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(V 


MAJ. 

'LLEGE 


THE  AUTHOR  AS  HE  APPEARED  ON  THE  DAY  OF 
HIS  RELEASE  FROM  RUHLEBEN. 

From  an  official  photograph  taken  by  the  German  Government 

for  attachment  to  the  passport.      The  embossed  imprint  of  the 

stamp  of  the  Kommandantur  of  Rerlin  may  be  seen. 


[Frontispiece 


SIXTEEN   MONTHS  IN 
FOUR  GERMAN  PRISONS 


WESEL 

SENNELAGER 

KLINGELPUTZ 

RUHLEBEN 


BY 

HENRY    C.    MAHONEY 

WITH  THE  COLLABORATION  OF 

FREDERICK    A.    TALBOT 


REGIS  v 
B1BL  MAJ 


NEW    YORK 

ROBERT  M.    McBRIDE  AND  COMPANY 

1917 


54283 


vA     LIBRARY""   r 

\       Q    V«~,,    ,  \^ 


. 


PRISONER'S    NOTE 

IT  was  whilst  suffering  the  agonies  of  solitary  confine- 
ment in  the  military  prison  of  Wesel  that  I  first  decided 
to  record  my  experiences  so  that  readers  might  be  able 
to  glean  some  idea  of  the  inner  workings  and  the  treat- 
ment meted  out  to  our  unfortunate  compatriots  who 
were  travelling  in  Germany  at  the  outbreak  of  war  and 
who  have  since  been  interned. 

From  the  moment  of  my  decision  I  gathered  all 
the  information  possible,  determining  at  the  first 
opportunity  to  escape  to  the  Old  Country.  As  will  be 
seen  I  have  to  a  degree  been  successful. 

Owing  to  the  grossly  inaccurate  and  highly  coloured 
reports  which  have  been  circulated  from  time  to  time 
regarding  the  life  and  treatment  of  prisoners  of  war,  the 
story  has  been  set  out  in  a  plain  unvarnished  form. 
There  are  no  exaggerations  whatever.  Much  of  the 
most  revolting  detail  has  been  eliminated  for  the 
simple  reason  that  they  are  unprintable. 

In  nearly  every  instance  names  have  been  suppressed* 
Only  initials  have  been  indicated,  but  sufficient  descrip- 
tion is  attached  to  enable  personal  friends  of  those  who 
are  still  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  incarcerated  to  identify 
them  and  their  present  situation.  Likewise,  in  the 
cases  where  I  received  kind  treatment  from  Germans, 
initials  only  have  been  introduced,  since  the  publication 
of  their  names  would  only  serve  to  bring  punishment 
upon  them. 

H.  C,  M. 


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A     f 


CHRONICLER'S    NOTE 

ON  Friday  afternoon,  July  31,  1914,  I  shook  hands 
in  farewell  with  my  friend  Henry  C.  Mahoney.  He 
was  going  to  Warsaw  and  was  full  of  enthusiasm  con- 
cerning the  new  task  which  was  to  occupy  him  for  at 
least  three  months.  Owing  to  his  exceptional  skill  and 
knowledge,  practical  as  well  as  theoretical,  of  photo- 
graphy in  all  its  varied  branches,  he  had  been  offered, 
and  had  accepted  an  important  appointment  abroad  in 
connection  with  this  craft — one  which  made  a  profound 
appeal  to  him.  Despite  the  stormy  outlook  in  the 
diplomatic  world  he  felt  convinced  that  he  would  be 
able  to  squeeze  through  in  the  nick  of  time. 

Although  he  promised  to  keep  me  well  informed  of 
his  movements  months  passed  in  silence.  Then  some 
ugly  and  ominous  rumours  came  to  hand  to  the  effect 
that  he  had  been  arrested  as  a  spy  in  Germany,  had 
been  secretly  tried  and  had  been  shot.  I  did  not 
attach  any  credence  to  these  vague,  wild  stories.  I 
knew  he  had  never  been  to  Germany  before,  and  was 
au  courant  with  the  harmless  nature  of  his  mission. 

A  year  elapsed  before  I  had  any  definite  news. 
Then  to  my  surprise  I  received  a  letter  from  him  dis- 
patched from  the  Interned  British  Prisoners  Camp  at 
Ruhleben.  As  a  matter  of  fact  I  learned  subsequently 
that  he  had  previously  written  six  letters  and  postcards 
to  me,  but  none  had  reached  me  ;  most  likely  they 
had  been  intercepted  and  suppressed  by  the  German 
authorities. 

