Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-05-08
Won MACKENSEN
PLANNED ESCAPE
'nterned in Hungary Upon Allies
Demands, His Guards
Were Friendly.
FolLED BY ALERT OFFICER
French Lieutenant Cuts Wires and
Entertains Guard Officer Until
Cavalry Arrives-MarshaI Is
Furious at Being Baked.

ioih Vic VI thS II SiSh o''
GERS concerned In the affair New
York World correspondent obtained
the hitherto unpublished story of the
extraordinary capture of the German
Field Marshal Won Mackensen, at pres
ent a prisoner in chateau near Tenn
esvar, Hungary, belonging to Count
ChOtek.
Under the terms of the armistice
signed with Austria-Hungary the al
lies insisted that Mackensen and his
entire army, which had fled from ROu.
mania to Hungary in vain effort
10 reach Germany, should be interned
by the Hungarians. The marshal him
self was quartered in the castle Of
Foth.
Toward the end of December, learn
ing that Mackensen was planning to
escape to Germany. Colonel Nix, COM
handing the French mission in Buda-
pest, applied to French headquarters
in Belgrade for permission to place
him under arrest and for the force
necessary to accomplish this end.
Meanwhile he surrounded the castle
of Foth with French secret agents.
From the latter came reports that
Mackensens baggage had already
been sent off and that the marshal
himself intended to get away in an
automobile at five o'clock the next aft
ernOon, December 81.
Cuts Telephone Wires.
Colonel Vix Immediately dispatched
Lieutenant Genevrier, an exception
ally able intelligence officer, to Foth
by motor. The lieutenant reached his
destination in the night and immedi-
ately cut all the telephone wires con-
Meeting the castle with the outside
world. Thus Mackensen was unable
to communicate with his general staff
and the other elements of his army.
His isolation, however, was not discov-
cred until an hour or so before the
time set for his departure next day.
Mackensen wanted to send final
message to his staff. When he found
the telephone "out of order" he de-
cided to wait in the chateau until COM
munication could be re-established.
This was extremely fortunate for
Lieutenant GenevTier, for the re-
endorsements, without which the ar.
rest could not be carried out, had not
yet arrived. Four squadrons Of Spahi
cavalry were on their way by train
from Belgrade, but there were unfore-
seen delays, and at five o'clock in tn.
afternoon-the hour of Mackensen's
intended fight-the lieutenant had no
news of them. Moreover, the cutting
of the telephone wires might be de-
tected at any moment, and such dis
covery would impel Mackensen to
leave at once.
The marshal was nominally in the
custody of Hungary, but the Hunga
rian guards posted at the chateau
were favorably disposed toward him
and quite ready to see him get away
Genevrier knew that the officer com
manding these guards suspected the
presence in the vicinity of French
agents, and that If he heard of Mack
ensen's trouble with the telephone he
would Immediately deduce that the
Frenchmen were the cause Of 1t.
The lieutenant therefore determined
to entice the Hungarian commander
away from the guardroOm on the out
skirts Of the chateau.
Marshal Is Peeved.
While he was RECALLING Mackensen's
jailer-ally In the village inn with tales
of that dear Paree which in bygone
years the latter had known an0
adOred, Lieutenant Genevrier hearC
the sound of galloping hoofs. He went
to the door and saw the Spahis charg
ing up to the chateau Of Foth. Point
ing them out to his chagrined compan
ion. he exclaimed, "My job is done!'
and hurried out to join the troopers
Colonel Guespereau, who command
ed the cavalry forces, entered the cha
teau and demanded to see Mackensen
The marshal, furious at having been
outmaneuvered, sent back fiat re
fuSal.
Cue ;creau said quietly: "Tell him
unless he consents to see me imme
diately ehall have my Spahis breab
down the door of his room"
Maekensen gave in and received the
colonel for. it'll,
The Frenchman saluted him ant
said: "Sir, y,'I are my prisoner.
have called 81 you merely to assure
myself that you were here. That Is
ALL"
II understand" the Field Marshal
replied in low tones.
A week later h vas removed in a
special train to the ChOtek chateau,
where he will remain interned until
the conclusion of peace