Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-03
COLORED SOLDIER
IS R0UGH ON HUNS
Former New York Pullman
Porter Makes Scene in
Trenches.
COUNTING THE VICTIMS
BY HERBERT COREY.

BY HERBERT COREY.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, August 24.-"Whoo-ee"
said Sergt William Butler of some
where in New York city. "Whoo-ee!
you bush Germans! You wanna look
out fob me-foh Aim comin'"'
His colonel quoted Sergt. Butler in
this statement. His colonel comment
ed, smilelessly, that what Sergt. But
Ter said was perfectly true. The other
men of Buffers platoon said, accord
ing to the colonel, that:
Dat Mistah Butler, he suttenly did
come a-foggin' and a-rarin' thoo that
theah darkness
1t was on the night of August II
that Capt. Joe Outwater's company
had a cage barrage dropped over it.
Outwater is from New York, by the
way. Inside the cage the boche
dropped little gas. Not much, but
enough to be unpleasant. The whole
situation was as badly scrambled as
dropped eggs. There were no pleas
ant, clearly outlined, definite erench
lines bounding the, position-a sort of
formal garden of war in which the
men might wander. The position was
held by strong points, and old trench
lines Squirmed around no mans land
like dusty and aged snakes. Patrol
parties used to get lost in these old
bayous. Sometimes they got clear in
side the other fellows line.
In one of these strong. points on
lOutwater's front sat Lieut.. G.. X.
Jones. Jones is from Alabama. There
was "a time when he was not on the
best terms with the cclored privateS
of his platoon. 1t was merely a diff
ference in manner, for in Alabama
race relationships differ from those
of New York. But the difference had
grated. Latterly Jones and his pla-
toon were on better terms, for each
had discovered the fighting blood of
the other. But they were not what
you'd call chummy. Jones wanted to
he had been taken prisoner and his
old regiment had retaken him.
They are the real old waited stock"
said Jones, fondly. They are fighting
imen."
What Happened to Jones.
Jones began to be worried at his
strong point. The night was dark,
and there was gas in the air, and the
Smelling indicated some concerted ac-
ton by the boche. He tried to peer
/ into the darkness over the. parapet.
Then he gave that up as hopeless and
stopped over to pick up flare cart
\ ridge from the box at his feet. AS he
stopped large boche leaped on his
back and Jones and the boche went
to the dirt together. The boches
thick hands were about Jones
/ throat:
"Silenz!" Kissed the boche "Silenz.'
1t was perfect surprise raid, of the
! sort the YankS themselves like tc. pull
I surprising group. although it later de-
\ veloped that three other groups were
wandering about in no mans land. A
sufficient number of these Germans
had jumped on Jones and the four
men in his strong point to f1atten
| them cut. Not man on either side
spoke. There was wordless wrestle
in the darkness. Then the Yanks quit
fighting when they felt the hard ends
OF pixtols damned against their short
ribs.
Come said their captors. ION
your way''-or the German equiva-
lent for that phrase.
The five Yanks. and the Germans
noiselesSly climbed out of the strong
point and started off down a COM
munication trench for the exit into
no mans land. Somewhere down the
line an inspired soul set off a flare.
Its nasty green light showed to
Sergt. William Butler a line of Ger
man figures. At the head of the line
were set Lieut.. Jones and his four
men, to stop any bullets that might
be sent that way. Mr.. Jones and the
Germans saw Sergt. Butler by the
same flare. He used to be Pullman
porter in New York city. His eyes
and teeth are very white. They made
a grand effect against the dark back
ground, under that nasty green light.
Butler had his automatic rifle at the
ready.
Butler Was Ready.
i Don't Shoot. sergeant" howled
Jones. It's only me-
He doesn't recall just why he made
the statement in that obviously in
exact form, but that he made it at all
is a testimony to his presence of
mind. He furnished another evidence
of this quality Immediately, for be-
fore the astounded Germans could
recover from this apparition of "a
Jones had +humped his boche in the
jaw and sprawled face fiat. AS he
threw himself down he yelled to his
four captured comrades and they
1attened themselves likewise. Over
on his side Serst. William Butler
took a long breath and issued that
warcry by which he will remain IA
nous.
'WhoO-ee, says ne. LOOK out ron
ne, you Bush Germans Ah'm
comm"
Butler just paraded around that no
mans land with his automatic rifle
and his two carriers. They fired
thirty clips of cartridges that night.
They entered abris and cleaned them.
and where they had no space to sweep
with the automatic they used their
pistols. Butler held true. too, for
next morning one German was found
with his stomach cut open as by a
knife, and another with his head
sawed down by a stream Of bullets.
and another with his arm literally
chopped off. He believed in concen-
trating his fire. Butler did. Every
now and then those in the strong
points could hear him chant:
you wanna look out fob me, you
Bush Germans-foh Ah'm COMM"
No one knows just how many But
Ter and his pair of feeders got that
night. for the. Germans carry their
wounded off when they can. But he
got a-plenty. Next morning the regi-
mental surgeon on his rounds found
Lieut.. Jones of ALBANIA binding up
shrapnel wound in his leg. He looked
at the wound for a moment. and then
ner that is the especial curse of sur
geons:
"Ah, Jonesie! Wen have to evacuate
you for that"
Usually evacuation" with its weeks
of idleness and cleanliness and good
food in a well cared for hospital is
little touch of paradise. But Jones
| swore at the surgeon in his best Ala
| bama style:
you go to hell" said Jonesie. I'm
Igoing to stay with the outfit. They're
fighting men,"
STOCK WOULD BE CITIZEN.