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Boston Post from Boston, Massachusetts • Page 28

Publication:
Boston Posti
Location:
Boston, Massachusetts
Issue Date:
Page:
28
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

26 BOSTON SUNDAY POST, NOVEMBER 17, 1918 FIRST YANK TO ESCAPE HUN PRISON TELLS STORY He Was Starving, and When He Picked Grass to Eat Was Cruelly Beaten by Officers Quizzed Him, but in Vain The first American prisoner of war to escape from Germany has told his story. He spent two months and a half behind the German lines. He saw men robbed of their valuables and personal effects, even to their shoes. He went days without food or water. He was beaten several times by guards for trying to pick grass from the roadside to eat.

He worked 14 and 15 hours a day for the Boche, first on militaiy work, later on a farm. He saw something of life as it is today in Germany, and escaped with his story. In the and he tells that story; escaped prisoner of the Germans is a Russian Pole by birth, an American citizen by inclination, declaration and demonstration. His name is Frank Savicki. He is 24 years old, of less than average height, but sturdy and well built He was born at Vilna, In Poland, At 16, with a slater only a few years older, he sought a future in the United States.

He arrived there an Immigrant and joined his uncle at Shenandoah, where he got a job in a coal mine. He was a mule skinner underground and afterward a timberman. He learned his far from the men about him, but before he had progressed far enough to learn the meaning of the word applied to many of his fellow-workers, he removed the danger of its application to him. He took the first step to become a citizen of the United States, and afterward, when he had completed his necessary term of residence, he raised his right hand and swore allegiance tc the country had adopted. It was only a few months later that he got an opportunity to prove that allegiance.

America declared war on Germany. A few weeks later, in April, 1917, he raised his right hand again and swore to defend the flag of the United States unto death. North of Chateau Thierry It Is a far cry from Shenandoah, to a shell hole north of Chateau- Thierry, France, but, given a year and three months and a sacred cause to defend, fate worked It out with the same weird incongruity with which she has, la the last year, shaped so many American destinies. In that year and three months she led Savicki through the recruit camp, through the of squads right and squads left, across the ocean, through the final training area Into the first line trenches of a "quiet sector," and finally, in that memorable week in July, when the Germans were started homeward, into the inferno of the Cha- teau-Thlerry battlefield. Savicki had been the liaison man between Company of the Infantry and Company, his own unit.

With Private Frank Savicki, the first American doughboy to escape from a German prison camp. daj-s prior to hla capture. His water had given out several hours before he was taken. But his requests for food from his captors were disregarded. They left him in the farm house for two days.

There was no article of furniture in the room; the only window was boarded up. On the morning of the third day came two Germans. They made signs that the captive was to accompany them. Then started a hike which lasted all that day and all the next night, and ended at daylight of the second day at Laon. Pour days Savicki had been without food, but when he asked one of his guards for a piece of bread the latter only waved his rifle threateningly at him.

They did, however, allow him water before they started. All the way to Laon the two Germans accompanied their lone prisoner. the door of his jail, and when the guard enteied, as habit, he shut the door and locked it. Then he quietly made off. He cut straight across country, avoiding all highways.

His path lay over the tops of several hills, through knots of woods and stretches of ground heavy with underbrush, across several small cultivated valleys. He travelled all night, guided by the knob of the mountain. He paused when he saw before him, glistening In the moonlight, a little river which he knew separated Germany from Switzerland. Dawn found him in a clump of shrub- bery on a hillside, less than 300 yards from the nearest of the little vine-cov- ered German sentry boxes spaced scarcely more than 100 feet apart along the International boundary. He breakfasted on corned beef, hardtack and water.

In the Cover of the Bushes In the cover of the bushes he remained all day. Across the valley he could see the peasants tilling the soil. They, he knew, were In Switzerland. Before him. In the foreground, 00 he could see the river and the difficulties before him In crossing It.

Paralleling the river was a railroad, the string of sentry boxes and a wide belt of barbed wire, obviously put there to prevent the I escape of such as he. At noon he saw the sentries changed, and again In the evening. The sentries, he discovered, did not walk post, merely maintaining a watch from their boxes. The wire, he decided, he could get through. The river, he calculated, was too broad to It could be vaulted.

