The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-07-24
Especial Correspondence.
BY SELFRIDGE RANNEGAN.


LONDON July 2%.--Onc of the great
est mysteries Of the war-"n" Which
prrplrx"d both the BRITISH and German
governments. and almost brought ltol-
land into the SirugclC~--hlS been solved
by establishing tn. identity of an ar
man who. as II were. ran aInok Ill lhe
air.
. CONSERVATION was caused throughout
Germany By the sudden appearance" OF
mysterious acroplanC. obviously ire
latest type OF Gutha. which dropped
bombs on the crowded streets az am
Crcrt towns Will" the excited p"puiace
were gazing up at this great engine LOT
strafling the hated BrluShcrs.
This machine seems to have crossed
the whole OF German territory. Tor
bombs were dropped from Mannheim 10
DAM 1t was ais" reported over
Dutch territory at two points. anu
bombs were dropped in open Couhtr!
without much damage being done. me
suggestion of tho Germans was 'hat
This was an allied airnan. trcach"rouS-
" disguiZ"d as Il G"tha raider III "'ucr
to make trouble between Holland ana
Germany in tn" first place. and second
" to Kill innocent civilians in German
towns
During the armstiCc negotiations the
matter was raised by the German repre-
sentatives. and. in view of the uehi"lS
OF the Allies that any airinan MAI act
cd in this way a full inquiry was inaut
by Commission of German ana -lhed
officers. The Commission has just pub
ilished its findings. and the explanation
they offer is an amazing one.
It transprcs that tho raiding machine
was pilotcd by Capt. Otto ErSChaucr. ono
OF the most daring Of tho Hun raiders
OF London. II was the boast OF Er-
schauer that ne had taken part in every
Gotha raid on the British Isles. and IN
particular nc claimed the credit or or
gambling and carrying through IN" deed
" daylight raid over London In July of
1917. Erschauers daring as raider was
only cqualled by his skill us a pilot. and.
accordinCr TO men who went with him.
he rcvellcd in r:dnC the barraGc which
was put ua between him and his London
objective.
Fighting the Mailman.
One night in March OF last year Err
schaucr made his last trip to the british
Isles. Just outside London he ran INTO
n barraGc mere fierce than anything nc
had We, encountered. and even h" was
forced to turn back. In a lull, when inc
engines had boon silcnccd for the tine
being, some Of the men on III" othct
machine shouted something In the nature
OF n taunt to ErschauCr. who had always
boastcd that tho barrag" that could stop
him had not yet been invented.
He circled about for 4 while and then
wont straight towards London again.
Some Of the other machines followed
hat were turned back by the dcfcncss
around BucNNrst Hill.
What happened after that is tolo III
the evidence offered by Lieut.. Hans
Weitmann. 81 was one Of the last 10
give up the attempt. When l was pass
ing over the town Of Colchester on my
way back heard the noise or Gotha en-.
1Ines and. looking hack. I saw one "1
our machines coming toward ms at h'S"
speed. II came alongside. and my att"h-
ton was suddenly riveted on II pS sec
Ing the figure of n man rise up from inc
oJIot.s s.ar and lean towards the obser-
yer.
1.-THE man who stood up had a look OF
madness on his face and his actions
.,erc those Of a mailman. He seized hold
OF the observer and tn" two men struE-
elcd violently, wit hthc machine hiSh
Nd in the air. The madmah got the pct
ter Of his victim. and 10 my horror.
SAW him hurl the observer out OF the
machine The body fell somewhere IN
the neighborhood Of Chichester but
would not be sure where, because OF the
height at which we were tying.
The mad pilot then resumed his seat
and altered the course of his machir&
until he had II in position to turn MS
machine gun on mo. Without the least
warning, he opened fire on me ana
shower Of bullets came spluttering
against my machine.
Hiti
II put on full speed, with the intention
Of getting awnS. as quickly as possible
from such an unpleasant companion. II
was while maneuvering that recognized
the pilot as Erschauer. whom l knew
very we'll, and with whom l had made
many flights over England.
He seemed to recognize me about the
same time, and the recognition seemed
to spur him en- in his murdcrous tnten-
lions. for he kept increasing the speed
of his machine and trying every mancu-
YER Of which nc was master to bring me
within range Of his deadly gun once
more. At first he was successful and
once akajn felt the bullets around me.
II really began 70 give myself up for
lost and set myself TO get the bess
ood MT oDlv will there be no indemnity,