The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-01-09
YANK SOLDIERS
ROBBED BY FOE
Men Captured at Seicheprey Tell
of Harsh Treatment by
the Huns.
REFUSED TO Be BROTHERS
Attempt Later Made to Effect Recon.
ciiiation Spurned by Americans
Corporal Who Refused to Work
Hurled Down Mine Shaft.

London.-"When they took us pris-
oners they held revolvers to our heads
and made us give them our shoes, but
when the armistice came and we were
set free socialist leader made a
speech to us, saying: 'We are now
brothers.
This was what American soldiers
who returned to London from Ger
many-the first to reach here after the
signing of the armistice-had to say
about the change in the attitude of
their captors from the time they had
fallen into German hands In April un-
til they were released on Novem-
ber II
"When we were captured at Seiche-
prey" said Private James Il. Pito-
chelli of Providence, 'the German sol
diers held pistols to the heads of some
of us and demanded our shoes.
ers weren't so lucky. They had to
walk barefooted through No Mans
Land, cutting their feet badly on
barbed wire or pieces of shell. All of
us had to walk 30 miles to the rear,
where wooden shoes were given us,
and no one was permitted to keep his
boots. They told us-one general did
that they had attacked to get prison
ers, but the next time they attacked
the One Hundred and Second they
would take no prisoners, because they
had fought too fiercely"
This was corroborated by Private
Frank Butler of New Haven.
Prisoners Exhibited.
The Americans were eventually
taken to Friedrichsfeldt, and no OPP
portunity was missed to show the
American prisoners to the populace,
for they were among the earliest to
be taken.
These Americans were taken to a
camp where there were prisoners
from all the other allied countries, and
though there afterward seemed to
be an attempt to single out Ameri-
cans for better treatment, according
to the returned men now here, they
Jared much the same as the others
during the earlier part Of their i'm
prisonment. Until their own food
parcels began to arrive they got con-
siderable food from the generous Brit
ish and other allied compatriots.
More than 80 were detailed to work
i'm coal and salt mines, and one man,
Corporal Luclen, who, it was said, re-
fused to work In mine when ordered
to do so, was marched off to the pit
head and given another chance to de-
eide what he would do by the two
Prussian guards who had him In
charge. When he again stoutly re-
fused, saying he was not required, as
an under officer, to do so. he was
thrown down the shaft and killed.
The burial was witnessed, his COM
rades said, by a British sailor who
told about it on the following day.
Eventually the Americans were
taken to the prison camp at Opladen.
For their work they got six cents o
day.
Armistice Starts Riot.
On November they learned of the
ormistice. On that day riots were pre-
cipitated In the town in which the
Americans were stationed, and ma
rines had been hurried up to quell the
disorders. On November IL word
came that the armistice had been
signed and that all the prisoners
were now free.
1t was arranged shortly afterward
that they were to be sent to Holland
for transportation to England with
English prisoners. The men were per-
mitted to go through the town at will,
and the people. as well as their for
mer guards, were anxious to frater-
nize, but got short shrift from the re-
leased men.
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. eve
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 uneventful trip to Holland en-
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 in the camp with
them.