He stirred during the afternoon just enough to get a sturdy stick and trim it for a vaulting pole After dark he started. He crawled. So slowly and cautiously did he go that the trip to the edge of the barbed wire took five or six hours. There he rose and threaded his way through t.ie strands, pausing after each step to unfasten the barbs which clung to his clothing Pole Vaulting the River He came to the railroad track and crawled over that. He could dimly discern the sentry boxes.

He heard a guard cough in one of them. He crawled on, laying a course midway between two of them. He gained the edge of the river. Ho stood on the bank. The other bank, 10 feet away, was Switzerland and safety He poised his vaulting pole and sprang for the farther side.

The pole sank four feet into the mud of the river bottom. Private Frank Savicki landed, belly deep, in the water with something of a splash. There was a tense minute. Clinging to a clump of grass on the Swiss bank, Savicki waited for the bullets he was certain were coming. But none came.

Evidently the Boche had not heard him. Finally, he pulled himself on to the land. He was a prisoner no more. By daylight he made a little Swiss village In which he met an old man who dried his clothes before a fireplace and gave him breakfast. The town received him graciously and bought him a ticket to Berne.

At Berne the Red Cross No Exchanges No Credits (o. RCQUTEAEP. No Refunds No Mail Orders Every move in this business is made for the purpose of serving our interests. Hundreds of New England women are expecting this sale and waiting for it, and going to hold it on schedule tomorrow just as if market conditions were normal. Tomorrow Going to Sell Hundreds of Fashionable Winter Garments For Less Than We Can Replace Them The Garments Going to Sell Tomorrow Are Too Good to Sell at the Prices We Name doing this because a part of our store policy to have these stock clearances four times each year.

doing this with our eyes wide open to the fact that to replace most of this merchandise it will cost us more money. doing this knowing that we could sell most of these garments at their original prices. We replace them at these prices, but, in a business as big as this, broken sizes are sure to accumulate and nothing is allowed to grow old at sold at a drastic-markdown while new. Every garment is of the same high same splendid quality and as correct in fashion as if you were paying the original price. WomenO Suits Marked Down From To Suit, hand lynx collar $195.00 Suit, collar 169.00 de Laine Suit, Hudson seal 139.50 1 de Laine and 1 Chinchilla Silver- tone Suit, both with Hudson seal 125.00 1 Duvet Laine Suit, shawl collar of Hudson the Mame and the town of Chateau- Thierry behind, Company was going ahead to contact with the Boche and Company was following.

It was uncertain going through scattered underbrush. Roar of Machine Quns Suddenly Company found the Boche. There was the roar of a dozen machine guns opening from concealed positions, a few shouted commands, the explosion of a score or more hand grenades. Savicki pas.sed the signal back to Company, and dropped Into the shelter of a shell hole. A few minutes later he was joined by a corporal and a private of Company.

That company had fallen back to line, they explained, and they had been cut off. So they had crawled Into the hole In what had suddenly become No Liand to await an opportunity to join their comrades. This was about two In the afternoon. At three o'clock the corporal, peeplpg over the edge of the shell hole In an effort to locate the American positions received three bullets in the head. He died Instantly.

For two hours Savicki and the other private sat In the hole. Then the second private said: "We might as well make a run for It; be killed Making a Run for It Savicki agreed. They started. The second private was killed by machine gun fire before he was fairly out of the hole. Savicki dropped back unharmed.

Savicki continued his wait alone. Once he put his helmet on his bayonet and held it above the edge of the hole, to draw It back a moment later with six bullet holes In It. That decided him that escape in daylight was impo.ssibIe. He waited until nightfall, but as he was about to chance a getaway in the darkness, seven Germans surrounded his hole with fixed bayonets and took him prisoner. Savicki was taken a mile to the rear to the support trenches, which were filled with Germans.

He was turned over to an officer who spoke English. "How many Americans are In France?" asked this officer. "Five million," replied Savicki. "How many American soldiers are there In the United States?" queried the German "Ten said the Tank. The captain was impressed by these round estimates.

He was so Impres.sed that he gave Savicki a shove which sent him to the ground. exclaimed the officer. Ai weak from hunger and fatigue, Savicki was put In orison barracks fitted him out In a uniform, and ill which were quartered several hun- the American colony outdid Itself In affording entertainment worthy of an ex-priSoner from Germany. Boston Make Good, Waiting on Hungry dred other Americans, French, British and Italians. The barracks had been converted from some large public building and was surrounded by a barbed wire fence.