The  letter  intimated  that  he  had  prepared  a 
voluminous  account  of  his  experiences.  Two  or  three 
days  later  I  learned  from  another  source  that 
he  had  been  "  having  a  hard,  rough,  and  exciting 


6  CHRONICLER'S    NOTE 

time,"  and  that  he  could  relate  one  of  the  most 
fascinating  and  sensational  stories  concerning  the 
treatment  meted  out  to  our  compatriots  by  the  German 
authorities.  I  also  learned  that  a  closely  written 
diary  and  a  mass  of  other  papers  were  on  their  way  to 
me  ;  that  they  were  in  safe  keeping  just  over  the  fron- 
tier, the  bearer  waiting  patiently  for  the  most  favourable 
moments  to  smuggle  them  into  safety.  This  diary 
and  other  documents  contained  material  which  he 
desired  me  to  make  public  with  all  speed  in  order  to 
bring  home  to  the  British  public  a  vivid  impression 
of  what  our  fellow-countrymen  were  suffering  in  the 
German  prison  camps. 

The  papers  never  reached  me.  Why,  is  related 
in  the  following  pages.  In  prosecuting  discreet 
enquiries  to  discover  their  whereabouts  I  learned, 
early  in  October  1915,  that  "  Mahoney  will  be  home 
before  Christmas."  My  informant  declined  to  vouch- 
safe any  further  particulars  beyond  the  cryptic  remark, 
"  He's  got  something  smart  up  his  sleeve." 

Knowing  full  well  that  my  friend  was  a  man  of 
infinite  resource  and  initiative  I  was  not  surprised  to 
learn  a  week  or  two  later  that  "  Ruhleben  knew 
Mahoney  no  longer."  He  had  got  away.  His  plans 
had  proved  so  successful  as  to  exceed  the  sanguine 
anticipations  which  he  had  formed. 

On  December  9,  1915,  the  day  after  his  return  to 
his  wife  and  children,  who  had  been  keyed  up  to  the 
highest  pitch  of  excitement  by  the  welcome  news,  we 
met  again.  His  appearance  offered  convincing  testi- 
mony as  to  the  privations  he  had  suffered,  but  I  was 
completely  surprised  by  the  terrible  tale  he  unfolded. 

When  the  story  narrated  in  the  following  pages  was 
submitted  to  the  publishers  they  received  it  with 
incredulity.  After  making  enquiries  concerning  Mr. 
Mahoney's  credentials  they  accepted  his  statements 
as  being  accurate,  but  my  friend,  to  set  the  matter 
beyond  all  dispute,  insisted  upon  making  a  statutory 
declaration  as  to  their  accuracy  in  every  detail. 


CHRONICLER'S   NOTE  7 

People  in  these  islands  were  stirred  to  profound 
depths  of  horror  by  the  cold-blooded  murders  of  Nurse 
Cavell  and  Captain  Fryatt,  of  whose  trials  nothing 
was  heard  until  the  sentences  had  been  executed.  A 
certain  amount  of  curiosity  has  been  aroused  concerning 
the  Teuton  methods  of  conducting  these  secret  trials. 
Henry  C.  Mahoney  passed  through  a  similar  experience, 
although  he  escaped  the  extreme  penalty.  Still,  the 
story  of  his  trial  will  serve  to  bring  home  to  the  public 
some  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  Germany  strives 
to  pursue  her  campaign  of  frightfulness  behind  closed 
doors. 

FREDERICK  A.  TALBOT. 


CONTENTS 


PRISON    ONE— WESEL 

CHAPTER 

I.  ARRESTED  AS  A  SPY  ..... 

II.  COMMITTED  TO  WESEL  PRISON    . 

III.  How  GERMANY  DRIVES  HER  PRISONERS  MAD 

,IV.  MY  SECRET  MIDNIGHT  TRIAL      . 

