The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-11
SIREN BLOWS
 FOR BEARDSLEY
Stratford Gives Royal Vel
 come to Hero Come Home.

member of Company E, 102nd Regi- ment, of the 51st Brigade and the 26th Division of the American Ex- pediuonary Forces, three hours after his arrival in the town of his birth yesterday morning.
 Tt certainly seems good to be back in the old town.' he continued, dur ing his talk with the men of the town who gathered at the truck house at the center to extend to him a well come; he being the man from Strat- ford who has seen the greatest amount of the fighting in France of any of the boys who went from the town. France is a fine country in some parts but there is nothing that can compare with Fairfield county and the town along the Housatonic river" he continued.
 They call it sunny France, but believe me. I have seen more sun shine in the last two days than I have seen in a long time in France, g he stated in response to a question asked by George Bateman, chairman of the Citizens committee of the town who was soon at the center when he received the word that "'Toots' Beardsley had arrived. Others who gathered to assist in the impromptu reception to the returned fighter had many questions to ask and found in Private Beardsley one who could talk in an interesting way of the great fight and in a manner that showed him the same boy that was liked by all who had known him.
 "Cootiesl Did I ever have cooties? .? You just bet I had them and it was one continuous battle with them." He stated in answer to one question, they were not like the Germans who would stop fighting after a while; these little animals were at it all the time and the minute we had a chance to stop making Fritz jump about we went after the cooties. Dear little things" he said, they certainly low ed us and stuck closer than a brother possibly could. And the best part of it all was they cared no more for you than they did the rest of the members of your regiment or the Germans either, for that matter. They were on them all.'
 q have read the slogan of the city of Waterbury, Waterbury has some thing on everyOne,' and l think old Grandfather Coot might have said I nave got SOHGllIIlS OH every SOIulSI.
 ''No, Charlie" he said in answer to Charles Abercrombie, the newsdealer, they have no universal language; they apparently are familiar with German, French, Indian, English and every other language and they were not particular about the rank of the person they attached themselves to either as all had them.''
 T xE-5%t h a cooties as I had my last decooting operation night before last at 1 o'clock in the morning. he said. This last going over was to make sure that we had brought none of the pests to this country. I do not believe that many came over but now and then on the boat on the way over a few would be found and this last decoot- ing was to do away with these
 Privately Beardsley, who was quite hoarse, stated that this was mainly due to a. cold which he contracted during the last deCooting process but that he had a hoarseness that was caused by his being gassed. q have talked horase for some time, in fact ever since I left the hospital after re- ceiving a. dose of the heathenly gas and it will be some time probably be- fore it wears away" he said. Being gassed, he told his hearers was one of the very worst sicknesses that could be contracted and he hoped that none of his friends would ever have to go through the experience.
 Well, you just bet l went over the top, and sometimes as high as six times a day. Why, I was in the trenches for the best part of nine months and it was over and after them; very often too often for real comfort The worst part of it all was when we went over we would have to fool around so many times to cut through the barbed wire if he barrage had not shot it to pieces. And then we got to the trench of he Huns it was case of watching all corners and a jab of your bayonet just around, for it you didn't watch out he had you,' he said in answer to questions of Albert Anderson.
 Most of the German soldiers are rank towards" said Beardsley, "an except the big fellows, the Prussian guarzs. They would fight to the last, but the others were ready to quit the minute we got near their trench. And I don't blame the poor fellows for quitting cold when hand grenadeS are being thrown in on top of you and your companions being blown to bits and you know the next thing is husky Tanks jumping down with good sharp bayonets.
 Tt certainly must have looked fun ny to an observer to have seen me, a little bit of a fellow, bringing in one of these big Prussian Guards as a prisoner" he said, and I have done 1t a number of times. I made them carry my pack and step right along Right behind the prisoner I walked with the bayonet on my gun not many inches from his body ready for any move the treacherous fellows might make. None of them ever got away from me as I took no chances with them.
 ''Camoufage was the great thin over there. Everything looked like something else. Our tents were paint ed. the guns were painted and every thing possible was done to deceive the
 German airmen, who would fly al times almost over our heads. That stuff fooled them all right
 Spea king of Lieutenant Rex Della cour of this town Beardsley said that he was only a short distance away from him when he was wounded. but -1,.