The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-01-17
PYANk SOLDIERS !.
ROBBED BY HE
Men Captured at seichepreyfell
Of Harsh Treatment by ]
the Huns. III
REFUSED TO 81 Ba0|I 1
Attempt Later Made TO Effect Rton'
ciIiation spurnsd BY Americana
Corporal Who Refused to Worl
Hurled Down Mine Shaft. 4

London.-"When they took US aFis-
oners they held revolvers to- our hAds
and made us give them our shoes4Put
when the armistice came and weJere
set free socialist leader mad q
speech to US. saying: We are,tow
brothers. *!r
This was what American sofsers
who returned. to London from ,fer-
many-the first to reach here aftefhe
signing of the armistfce-had tafay
about the change in the attitudi Of
their captors from the time theYhad
fallen into German hands In Aprilln-
til they were released on Noem-
Der H. ~. IA
"When we were captured at Seine
prey, said Private james z. Ito
chelli of Providence, "the Germansol-
diers held pistols to the heads of Ame
of US and demanded our shoes I
managed to hang pn to mine, but tn
ers weren't 50 lucky, They hat to
walk barefooted through No Nn's
Land, cutting their feet badly on
barbed wire or pieces of shell. al Of
us had to walk 80 miles to the 4ar.
where wooden shoes were giyenus
and no one was permitted to. keeHhis
boots. They told us--one genera4lid
that they had attacked to get pripn-
ers, but the next time they atta&ed
the One Hundred and Second hey
would take no prisoners, because they
had fought too f1ercely."
This was corrQborated by Pirate
Frank Butler Of New Haven.
Prisoners Exhibited.
The Americans were eventlllly
taken to Friedrichsfeldt, and no op-
portunity was missed to show the
American prisoners to the populce.
for they were among the earliest to
be taken! J.. =, AZ
These Americans were taken a
camp where there were prisoners
from all the other allied countries,and
though there afterward seemed to
be an attempt to single out Antri-
cans for better treatment, according
to the returned men now here, fey
fared much the same as the. Others
during the earlier part OF their Am
prisonment. Until their own bod
parcels begun tor arrive they got on
siderable food from the generous Ait-
ish and other allied c6mpatriUts.
Moro than 20 were detailed to xbrk
in coal and salt; mines and one nm,
Corporal -Lucien, who, 1t was said re-
fused to work in ANIME when ordGed
TO do 20. was marched of to! the'pit
head and given another chance to de-
eide what, he would DO by the iwo
Prussian guards who had !, him In
charge. When he again stoutly re-
fused, saying he was net{ required as
an under officer, to do So, hes fas
thrown down the shaft and killed.
The burial was witnessed, his csm-
rades said, by 4 British sailor. Who
told about it on the following day
Eventually the Americans we're
taken to the prison camp at Opla4en.
For their work they got six cent? q
day. n
Armistice Starts Riot. :,
On November 8 they learned Of the
ormlstice. On that day riots wereDre-
cipitated in the town in which \ the
Anne ricaps were stationed, and ma
rines had been hurried up to quell the
disorders. On November I n. word
come that the ar1nistice had been
signed and that all the prisoners
were now free. Ii II. e4 ?
It was arranged shortly afterGard
that they were to be sent to sHolhud
for transportation to England with
English prisoners. The men wereDer-
mitted to 60 through the town at viii,
and the people, as well as their for
mer guards, were anxious to frater.
nize, but got short .shrift from tie re.
leased men. ta3.. - A
A German who styled himself as an
international Socialist, went to the
camp to tell the prisoners how glad
he was that the war was over. .We
are all brothers now" he said with
much gusto, but this was too much
to swallow after months Of hard work,
poor food and overbearing treatment,
and one Of the prisoners greeted this
exclamation with boos and groans.
The Socialist departed as disconso.
late as did Sir Roger Easement when
he Intellectually tried to curry the
favor Of Irish prisoners in other
camps.
An uneveptful trip to Holland Ien.
sued, and then the men were taken IN
charge by the British Red. Cross and
went to Hull along with British Tom
mics who had been iii the camp With
them.
Gives Three sons 70 Service.
Newman, GA. d. Harris of New.
nan has given three sons to his coun.
try's fight Aof freedom, .nl Of whom
volunteered early in the war. Alvin
H. Harrt Marine corps, was killed
in action mt BOuresches and his ronr.