V.  WAITING  TO  BE  SHOT          .... 

PRISON    TWO— SENNELAGER 

THE    BLACK    HOLE    OF   GERMANY 

VI.     OUR  "  LUXURIOUS  HOTEL  "... 
VII.     BREAKING  us  IN  AT  SENNELAGER 
VIII.     BADGERING  THE  BRITISH  HEROES  AT  MONS 
IX.     THE  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  PRIESTS 
X.     TYING  PRISONERS  TO  THE  STAKE — 
THE  FAVOURITE  PUNISHMENT 
XI.     THE  REIGN  OF  TERROR      .... 
XII.     THE  REIGN  OF  TERROR — CONTINUED    . 
XIII.     "THE  BLOODY  NIGHT  OF  SEPT.  n  "  . 
XIV.     THE  GUARDIAN  OF  THE  CAMP     . 
XV.     THE  AFTERMATH  OF  THE  IITH    . 

PRISON    THREE— KLINGELPUTZ 

XVI.     FREE  ON  "  PASS  "  IN  COLOGNE  . 
XVII.     RE-IMPRISONED  AT  KLINGELPUTZ 

PRISON    FOUR— RUHLEBEN 

XVIII.     THE  CAMP  OF  ABANDONED  HOPE 
XIX.     ORGANISING  THE  COMMUNAL  CITY  OF  RUHLE- 
BEN      

XX.     How  I  MADE  MONEY  IN  RUHLEBEN  CAMP    . 

8 


PACK 
II 

29 

44 

60 

74 


91 

105 
ng 

136 

148 

165 
1 80 
196 
209 
225 


237 
253 


266 

280 
301 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  Author  as  he  appeared  on  the  Day  of  his  Re- 
lease from  Ruhleben          ....  Frontispiece 

FACE   FACE 

"  The  Bloody  Night  of  September  n,  1914  "    .         .       198 
The  Aftermath  of  the  "  Bloody  Night  "         .         .       226 

Facsimile  of  the  Pass  issued  by  the  German  authori- 
ties to  the  Author  on  his  leaving  Sennelager  for 
£„  C61n-on-Rhein  ......       238 


SIXTEEN    MONTHS    IN    FOUR 
GERMAN    PRISONS 

PRISON    ONE— WESEL 
CHAPTER    I 

ARRESTED   AS    A   SPY 

"  Start  August  First.     Book  tickets  immediately.1' 
Such  were  the  instructions  I  received  at  Brighton 

early  in  July,  1914,  from  Prince .     A  few  days 

previously  I  had  spent  considerable  time  with  this 
scion  of  the  Russian  nobility  discussing  the  final 
arrangements  concerning  my  departure  to  his  palace 
in  Russia,  where  I  was  to  devote  two  months  to  a 
special  matter  in  which  he  was  deeply  interested,  and 
which  involved  the  use  of  special  and  elaborate  photo- 
graphic apparatus,  microscopes,  optical  lantern  and 
other  accessories.  I  may  mention  that  the  mission 
in  question  was  purely  of  scientific  import. 

During  the  discussion  of  these  final  arrangements 
a  telegram  was  handed  to  the  Prince.  He  scanned  it 
hurriedly,  jumped  up  from  his  seat,  and  apologising 
for  his  abruptness,  explained  that  he  had  been  suddenly 
called  home.  He  expressed  the  hope  that  he  would 
shortly  see  me  in  Russia,  where  I  was  promised  a 
fine  time,  but  that  he  would  instruct  me  the  precise 
date  when  to  start.  Meanwhile  I  was  urged  to  complete 
my  purchases  of  the  paraphernalia  which  we  had 
decided  to  be  imperative  for  our  purpose,  and  he 
handed  me  sufficient  funds  to  settle  all  the  accounts 
in  connection  therewith.  That  night  the  Prince  bade 
me  farewell  and  hurried  off  to  catch  the  boat  train. 


ii 


12  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

My  next  communication  from  him  was  the  brief 
instruction  urging  me  to  start  on  August  i.1 

Shortly  after  his  departure  there  were  ominous 
political  rumblings,  but  I,  in  common  with  the  great 
majority,  concluded  that  the  storm  would  blow  over 
as  it  had  done  many  times  before.  Moreover,  I  was 
so  pre-occupied  with  my  coming  task  as  to  pay  scanty 
attention  to  the  political  barometer.  I  completed 
the  purchase  of  the  apparatuses,  packed  them  securely, 
and  arranged  for  their  dispatch  to  meet  me  at  the 
train.  Then  I  remained  at  home  to  await  develop- 
ments. I  was  ready  to  start  at  a  moment's  notice, 
having  secured  my  passport,  on  which  I  was  described, 
for  want  of  a  better  term,  as  a  "  Tutor  of  Photography," 
and  it  was  duly  vised  by  the  Russian  Embassy. 

