Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10
TURKEY HUNT TRICK
ADOPTED BY YORK
Famous Hero Shot Last Man
in Line of Six in Order to
Get Them All.


of the Arsonne Forest hinged on so in
significant a thing as a trick learned
by Sergt. Alvin C. York on a turkey
hunt in Tennessee.
This was revealed last night after
Sergt. York had addressed an Armistlce
day meeting in Central High School
under auspices of the Community 1nsti-
tute.
Sergt. York's unit had been ordered to
capture a railroad which was being
used by the enemy to reinforce the
Germans surrounding the Lost Bat
talon. The Americans advanced to-
ward the railroad. but were unable tn
pass q certain point, upon which was
concentrated German machine gun fire
from the front and both TANKS. Sergt
York and 16 other men were ordered to
deploy to the left and silence the enemy
machine guns on that flank.
Charged With BayOnets.
I'VE went around behind the ridge
on which the German gunners were
stationed" Sergt York said, land at
tackled from the rear. AS we approach
ed, "a Germans threw up their hands
and surrendered. One OF them was q
major. While we were discussing the
best means of getting the prisoners out,
German machine guns opened fire on
us. The Americans on either side OF
me were killed or wounded. The Ger
man major blew his whistle and six Of
the enemy charged down the hill to-
ward me with fixed bayonets. They
never reached the bottom.
The German major could talk
English and covered him with my
ietA
him unless he ordered his men to sur
render He obeyed and as result I
was able 10 bring in 1872 prisoners and
silence the machine guns which were
keeping our men from reaching the
Lost Battalion"
This was the se~seant's explanation
OF how he accomplished what has been
described as the greatest individual act
Of bravery in the World War. but 1t
He neglected to explain Just why the
six German, with the drawn bayonets
failed to get down the hillside in their
attempt to rescue the captured major.
Howard Wade Kimsey, song leader, who
came to washington with Serst. York,
cleared this point up after the sergeant
had finished his address.
Shot Last Man First.
Those six men had to be stopped"
Mr.. Kimsey said, land Sergt. York
stopped them. He shot them all. be-
ginning with the last man In line flrst
and coming down to the leader in In
verse order. When asked Sergt. York
why he opened IRE on the rear Of the
line first, he explained that If he had
shot the leader first the others would
have seen their danger and taken
shelter until they had killed him"
~
the value Of this strategy while hunting
turkeys in his home State. He ex-
planned that wild turkeys frequently
walk through the woods in single file
and the birds are so wary that they
will fly away If they see their leader
fall. Therefore. ne said, all noun
tanners direct their first shots at the
rear of the line and then work toward
the front.
Good roads and schools have brought
about many changes among the noun
tain people OF Tennessee, sergt. York
declared. Not the least of these changes
has been Q slackening on IN religious
fervor.
when was a boy" he said, "our
mothers used to walk miles to get to
camp meetings When they got there
they would throw OF their sun honnets
and shout all over two or three acres Of
ground. Now they hardly 60 at all"
Make Some Moonshine.
He admits that some ''moonshine"
whisky Is made In the mountains, and
he Is opposed to 1t. Still, he believes
that most Of the criticizerS are those
who would like to get some and can't"
Sergt. York declared that the people
In some sections Of the mountains have
become so modern in their ideas that
boys as young as 5 or years old wear
collars and ties on Sunday. He never
had shoes or store suit. he said, until
he was 81.
Sergt. York closed his address with
two stories which proved, he said, that
"all the dumb people in the world
aren't from Tennessee"
He told Of an American captain who
rebuked group OF doughboys for ne
glecting to salute foreign ofRcer in
France. A lanky private from Ala
bama spoke up, according to Sergt. York,
and said: They amt been no officers
go by here, captain. There amt been
nobody around here but an old woman"
This "old woman" he said. was q
landers dressed in kits.
The Interview Stopped.
His story concerned a New York
author who came to Tennessee to write
up" the backward" mountain people.
The author picked out q 7-year -old
boy and proceeded to cross examine him.
Taking a picture from his pocket, the
New Yorker showed it to the boy and
asked him what it was.
"A camel" the youngster answered
very good" the author said, land
what does q camel have that no other
animal has?"
The boy thought for moment, Sergt.
York said, and then answered, Little
camels." The "write-up" never APP
peared, Sergt. York declared.