The Bozeman courier., 1927-12-30

~ COOPERATING from a wound and
an attack Of malaria suffered while
IN besieged by native forces in a
blockhOuSe in the mountains of
Africa, a Butte and Anaconda boy has
arrived back home. He is Capt. Walter
Hauser, who was a member of the sui
tan of Morocco's Cheriffian troops in the
recent warfare with the African tribes
men, and who during 1925 saw all Of the
adventure and romance of the fighting
that held the attention Of the world be-
fore Abd-El-Krinn, the Riff chieftain, sur
rendered to the forces of the French.
Under the name Of Maurice Fortnet,
the young Montanan, who is a dentist,
enlisted in the strange battle forces Of all
nations that operated directly under the
sultan, Mouley Youssef, and with the
French in the mountain warfare that be-
sides its perils of battle carried the added
dangers Of climatic illness.
Still showing the effects of the days on
the African fighting front, DR.. Hauser ar
rived recently in New York and came on
to Butte to visit his mother, Mrs. Annie
Hauser.
After four months of fighting against
the Riffs, Captain Hausers service ended
when a bullet Of one of the sharp-shoot-
ing natives brought him down in the BIZ
bane blockhouse Of the Moroccans in the
district that the Riffians considered the
door to Fez," the capital.
Besieged with so others for % days.
while the force was gradually decreased
by Riffian bullets and illness, Captain
Hauser went through one of the stirring
events Of the war.
Once without food and water for four
days, the Bibane garrison, in which
Hauser was the only American, held out
for % days before the tribesmen stormed
the fort and took possession. Captain
Hauser and his comrades were prisoners
for two days before French and fighters
Of the famous Foreign Legion retook the
post. OF the defending force Of 81 men,
only 10 were unwounded.
'"The Riffs dug entertainments and hid
in mountain protection around our iso-
lated place for more than a week before
signals to the next blockhouse brought
help" Captain Hauser said. ''Then planes
came over and dropped us ice, for there
was no water for us. The aviators also
swooped low amid fire from the ground
and left US ammunition, food, medicines
and even mail, which went to bolster the
ebbing morale of our bunch"
The Riffs made a number Of attacks
and kept up intermittent firing on the
| blockhouse, according to Captain Hauser
Il was detailed originally as a dental Of
| fcer, but all Of my work was giving medi-
cal attention and later fighting during
= bAlc SIEGE.
| It was about a week before the siege
was raised that Captain Hauser fell with
a Riff bullet through his stomach. He
was unable to take part in the final fight
ing when the tribesmen made a victor
tous drive on the Bibane blockhouse.
"The Riffs, who were left in charge
paid little attention to us for the two
days they were in the bIockhouse," Cap
tain Hauser said. Finally the French
forces routed the Riffs outside and II
proved my last part in the war"
Captain Hauser was taken to a hos.
lpltal at Haza and then to Fez. There
he was decorated with a Moroccan media
by the sultan. Later in 1925 Captain
Hauser was transferred to a military hos.
pital in France. The hot days, rain anC
cold nights, along with his wound, haC
left him in serious physical condition
and he was nine months in hospitals be-
fore being released. He then spent clos
to year at resorts IN Europe trying t.
regain his health.
The Montana soldier Of fortune ha
especially high regard for the activitie
J OF the French fiers and the Riffian esca
} drille Of Americans under Colone
Sweeney Of Spokane, q noted soldier.
The diers removed close to 100
wounded and did perilous firing o.