Although  the  political  sky  grew  more  and  more 
ominous  I  paid  but  little  attention  to  the  black  clouds. 
The  receipt  of  instructions  to  start  at  once  galvanised 
me  into  activity  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  thoughts. 
I  booked  my  passage  right  through  to  destination- 
Warsaw — and  upon  making  enquiries  on  July  3ist 
was  assured  that  I  should  get  through  all  right. 

I  left  Brighton  by  the  5.10  train  on  Saturday  after- 
noon, August  ist.  There  was  one  incident  at  the  station 
which,  although  it  appeared  to  be  trivial,  proved  sub- 
sequently of  far  reaching  significance.     In  addition  to 
many  cameras  of  different  types  and  sizes  stowed  in  my 
baggage  I  carried  three  small  instruments  in  my  pockets, 
one  being  particularly  small.     I  had  always  regarded 
this  instrument  with  a  strange  affection  because,  though 
exceedingly  small  and  slipping  into  a  tiny  space,  it  was 
capable  of  excellent  work.  As  the  train  was  moving  from 
the  station  I  took  two  parting  snapshots  of  my  wife  and 

I 1  have  never  heard  since  from  the  Prince.     A  day  or  two  after 
the  outbreak  of  war,  upon  joining  the  Russian  forces,  he,  with  an 
observer,  ascended  in  an  aeroplane — he  was  an  enthusiastic  and 
skilled   aviator — to   conduct   a   reconnaissance   over   the   German 
lines.     He  was  never  seen  nor  heard  of  again.     Searching  enquiries 
have  been  made  without  result,  and  now  it  is  presumed  that  he  was 
lost  or  killed.— H.  C.  M. 


ARRESTED    AS    A    SPY  13 

family  waving  me  farewell.  It  was  an  insignificant 
incident  over  which  I  merely  smiled  at  the  time,  but 
five  days  later  I  had  every  cause  to  bless  those  parting 
snaps.  One  often  hears  about  life  hanging  by  the  pro- 
verbial thread,  but  not  many  lives  have  hung  upon  two 
snapshot  photographs  of  all  that  is  dearest  to  one,  and 
a  few  inches  of  photographic  film.  Yet  it  was  so  in  my 
case.  But  for  those  two  tiny  parting  pictures  and  the 
unexposed  fraction  of  film  I  should  have  been  propped 
against  the  wall  of  a  German  prison  to  serve  as  a  target 
for  Prussian  rifles ! 

Upon  reaching  Victoria  I  found  the  evening  boat- 
train  being  awaited  by  a  large  crowd  of  enthusiastic 
and  war-fever  stricken  Germans  anxious  to  get  back 
to  their  homeland.  The  fiat  had  gone  forth  that  all 
Germans  of  military  age  were  to  return  at  once  and  they 
had  rolled  up  en  masse,  many  accompanied  by  their 
wives,  while  there  was  a  fair  sprinkling  of  Russian  ladies 
also  bent  upon  hurrying  home.  An  hour  before  the 
train  was  due  the  platform  was  packed  with  a  dense 
chattering,  gesticulating,  singing,  and  dancing  crowd. 
Many  pictures  have  been  painted  of  the  British  exodus 
from  Berlin  upon  the  eve  of  war  but  few,  if  any,  have 
ever  been  drawn  of  the  wild  stampede  from  Britain  to 
Berlin  which  it  was  my  lot  to  experience. 

As  the  train  backed  into  the  station  there  was  a  wild 
rush  for  seats.  The  excited  Teutons  grabbed  at  handles 
— in  fact  at  anything  protruding  from  the  carriages — 
in  a  desperate  endeavour  to  be  first  on  the  footboard. 
Many  were  carried  struggling  and  kicking  along  the 
platform.  Women  were  bowled  over  pell-mell  and  their 
shrieks  and  cries  mingled  with  the  hoarse,  exuberant 
howls  of  the  war-fever  stricken  maniacs  already  tasting 
the  smell  of  powder  and  blood. 

More  by  luck  than  judgment  I  obtained  admission 
to  a  saloon  carriage  to  find  myself  the  only  Englishman 
among  a  hysterical  crowd  of  forty  Germans.  They 
danced  whistled,  sang  and  joked  as  if  bound  on  a 
wayzegoose.  Badinage  was  exchanged  freely  with 


14  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

friends  standing  on  the  platform.  Anticipating  that 
things  would  probably  grow  lively  during  the  journey, 
I  preserved  a  discreet  silence,  and  my  presence  was 
ignored. 