On the morning of his ar- I rival, three days and 16 hours after his capture, Savicki was given his first nual. I "All the prisoners were lined up and every seventh man was handed a chunk of black, sour German war bread welgh- l.og three pounds. This was the dally ration for seven' men. The man to whom It was handed shared It equally with six conlrades. To supplement this, half a can of liquid was given each man.

Savicki thought It was hot water until It was explained that It wal supposed to 06 coffee. Whatever ingredient it had been made of destroyed the transparency of the water. I For a month and a half Savicki was I llQrrHTIPY'Q at Uaon, and this is how he describes I his stay there: were several hundred prisoners, about 60 of whom were Americans. We w'orked every day from 7 in the morning until 8 or 9 at night "Only infreq us gather grass. Usually, if we tried it.

they would attack us with thtir rifle butts. Twice I was struck across the back for this offense. No Beds, No Blankets conditions were terrible. There were no beds in the barracks and rone of us had blankets. We slept on the barn floor.

There was cold tvater in the yard, but no means of taking a bath. No one had a change of clothes and there was no means of washing tnose we had. In all, the month and a half I was at Daon I did not have my clothes From Laon Savicki was sent to the prison camp at Rastatt. to which early In the war many French civilians were deported. He made the trip In a box car with 40 odd other They were three days and two nights en route, during which they subsisted on one piece of bread each and two drinks of water.

Quartered With Russians Suits, Seal Trimmed, and 3 Sil- vertone Suits 52.50 to and Velour Suits, plain and fur trimmed; 3 Oxford Suits; 1 Reindeer Velour de Laine Suit; 1 Taupe Velour de Laine Suit, 45.00 to in broadcloths, velour, wool tine and oxfords; 56 suits in mixtures, tweeds and stripes; 3 Navy serge suits, 32.50 to Suits, 7 Brown Broadcloth Suits, 40 Delhi and Burella Suits 29.95 to and Navy Serge Suits, 9 Green Delhi Suits, 25.00 to 72.50 57.00 $125.00 110.00 90.00 80.00 55.00 45.00 65.00 39.95 45.00 35.00 29.95 Suits Marked Down From Velour de Laine Suit; 1 Beaver and 1 Brown Velour with Hudson Seal collars ..............68.50 to $100.00 1 Velour 29.95 25.00 19.95 To and Coats Marked Down From To 1 de Laine Hudson seal $100.00 de Laine Coat, Hudson seal trimmea 87.50 80.00 Bolivia Coats, fur 85.00 75.00 Bolivia Dolmans, fur 85.00 70.00 6 and Silvertone Coats, fur 65.00 70.00 05.00 Silvertone, Wool Velour Coats, plain and fur trimmed 60.00 50.00 Pom and Bolivia Coats, plain and fur trimmed 65.00 55.00 and Fur Trimmed 57.50 45.00 Velour and Chinchilla Coats 45.00 39.95 Velour and vertone 39.95 35.00 and tone and Wool Velour Coats 39.95 29.05 Velour 35.00 20.05 20 Velour 29.95 22.50 Velour 25.00 19.95 Stout Suits Marked omoi From To of Velour, Duvet de Laine, Broadcloth, Silvertone and to 75.00 52.50 These Boston society women did not seek fame or glory when they volun- infrequently would the 'guards teered to serve as waitresses at the Red Cross lundiroom at 373 Boylston street. In their neat white uniforms and becoming Red Cross headdress, they made alluring figures for hungry diners to gaze at, while they slid dishes about real professional style. Service was their motto and while they were on duty there were no complaints from patrons on thia score, even from the most hungry. They stuck to their tasks without complaint and when the rush was at Its helghth their cheerfulness showed to the best advantage. These workers are Mrs.

George von L. Meyer, Mias Polly Davies and Mrs. Phillip B. Weld. of Velour, Oxford, Tweed and Broadcloth 37.50 to 45.00 of Scotch Mixtures, Velour, Serge, Poiret Twill, Broadcloth and Tweeds 32.50 to 45.00 6 Mixture Suits and and Cheviot Suits 29.95 to 37.50 Mixture Suits and Cloth Suits 25.00 to 29.95 Negligees Marked Down From Muslin Sacques $1.00 and $1.25 Muslin and Cotton Crepe Kimo- $55.00 49.95 39.95 35.00 29.95 25.00 10.95 Sizes to 47.

