The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-01-02

They sIashed Me Three Times
answering he-began to ask all sorts
OF questions. Finally, after / had told
him / had been in the French service.
l asked him II he could help me In any
way. He answered that had only my
self 20 blame and that II served me
right II had been In one Of the allied
armies.
did not like his looks much and he
seemed unfriendly. but when he began
smoking a cigarette II almost drove me
crazy and I could not help asking for
one. He refused me and said should
have stayed in my own country, where
I could have had plenty of cigarettes.
After while he threw away a olga
rette stub and not only but three or
four others who We're near made n dive
for II. A man named Kelley got it
a crazy man who went around trying
to eat wood and cloth and anything
he could find.
When my three weeks were up and
I had not heard from Mr.. Gerard was
Just about ready TO GO down to the
lake and pick out a vacant spot and
lay down In H. really do not think
I could have lasted two weeks longer.
And just about that time, as l was
walking back to barracks one day.
Frenchman showed me German
newspaper, and there in large type on
the top OF the first page II said that
Mr.. Gerard had left the country, or
was getting ready to leave. They had
TO drag me the rest OF the way to the
barracks and throw snow on me before
came To.
tGunner Depew's interview with Mr..
Gerard took place at the Dulmen prison
camp on or about February l. 1917. On
February 3 our state department demand
ed the release OF sixty-two Americans
| captured on British vessels and held as
! prisoners in Germany. on the same day.
President Wilson severed diplomatic rela-
| lions with Germany. Ambassador Gerard
left Germany exactly one week later. The
newspaper that Gunner Depew saw must
have been issued after February 10 II
was not until March . 1917. however. that
| Gunner Depew was actually released from
Brandenburg -Editor's Motel
do not know what happened during
the next few days.
/ But a week or so later the Spanish
ambassador and four German officers
and Swatts came to our barracks and
/ the ambassador told me I would be
released 1t was all l could do to
keep from faintlng again. Then Swatts
asked me In English IL had anything
/ to say about the treatment In the
camp. and l began TO think maybe
IL was a frame-up of some kind. so al
l said was, "When will l get out of
here?" and he said, "why, you will be
released tomorrow"
l did not wait TO hear any more, but
rushed into the barracks again, singing
and whistling and yelling as loud as
could. The boys told me my face was
very red and l guess what little blood
l had In my body had rushed to my
head, because l could hardly walk for
a few minutes.
Then the men began to think l was
crazy. and none of them believed
would really be released. but that
was going TO be sent TO the mines. as
so many were. But i believed II. and
l just sat there on my bunk and be
gan TO dream OF the food l would get
and what would eat first, and so on
did not sleep that night-jusi
walked from barracks TO barracks un
till they chased me away. and then
walked up and down In my own bar
racks the rest of the night. When
got TO the Russian barracks and told
the two doctors my news, they would
not believe me at all. although they
knew there had been some importan
visitor at the camp.
But when l walked out of their dool
l said. "Dobra vetshav," which meani
"Good night" Then they must have
believed me. for they called me back
and all the men gave me addresses o
people TO write TO In case should &c
away.
They were all talking at once, an,
one of the doctors got very excited an'
got down on his knees with his hand
In the air. ALBERT" he said. "if yol
have the God-given luck TO get out o
Germany-not for my sake. but 70
the sake OF us who are here In thi
hell-hole. promise me you will tell al
the people wherever you go what the,
are doing 10 US here. Tell them not 4
send money, for we can't eat money
and not meat-just bread, bread
bread"
Aud when I looked around all the
men were sitting ON their beds crying
and tearing their hair and saying
bread. bread. bread" over and oyei
again. Then each tried To give me
something. as II TO say that even u
they did not get out, perhaps their but
ton or belt ar skull cap would get bach
10 civilization.