Evening star., 1936-09-03
U.S.. Pair Held by Spanish Reds
Haze Close Escape From Death

owe our lives. The townsmen con-
tinue to cover US. 1t Is no pleasure
to be under aim Of 200 nervous shot
guns.
An American passport means moth
ing in this situation. One is left or
right, and the right wingers were on
the spot.
Back to the square where our car
Is parked. Once again we are unfor-
tunate. A small scout plane flies low
over the village. 1t was a rebel pilot.
We are Immediately associated with
the plane and become wool-dyed ene-
mics.
An hour later we were led to the
Jail In the square.
In our jail were nine men and one
woman-a Madrid stenographer try
ing to reach q dying mother in Cadiz.
She had been stopped as we had
been.
Some Of the populace felt that we
should be killed Immediately to avenge
themselves in advance. However.
others felt that We should be held
and that other landowners (FaScists
In their eyes, should be rounded up
as additional hostages and notice
served on the rebels that, If they should
attack, we should all be killed.
This Is what was done. However,
the two men who rode OF to deliver
the note we're held themselves as hos
tages!
Warning Thrown in Window.
The alcalde came several times to
see US. He was the town doctor. He
was Q red-faced, perspiring little man
and not unintelligent.
One evening a stone was thrown
through an open window on the op-
posite side of the entrance. A paper
around it penciled:
If the Fascists come, all the Fas-
cists in La Campana will be killed or
burned at the first alarm
The following Sunday, class hatred
boiled over. The forgotten man Of La
Campans was recalling himself to
memory. Every 10 minutes for over
four hours, from till noon, some
new landowner or suspected reaction
ary was thrown into our jail. BY
noon there were 40 of us In the sin
gle room there.
Late that afternoon we were re-
moved to still another detention home
just on the other side of the square.
Perhaps the restrained pathos in our
letter caught the committee when
they, too, were somewhat saturated
with cognac.
La Campana was q village Of serfs.
Probably not one of these had any
idea what communism or fascism
meant And yet they were flying the
red nag on their buildings, not so
much through loyalty to the govern
ment as through proletarian hatred
Of the small land owner.
Second Week Uneventful.
The second week drew to a close
with nothing happening. August 2,
sunday afternoon, at 10 minutes after
4, the church bell struck twice. That
meant something was coming from
Carmona, and Carmona was in the
hands ,of the rebels.
The other prisoners were inside
sleeping. decided not to wake them.
Going to the window I looked out
into the street and saw worried peo-
pie slamming their doors shut, and
men running toward the plaza sleepily
grasping guns. Outside q voice called,
They've seen Fascist motor lorries
coming from Carmona. Many! Many!"
After quarter hour Of rifle and
shotgun fire, we heard the outburst
Of steady. machine cunning in the
square.
After two hours firing abated and
some one started to toll the bells of
Santa Maria. This we took as
token Of surrender. Then the sniping
started.
Some one pounded on our door. We
hastily held council on what to do,
opened the outer door.
It was the rebels.
Two Of them hurried in, giving us
their salute. We were prisoners?
Come on out" They we're looking
for US.
The next day we started out by Q
bullet-ridden bus to the city Of Seville,
center Of the movement, perfectly
normal externally, but the people were
suffering. Algeciras was quiet, but the
port customs were completely disor-
ganized and on leaving our baggage
was not even opened.
Gibraltar was really worried. It
was here we got the Conte di Savoia
for Naples.
tCcpyright. 1886. BY the North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inc)