New Britain herald., 1918-09-09
FLED FROM ENEMY.
 WALKED lOO MILES
Lieut.. Hitchcock Has Thrilling Experience on Way to Switzerland

Paris Sept. Associated Press)- Lieut.. Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., of Westbury, L. L, the youthful member of the Lafayette Flying Corps cap- tured by the Germans some tine ago, but who recently escaped to Switzer- land on Aug. 28, today described his experiences while a captive and his flight to neutral territory, through evading his guards while on a train.
 Hitchcock was forced to walk more than hundred miles in eight con- secutive nights, hiding during the daytime. He lived on food he had saved from his, meager rations in the prison camp. He was ignorant of the country through which he passed, but guided himself by a pocket com- pass.
 On the eighth day of his tramp he found himself in a small village. He inquired of a child if he was in Switz- erland and, being told he was, made his way direct to Berne, where he ar rived August 30.
 The New York flyer was captured March 6, when he was forced to land alter an aerial combat with three German machines. He was wounded m the thigh and his machine became disabled at an altitude of a thousand meters. Notwithstanding his wound. he brought down his machine in safety inside the German line. He was seized by several Germans and taken to dressing station. From there he was sent to a hospital at St. Arnold. Later he was transferred to Saarbrucken.
 It took two months for the wound in Hitchcock's leg to heal. He said- he was not maltreated by the Ger mans, but that there was plenty of suffering among the prisoners, who were barely existing. He said he had been saved by the arrival of packages from France containing food
 After landing inside the German lines," said Hitchcock, "I tainted twice. The second time I did not come to my senses until had reached the dressing station. Tn the hospital I received fair treatment only. There was one doctor for the 15O patients, and the food was not very good. The food packages I received from France helped me greatly.
 T escaped while being transported with two other Americans from Lach- field to Rastadt There was one Ger man guard for the three of us We were watching our chances for es- cape. When the train stopped at a station near Ulm. the guard fell into a doze. I snatched the railway map, which was near him, and also my money. We were not allowed to handle our money
 "PrpSeOtlU the guard 9wOl<a and missed the map and money. Picking up quickly my package of food which had been saved from my rations, but leaving the map behind, I rushed out of the door opposite and ran as fast as possible away from the railroad track. The guard yelled after me, but I knew he could not follow be- cause of the two other. prisoners
 ''I then slowed down and began to walk toward the frontier During the daytime I hid in the woods and at night I evaded towns and villages, l walking around them. I was always i on close watch for Germans, for I l was in the uniform of a French avia- 1 tor. Most of tht ttrrtory traversed by 1 me was farming land. with the people 1 working during the day. When they | left the fields in the evening then I 1 would begin my tramp.
 "I made excellent progress, except | now and then when I encountered l marshes, fences and hedges. I slept | during the daytime. after having made sure of the safety of my sleep ing place.
 Arriving at what I thought was the Swiss frontier, I watched for traps such as electrically charged wires and signals. Apparently I evad- ed all such things.
 "One morning I felt sure that I was in Switzerland, but before in curing I added a few extra miles to my tramp and found myself in lit tie village. There I asked a girl who spoke French where I was. She said I was in Switzerland, and then I knew I was safe"
 > Hitchcock will leave for the United States in about two weeks. He in tends to transfer from the French to the American Flying Corps.