Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-01-17
Pat 0'Brien Finds George V
Equal to Heads of Western
Department of Railway and
Not at All Stuck Up
HIS MAJESTY INTERESTED
IN AMERICANS STORY
Aviator's Account of Getting
by the Charged Wire Barrier
Between Holland and BEL
gium Creates Keen Attention

tAkbOrHteH tresA tOFrPApnu0eNFesi
London, Dec. 2S.-Flight Leuten-
ant Pat O'Brien, the former Santa Fc
railway man who effected a remark
able escape from Germany after be-
member of the royal flying corps
and who walked across a part of Ger
many, all of Luxembourg and Belgium
before digging under the wire oi
death" and reaching Amsterdam, has
Just told his story to the king at Buck
ingham palace. And O'Brien and the
king have formed complimentary inn
pressions of each other.
'I have met some of the heads OF
departments on the western division
of the Santa Fe, some of the big busi-
ness men in Chicago, and few of the
men doing the fighting in important
positions in this war, and / want to
eav that the king is on of the best,
said O'Brien, who is native of Mo
mence. H., and resident of San
Francisco. II don't think he knows
what side means We shook hands
heartily three times-on my arrival
when | thought | might be taking too
much of his time and started to go,
and finally when we said good-by.
King Is Punctual.
"I received a telegram to call at
1890 o'clock and arriving two min
utes before, found the king on rail
road time. I was not kept waiting a
minute, but was taken directly to him
by one of his secretaries who with
drew on presenting me. We then
chatted for forty minutes, the king
showing great interest in my expert
ences and questioning me minutely
as to my route from the time jump
ed out of the train window until
concealed myself nearby and studied
the electrically charged barrier he
tween Belgium and Holland for about
q week of nights before succeeding in
q plan of escape.
"The king first offered me chair
but when I declined politely stood
with me throughout our conversation
He certainly had more than an ANA
teur's knowledge of electricity, as
gathered by the lively interest he dis
played at the several ways | had III
mind as to how best to put the live
wires out of business. l first thought
of grounding the current in the sew
eral wires with horizontal metal bar
then made a ladder of saplings sc
green that the wood proved a con
ductor and decided on another plar
successfully.
Laughs Heartily.
"He was keenly interested in my
iump through the window of the tralr
and the guards effort to hold me in
7 think he laughed most heartily a.
nv passage with the guard previously
when I complained of our having tt
ride in fourth class compartments
The guard responded that we right
fully should be riding in hog trucks
answered that such would be prefer
able to riding with Germans, and ther
nv English speaking guard exploded
in gutterals, probably not knowln&
nrofanity in a foreign tongue.
"I couldn't realize the king was
king He seemed just like other men
but more interested in my story. H'
EXPRESSED great sympathy for m!
mother owing to her long belief tina
I had been killed, it indeed havini
been so announced in the British of
ficial report. I have been given leav'
for three months to visit her at Mo
mence, ILL.,, but my time may be ex
tended. It is very likely that l shall
ba transferred to the American flyin!
corps, in which I received my frs
training and was serving at San Dieg'
before becoming restless and enlistin.
with the Canadians in Victoria.
have now about recovered from tn
effects of seventy-two days diet o
cabbages and turnips"