The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-09-28
Copyright, 1913, by the Mcclure Newsps
per Syndicata)

Ine older people who had lived
through the war of 1870 had interested
audiences for once while they related
past experiences and gave advice as to
what preparations to make. A posi-
bility OF food shortage seemed 10 be
uppermost In all minds, and the gro
ceries were stormed with eager buy
ers. Salt suddenly jumped to Is cents
a pound and other things In proper
don.
On Sunday, August 2, all the gaso-
line In the country was commandeered,
and we heard of many American tour
lists being put out Of their cars In the
cities and even on country roads, no
matter how inaccessible to trains they
might be. We accordingly decided to
stow our car away In an old wagon
shed attached to hotel and sought to
return to Berlin by train.
At the railway station there was
such a tremendous crowd that It was
quite impossible to get anywhere near
the ticket Office, and anyway no prom
Use could be given as to trains to Ber-
lin.
Trunks and bags were piled high in
every available space and it was
months before that enormous pile of
baggage was finally sorted out.
We decided to defer our effort to
reach Berlin until Monday, since there
seemed no hope of getting away that
day.
On Monday morning, the streets
were filled with excited crowds de-
stroying every sign with a French
word on 1t and looking for spies. The
| papers had announced that the coun-
try was full Of French spies, women
as well as men, saw the crowd stop
| an automobile, take woman out and
literally tear her clothes to shreds be-
fore the police succeeded in rescuing
her from the mob and took her to the
police station The general SUPPOSE
ton was that all the man spies were
| masQuerading as women and the first
| thing the mob did was to pull out hair
I pins to see whether the hair was real.
On Monday evening, we managed to
edge our way into the last through
L
innumerable times to allow troop
trains TO pass through, and we were re-
| Quired to keep our windows closed SO
that no enemy passenger could drop
bombs on the bridges we crossed. It
was q hot August night and the lack
of ventilation was most oppressive.
| Our compartment was crowded with
officers on their way to join their reQ-
ments and very grand and Important
they felt In their new feld-gray uni
forms which may have long been put
away In moth balls for just this oppor-
tunity, but which took the German peo-
| pie as well as the allies completely by
surprise.
At Naumberg, which is about half
way between Frankfort and Berlin, a
company Of soldiers boarded the train
and guarded the corridors while nom
commissioned officer questioned the
passengers.
/ My wife, who was asleep In a cor
ner of the coupe l, was the only wom-
an In the compartment. Believing. that
her sleep might be feigned and she
might, In fact, be man in woman's
clothing, the officer yelled at her !:
"Where are you goingY Her Amerf-
can accent, revealed when she an
swered him, incensed him the more
and he demanded angrily: "What right
have you to use this train? Where Is
your passport?"
| By that time I had produced all the
| papers of Identification could find and
tried to tell him that my wife and !
were returning to our home In Berlin,
but he was too excited to listen and
would have dragged us off the train
had not an officer, with whom 1 had
been talking en- route, interviewed and
said: II shall make myself personally
responsible for these people" was
glad had admired his new uniform.
From the coupe next to ours / saw
soldiers drag six Russians, throw them
down and kick them in the face, and
one was a woman! The train pulled
out as the crowd closed in on them Sc
that was unable to ascertain the fate
of those innocent but helpless passen.
| nora
wnen we finally reached Berlin
about five the next morning. it seemed
like a dead city. There was not q
droschke, taxi or tram in sight
Every available means of locomotion
had been modified for the time being.
As we had heavy bags, we simply
had to find something to take us home
and after half an hours search far
from the station / found an old cab
driver who thought he could take Us
for the liberal bonus 1 agreed to pay
him. We had hardly got seated when
an officer tried to force us out, and
only my wffe's quick plea of Illness
saved him a black eye and me iron
bars or large fine.
After England declared war, the eff
/ forts to capture spies were doubled,
and the mob had a new lot of signs to
fcor doUn We warp forbidden tn ia Tx