Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-04-08
John SAWYER. OF DUBUQUE, RE,
TURNS AFTER SERVING TWO
YEARS IN HUNlAND,
FED CROSS RELIEVED MUCK
STARVATION AND SUFFERING
In Letter Written to Mother, lowan
Describes Capture by Famous Ger.
man Authorizations Consisted Of
Spoiled Vegetable Soup and Sour
e-ssd-rwice Attempted &c Escape.

Special to Times Republican.
Dubuque. April S.-After serving
two years in German prison camps
UNDERGOING intense suffering from
lack o! food and clothing, John 7.
Sawyer Of Dubuque, has returned to
this country TO tell his stqry. In
letter written 90 his mother here from
Pittsburg. Pa, where he is spending
several days before returning to his
home. sawyer tells Of the frightfui
conditions under which the prisoners
ived before the American Red Cross
succeeded In getting relief to them. and
deslrioed briefly. two efforts on his
part to escape. The Dubuque boy was
a sailor on an American vessel which
was captured and sunk by the famous
German raider Moewe. His | etter
follows:
e" - We sailed from Liverpool
Feb Is. 1917 on our way 10 the states.
We were on sea twelve days when we
ran into the German raider Moewe. II
was about midnight when she stopped
US a-d fred three or four shots across
our bow.
Captured BY Raider.
They took the entire crew pr'e-
oner and placed five or six time bombs
on the ship and destroyed it. when
we came aboard the Moewe we were
showed down into a small hold with
about - other prisoners They had
been taken from ten other ships whfch
the raider had DESTROYED before it
met us. We were Kept locked NJ for
= days until we landed at Kiel GER
many. Conditions in the dinky hold
were horrible, and We were scarcely
bic to turn around because OF the
congestion.
"The only food they gave us was
ceiyed twice a day. They gave Us
nothing else.
ON our way to kiel. the raider en-
cCuu1Crci three more British ships
and after stiff fight took their crews
prisoner. one OF tIe British ships
succeeded in hitting the raider and we
had 70 lay TO a day and half for re-
pairs. When We landed at kiel. all the
big square heads in the country were
al the dock TO see their famous raider.
Thousands gathered to see the pris-
oncns marched up the streets They
put US n some cattle trucks and sent
Us to Dulmer. II was cold and there
were about three inches Of snow on
the ground. We received only one
bowl OF soup day. We arrived in
Bulmer at night and had TO remain in
the cold until the next morning. We
were given bath and put our clothes
thru the 'delouser.' ard anybody who
had good clothes had them taken
away. We were he-e week and then
sent 10 BrandenhUrg.
Starvation Ratons.
After two weeks at BrandenbUrg
all he Moewe prisoners were sent to
camp N Su5cck. The only captives
who remained at Brandenburs were
few s.ck-and | was one. was in the
hospital a month and then was showed
70 "arbeit' on the railroad. ] was so
weak ! could hardly stand up and the
food they gave Us was rotten. For
breakfast we were given coffee made
of acorns. Dinner wac made Up OF
same. In the evening we received our
daily bread ration-a piece about as
big as Il mans fist. 1t was sour and
black and was made of barley and
sawdUst.
Il ate that five months and then the
Red Cross discovered we were at this
camp and began sending up food par
GELS. I worked on the railroad seven
months.
Attempted Escape.
IT managed to sneak away from
camp one night and get down 20 the
railroad yards. ! hid on a train ann
beat my way to a place called Mann
helm about thirty kilometers from
Switzerland. I was caught trying to
get out of the station and sent back
to Brandenburg. They gave me ten
days in dark cells on a bread
and water diet When | was
released they sent me to a 'strafe' camp
at Il place called DoberitZ about ten
miles from the camp. l was up there
three weeks and smashed my foot