The  whistle  blew,  the  locomotive  screeched,  and  the 
next  moment  we  were  gliding  out  of  the  station  to  the 
accompaniment  of  wild  cheering,  good  wishes  for  a 
safe  journey  and  speedy  return,  and  the  strains  of  music 
which  presently  swelled  into  a  roar  about  "  Wacht  am 
Rhein."  The  melody  was  yelled  out  with  such  gusto  and 
so  repeatedly  that  I  hoped  I  might  ever  be  spared  from 
hearing  its  strains  again.  But  at  last  Nature  asserted 
herself.  The  throats  of  the  singers  grew  hoarse  and 
tired,  the  song  came  to  a  welcome  end,  and  music  gave 
way  to  vigorous  and  keen  discussion  upon  the  trend  of 
events,  which  was  maintained,  not  only  during  the  train 
journey,  but  throughout  the  cross-Channel  passage  to 
Flushing,  which  we  reached  at  six  o'clock  the  following 
morning. 

At  the  Dutch  port  the  wild  excitement  and  hubbub 
broke  out  with  increased  virulence.  The  report  was 
circulated  that  the  train  now  awaiting  us  would  be  the 
last  through  express  to  Berlin.  There  was  a  frantic 
rush  for  seats.  Men,  women,  and  children  participated 
in  the  wild  melee.  The  brutal  shouts  of  the  men  con- 
trasted vividly  with  the  high-pitched  adjurations  of  the 
women  and  the  wails  and  cries  of  the  terrified  children. 
Within  a  few  minutes  the  train  was  packed  to  suffoca- 
tion, not  an  inch  of  standing-room  being  left,  while  the 
corridors  were  barricaded  with  the  overflow  of  baggage 
from  the  guards'  vans. 

For  two  hours  we  stood  there  scarcely  able  to  breathe. 
The  heat  of  the  waxing  summer's  day  began  to  assert 
itself,  with  the  result  that  it  was  not  long  before  the 
women  commenced  to  show  signs  of  distress.  Their 
spirits  revived,  however,  as  the  train  commenced  to 
move.  There  was  one  solace — one  and  all  were  ad- 
vancing towards  home  and  the  discomfort  would  not 
last  for  long. 


ARRESTED    AS    A    SPY  15 

K:  So  keen  was  the  desire  to  get  to  Berlin  that  the  great 
majority  of  the  passengers  had  neglected  to  provide 
themselves  with  any  food,  lest  they  should  lose  their 
seats  or  miss  the  train.  But  they  confidently  expected 
that  the  train  would  pull  up  at  some  station  to  enable 
refreshments  to  be  obtained.  They  were  supported 
in  this  belief  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  usual  dining  car 
from  the  train.  Those  who  trusted  in  luck,  however, 
were  rudely  disappointed.  The  train  refused  to  stop 
at  any  station.  Instead,  it  evinced  a  decided  preference 
for  intermediate  signal  posts.  It  was  described  as  an 
express,  but  a  tortoise's  crawl  would  be  a  gallop  in 
comparison.  It  travelled  at  only  a  little  more  than  a 
walking  pace  and  the  stops  were  maddeningly  frequent. 

The  women  and  children  speedily  betrayed  painful 
evidences  of  the  suffering  they  were  experiencing,  which 
became  accentuated  as  we  advanced.  The  close  con- 
finement rendered  the  atmosphere  within  the  carriages 
extremely  oppressive.  The  weaker  men  and  the  women 
commenced  to  faint  but  no  assistance  could  be  extended 
to  them.  One  could  move  barely  an  arm  or  leg.  The 
afflicted  passengers  simply  went  off  where  they  were, 
sitting  or  standing,  as  the  case  might  be,  and  prevented 
from  falling  by  the  closely  packed  passengers  around 
them,  to  come  round  as  best  they  could  when  Nature  felt 
so  disposed.  The  wails  of  the  children  were  pitiful. 
Many  were  crying  from  cramp  and  hunger,  but  nothing 
could  be  done  to  satisfy  them,  and  indeed  the  men  took 
little  notice  of  them. 

