and the work was made
harder every day. Blows were strucl
If anyone refused to work, or let ur
for any reason. I received my full
share with tho rest. Only one thing
bore us up, and that was the hope of
escape. In spite of all the difficulties
we decided to regain our liberty mt
whatever cost. We were able to get
some Austrian uniforms and accumu-
late supplies. After that we awaited
our opportunity.
1.-TWO of our companions, however"
Ghittoni continued, "bccamc impatient,
and lcapcd over the stockndc last Jan
unry. They were discovered immcdi-
atcly, shot by scntincls when they re-
fused to halt, and returned to captiv-
ity. What became Of them? We knew
nothing after That.
Eight OF us resolved to get away.
We were divided into two squads. A
few days later the first succeeded in
getting over the stockade. and we lost
trace OF each other for the moment.
NO alarm was given by the Austrians ;
SO we concluded that their getaway
had been successful.
"A week later in the night the sec
ond squad leapcd over the stockade
ana made FOR the Businesses OF the
Chrphthinn mountains. few miles
beyond we came to railway station.