16 Suits to $45.00 39 42.50 to 49.95 $29.95 39.95 Hosiery Marked Down From Silk Hose, in white and light colors; slightly ibnun ff $1:50 to 2.00 Wdmen's Plain and Fancy Silk Hose; to Women's Full Fashioned Boot Hose, in white and colors; Full Fashioned Cotton Hose, in black or white; broken Black Mercerized Hose, sizes and 9 Black Cotton Hose, broken Lady Dainty Knit Underwear Marked Down From Medium Weight Cotton Union Suits, in various styles; sizes 40, 42 and 44 only $1.50 Light Weight Fine Ribbed Cotton To .98 1.50 .09 .75 .49 .59 .30 .75 .39 .39 .20 Costumes Down From Evening Frocks, slightly soiled $19.95 Taffeta Afternoon and Evening Frocks 25.00 Satin and Taffeta Afternoon Gowns 25.00 Fine Quality Serge Dresses 29.95 Jersey 29.95 Back Velveteen 35.00 Wool Jersey 39.95 Satin Frocks 39.95 To Marked Down From To Wash 2.00 .75 $5.00 Smocks 2.00 .49 Middy 2.00 .75 10.00 14 Smocks, 2.29 to 2.65 .98 olored Cotton 15.00 Smocked 7M 3.98 19.95 Serge 8.75 8.98 Taffeta SiDc 19.95 es 10.00 0.00 Silk 13.98 8.75 25.00 25.00 25.00 Low Cost Dresses Mariced Down From Dresses $10.95 Poplin 12.95 of Satin, taf- 'feta, crepe de chine and Georgette 15.00 Serge 15.00 and Georgette Combination 16.95 Serge 16.95 Silk Waists Marked Down From of Georgette and crepe de chine, flesh and to of Georgette and crepe de chine, some lace trimmed, embroidered and beaded flesh and and of Georgette To $4.95 T.95 7.95 9.95 10.95 12.95 To $6.98 $3.89 Dresses 4.00 To .98 no sleeves, cuff .75 .50 11 Swiss Ribbed Vests, low neck, no To sleeves; slightly .35 .19 Glove Silk Vests, .50 with embroidered fronts; soiled 2.50 1.59 and crepe de eorgette Crepe Waists, filet lace trimmed, beaded and embroidered; flesh and and 12.98 Cotton Waists Marked Down From Voile Waists, lace trimmed to $5.98 Voile and Organdie to 3.95 Voile and Batiste Waists, lace trimmed and semi-tailored, 2.00 to 3.00 in all white and colored striped voiles and fancy materials 1.00 and 1.10 5.89 2.98 7.89 Junior Dresses Marked Down From 10 and Satin Serge 15.00 Silk 13.98 Junior Coats Marked Down From and Wool Velour Coats, ages 15 to 17....................... $25.00 8 Broadcloth Coats, ages from 15 to 17.... 29.98 Pom Coats, ages 15 to 17 29.98 Blue Pom Pom Coats, ages 15 to 17.. 25.00 2 Velour Coats, ages 15 to 17.............. 18.75 Coats Marked Down From Broadcloth and Wool Velour Coats, 10 to 14years.

4 10 Velour to 14 years. 18.75 Velour Coats, 7 to 9 13.98 $18.75 22.75 18.75 15.00 10.00 $17.98 ii 13.98 10.98 1 To $3.98 1.89 .98 .50 Sweaters Mariced Down Frmn To nos ....................1.79 and 1.98 1.00 Crepe Slipons and Dotted Muslin Sacques .2.50 and 2.98 1.50 Satin 12.50 0.98 15.00 9.00 2 25.00 15.00 10.98 7.50 5.00 3.08 Aprons Marked Down From House Dresses and Percale Dress $1.69 aistline Aprons, House Dresses and Breakfast Sets 1.98 Dresses 2.98 To $1.00 1.00 1.98 and Brushed Wool Sweaters, only a few of each kind, several one or two of a to $12.98 1 and Shetland Sweaters in Slip-over and Coat Styles in Rose, Green, Copen and Pastel Shades 5.00 Sweaters in an assortment of good colors in two 8.98 Millinery Marked Down From Velvet Hats and $5.00 Velvet 5.00 Beaver Hats 8.75 Petticoats Marked Down From 12 Sateen Petticoats and $1.50 Heatherbloom Petticoats 1.98 Tub Silk Petti- 2.98 5.00 29- coats -Petticoats of taffeta, jersey and 6 and Raditun Petticoats ................7.50 and 8.98 .79 .79 1.50 I 2.08 I 5.00 I Undermuslins Marked Down From 1.15 1.15 $5.00 3.98 0.98 To $3.50 2.08 5.00 Camisoles 1.00 and and Skirt Combinations Chemise and Skirt 22 Paiamas, Silk Envelope Cnemises and Rose Color de Chine Skirts de Chine Paja- 1.98 .60 1 1.10 mas. 5.00 10.00 7.50, Skirts Qood-by, Three Francs Bavlekl was taken two miles further to the rear. He was locked In one room of a French farm house after the Ger- majis ha4 searched him and taken three franca In silver, his watch, a safety razor, and his spiral puttees. Savicki haA had almost nothing- to eat for two We have limited mipply of varn, Khaki, Gray, Navy and brlglit colors that we will retail at low prices.

