The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-09-27

cOulQ only OBTAIN SOmelnlnS WHICH
would enable me to reach a point
about nine feet in the air it would be
a comparatively simple matter to
jump from that point over the electric
fence.
Then 7 thouoht that perhaps I could
construct a simple ladder and lean it
against one of the posts upon which
the electric wires were strung, climb to
the top and then leap over, getting
over the barbed wire fences in the
same way.
This seemed to be the most likely
plan and all night long sat construct
ing a ladder for this purpose.
1 was fortunate enough to find
number of fallen pine trees from ten
to twenty feet long. 1 selected two of
them which seemed sufficiently strong
and broke off all the branches, which
1 used as rungs, tying them to the
poles with grass and strips from my
handkerchief and shirt as best 1
could.
1t was not very workmanlike
looking ladder when l finally got
through with it. 1 leaned it against
a tree to test it and it wobbled conSid-
erably. 1t was more like a rope lad
der than a wooden one, but strength
ened it here and there and decided
that it would probably serve the pur-
pose.
{Lo 1oI in, tho woods oil
day and could hardly wait until dark
to make the supreme test. If it proved
successful my troubles were over;
within a few hours would be in a
neutral country out of all danger. If
I failed-I dismissed the idea sum-
marily. There was no use worrying
about failure; the thing to do was to
succeed.
The few hours that were to pass
before night came on seemed endless,
but 1 utilized them to re-enforce my
ladder, tying the rungs more securely
with long grass which picked in the
woods.
At last night came, and with my
ladder in hand I made for the barrier.
In front of it there was a cleared
space of about one hundred yards,
which had been prepared to make the
work of the guards easier in watch
ing it.
l waited in the neighborhood until
heard the sentry pass the spot where
was in hiding and then l hurried
across the clearing, showed my ladder
under the barbed wire and endeav-
ored to follow it. My clothing caught
in the wire, but 1 wrenched myself
clear and crawled to the electric bar
rier.
My plan was to place the ladder
against one Of the posts, climb up to
the top and then jump. There would
be a fall of nine or ten feet, and
might possibly sprain an ankle or
break my leg, but if that was all that
stood between me and freedom /
wasn't going to stop to consider it.
I put my ear to the ground to listen
for the coming of the sentry. There
was not a sound. Eagerly but care
fully 1 placed the ladder against the
post and started up. Only few feet
separated me from liberty, and my
heart beat fast.
1 had climbed perhaps three rungs
of my ladder when 1 became aware
of an unlocked for difficulty.
The ladder was slipping.
Just as l took the next rung, the
ladder slipped, came in contact with
the live wire, and the current passed
through the wet sticks and into my
body. There was blue flash, my
hold on the ladder relaxed and l fell
heavily to the ground unconscious.
Of course. l had not received the
full force of the current or l would
not now be here I must have re-
manned unconscious for few mo-
ments, but 1 came to just in time to
hear the German guard coming, and
the thought came to me if l didn't get
that ladder concealed at once he would
see it even though, fortunately for me,
it was an unusually dark night.
1 pulled the ladder out of his path
and lay down fiat on the ground not
seven feet away from his feet. He
passed so close that l could have
pushed the ladder out and tripped
him up.
1t occurred to me that 1 could have
climbed back under the barbed wire
fence and waited for the sentry to re-
turn and then felled him with a blow
on the head, as he had no idea, Of
course, that there was anyone in the
vicinity. I wouldn't have hesitated
to take life, because my only thought
was to get into Holland, but thought
that as long as he didn't bother me
perhaps the safest thing to do was not
to bother him, but to continue my eff
forts during his periodic absence.
His beat at this point was apparent
ly fairly long and allowed me more
time to work than 1 had hoped for.
My mishap with the ladder had con-
vinced me that my escape in that way
was not feasible. The shock that l
had received had unnerved me and l
was afraio < risk it again, particu-
larry as | realized that l had Jared
more fortunately than l could hope
to again if l met with a similar mis-
hap. There was no way of making
that ladder hold and gave up the idea
of using it.
| was now right in front of this
electric barrier and as l studied it 1
saw another way of getting by. If l
couldn't get over it, what was the
matter with getting under it?
The bottom wire was only two
inches from the ground and, of course,
l couldn't touch it, but my plan was
to dig underneath it and then crawl
through the hole in the ground.
l had only my hands to dig with,
but l went at it with a will and fortu-
nately the ground was not very hard.
When l had dug about six inches,
making distance 10 all of eight