New-York tribune., 1919-09-02
Only German Bride
In Paris Arrives
On Army Transport
Wife of u. s. Army Dentist,
Arrested-in Germany as
u. S. Entered War, Tells
How She Was Mistreatcd

Three thousand and ninety-four more
troops were brought home yesterday
with the arrival Of two transports, the
Sierra and Won Steuben. The first yes
sci carried 888 officers and men, and
the second 2,208, a large proportion Of
them members Of the famous 1st Di-
vision.
The Sierra has just completed her
eleventh and last voyage as a troop
ship and will go back to passenger
service for the Oceanic Steamship Com
pany.
One Of the passengers was Mrs Ed
win w. Peterson, wife Of an American
army dentist. who told a narrowing
story of her arrest and torture as an
American spy in Berlin. Mrs. Peterson
says she came to the United States in
1914 from Berlin, where she was born
twenty-five years ago, to study dentis-
try at Tufts College, in Boston. She
there met Captain Peterson, who was
an instructor and whom she later mar
ried.
Arrested When L. S. Entered War
In 1915 she went back to Berlin, she
declared, to help her parents, who
were in financial straits. On the day
the United States entered the war She
was arrested, charged with espionage,
German military court to twelve
years solitary confinement in the
women's military prison in Berlin.
Her experience here, she says, was a
nightmare
They fed Us a Cruel MIXTURE" she
tcomplalned, that was usually given to
horses. The walls of our cells were so
damp that they were tapestried with
moss, and rats and mice were scurry-
ing over the floor all the time. There
were French, Russian and Turkish
women there, too, and we were all sub
Jected to unutterable indignities b.,
officials of the place lost thirtv
pounds"
Mrs. Peterson related how She es-
tabllshed communication with Can
tam PETERSON through "underground
sources" and had messages delivered
TO hlm at Paris through Co7enharen
When the newspapers OF Berlin pro
claimed the abdication Of the Kaiser
two days before the armistice was
signed mob broke into the prison.
releasing all the prisoners. She made
Her way IN disguise to Cologne. then
occupied by the British but was
turned back because the British Off
cials would not believe her story
Wedding Celebrated in Paris
Returning to Berlin. she tried the
route through Coblcnz, where Amer
cans were stationed, and who sent her
to Paris under escort There Captain
Peterson established her identity and
they were married or July Is. She was
the Only German girl to marry an
American officer in Paris since the war
began. Mrs. Peterson Will 20 to
Washington and then make her home
in Boston.
Among the eleven other imported
wives aboard the vessel was Mrs. Har-
vey l.. Richards. a German bride. whose
husband Is an army lieutenant living
at Houghton, Mich. They were mar
red at Neuenhar, Germany. where
Lieutenant Richards was billeted in her
rome. Then there was the wife of
Captain B. n. Robinson. who was for
merly Mile. Yvonne g. de Wachter.
daughter Of a wealthy Belgian mer-
chant, and the bride of Lieutenant Ed
mond ODonnell, of AAkonia. Conn.
who formerly was Miss Eileen ireland.
declared tn prattist girl in Cork.
The ship also reported d stowauav.
Alexander Gaudin, eighteen years old.
OF Northern France. He said his
father had been killed at Vordun. after
having been twice decorated. and his
mother had died Of disease in y hos