NORFOLK YARN COMPANY 240 Bojrlaton Boston Later a German soldier came for the prisoner and marched him to a sort of guard house In which wera quartered a group of Russian prisoners who worked on other farms. From Rastatt Savicki was sent to work on a farm. The farm was near a little town of 50 houses. It was presided ovpr by an aged German and hts wife. Their son, 30 years old, was at the front.

The old farmer put his charge to digging potatoes with a' fork Savicki worked from daylight until dark, about 14 hours. Planning to escape Savicki learned from the Russians that a snow-capped mountain visible in the distance was in Switzerland; It would serve to guide him. On the 16th day of his stay on the farm came his weekly box of provisions from the Red Cross. He and the Russians ate It between them, all two cans of corned beef and two packages of hardtack. This the American reserved for his flight.

One on the Guard That night, as usual, the guard came to the farmhouse for his charge. As usual, the Yank started to the guardhouse, As usual, the sentry followed about 20 feet behind. In fact, the only unusual thing that happened this evening was that Savicki stepped aside at Marked Down Panama Skirts, navy and black $9,00 20 Skirts, in stripes and plain colors, $10 11.75 8 7 Green Velvet 10.98 6 Skirts, in light plaids 7.98 From To $5.98 2.98 25, 27 and 29 WINTER STREET The Song of Peace Oh Flanders Field! Under a quiet sky today you rest! No one to mar the stillness of the mom! At noon, or night, to question is For loving hands have spread with pain and toil, A benediction never known before! A prayerful, world-wide, sweeping benediction, That reaches far across, from shore to shore! Oh Flanders Field! Dotted with deeds immortal! From out your soil has sprung the greatest of all songs! Song of LENA TROWBRIDGE, Boston society women who make excellent waitresses at the Red Cross lunch room on Boylston street From (Q PhiHp B. Wald. "ROUND ARE THE BEST SINGERS Persons with round heads make the best singers.

If you don't believe it, ask Professor Theophilus Fitz of Los Angeles. Next come persons with long heads. If you don't believe it, ask Professor Theophilus Fitz of Los Angeles. P. F.

of L. A. has the discovery that a vocal ability may be judged, not by the voice, but by the" age, sex and head measurements. This is the way he puts it: Mamie often aings soprano Just because Susie does, although ahe ought to be wliwlag contralto, and Bill insists upon sirglng haaa because he thinks it manly, when be really ought to be a tenor. Therefore first thing a for opera should buy is a mirror.

Ons should take a good look at one's self. Never mind the face. The shape of the head Is what counts. Also, buy mirrors for your neighbors. If your cranium Is one of those square kinds that matches the piano keys, better lay off on vocal stuff, and go In for something more refined.

Egg-Shaped Taboo Likewise, the egg-shaped head Is In discard as far as vocal ability goes, nonsense for perfectly respectable people to spend five or six years studying music, when this agony to others might easily be prevented. Fred Smith, who has been running up and down the scale for centuries, might first have discovered his true vocation of sausage ififtklng, according to the discovery of the Los Angeles expert. As soon as head-measuring calipers have been devised by Professor Pits, and his theory put Into practical operation, he will be hailed as one of the greatest of mankind in history. LEWDALES (Cucumber) CREAM is good for the use ft. A mild antiseptic, it promotes beauty and health of skin; makes red, rough hands white and smooth.

At S. 8. Pleroe, FHeae and other stores. 60c and f3 jars..

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Years Available:
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