The  arrival — in  time — at  the  frontier  station  at  Goch 
somewhat  revived  the  distressed  and  drooping.  Every- 
one seized  the  opportunity  to  stretch  the  limbs,  to 
inhale  some  fresh  air,  and  to  obtain  some  slight  refresh- 
ment. The  Customs  officials  were  unusually  aljert, 
harrying,  and  inflexible.  There  was  the  eternal  wrang- 
ling between  the  passengers  and  the  officials  over 
articles  liable  to  duty  and  it  was  somewhat  amusing  to 
me,  even  with  war  beating  the  air,  to  follow  the  frantic 
and  useless  efforts  of  old  and  experienced  travellers 


16  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

to  smuggle  this,  that,  or  something  else  through  the 
fiscal  barrier. 

The  Customs  were  so  far  from  being  in  a  conciliatory 
mood  as  to  be  absolutely  deaf  to  entreaty,  cajolery, 
argument,  explanation  or  threat.  They  cut  the  opera- 
tions summarily  short  by  confiscating  everything  liable 
to  duty.  As  may  be  imagined  a  rich  harvest  was 
garnered  at  the  expense  of  the  luckless  returning  patriot. 
While  the  Customs  were  busy  the  military  officials,  who 
appeared  to  be  swarming  everywhere,  were  equally 
exacting.  They  boarded  the  train  and  literally  turned 
it  inside  out.  Every  man  and  woman  and  child  was 
subjected  to  a  close  personal  investigation  and  cross- 
examination.  Foreigners  were  handled  with  even 
greater  stress  and  with  less  ceremony.  I  saw  four  fellow 
passengers  sorted  out  and  rushed  under  a  military  escort 
into  the  waiting  room. 

At  last  it  was  my  turn  for  military  inquisition.  I 
presented  all  my  credentials,  which  were  scanned  from 
end  to  end,  turned  over,  and  even  held  up  to  the  light, 
lest  there  should  be  something  interwoven  with  the 
watermark.  I  followed  the  operations  with  a  quiet 
amusement,  confident  in  my  security,  but  could  not 
resist  remarking  upon  the  thoroughness  of  the  search 
and  the  determination  to  leave  nothing  to  chance.  My 
passport  created  the  greatest  interest.  It  was  dated 
July  7th,  1914.  The  official  looked  at  me  queerly  in 
silent  interrogation  as  he  placed  his  finger  beneath  the 
date.  I  nodded  and  made  no  comment. 

With  a  slight  smile  of  self-satisfaction  the  officer 
turned  on  his  heel  and  beckoned  me  to  follow  him.  At 
the  same  moment  two  soldiers  clicked  their  heels  behind 
me  and  I  saw  that  I  was  already  under  severe  military 
suspicion.  I  was  taken  to  a  long-bearded  individual 
sitting  in  state  on  a  pedestal.  The  officer  handed  to  him 
the  papers  he  had  found  upon  me.  There  was  a  hurried 
whispering,  the  superior  individual  eyeing  me  narrowly 
meanwhile.  They  compared  the  date  of  the  passport 
with  August  2nd,  Sunday,  the  day  on  which  I  was  travel- 


ARRESTED   AS   A   SPY  17 

ling,  and  also  examined  the  vise  of  the  Russian  Embassy 
in  the  corner. 

Suddenly  the  long-bearded  officer  hurled  a  torrent 
of  questions  at  me  and  at  such  a  velocity  that  I  was  quite 
unable  to  follow  him.  Observing  that  his  volcanic 
interrogative  eruption  was  non-productive  he  slowed 
down  and  repeated  the  questions. 

"  Why  are  you  travelling  at  this  time  ?  " 

"  To  take  up  an  appointment  in  Russia.    There  is  the 

name — Prince " 

"  Ah  !  "  and  his  eyebrows  were  elevated  so  much  as 
to  mingle  almost  with  his  hair. 

"  But  why  have  you  so  much  photographic 
apparatus  ?  " 

"  It  is  necessary  for  the  work  I  am  taking  up." 
"  Ah  !  "  once  again  the  eyebrows  vanished  scalp- 
wards. 

"  Have  you  a  camera  upon  you  ?  " 
"  No  !  " 

"  Ah  !  "  another  dance  of  the  eyebrows. 
He  rapped  out  a  short  command  and  before  I  was 
aware  of  the  circumstance  two  pairs  of  hands  were  run- 
ning rapidly  over  my  body  and  in  and  out  of  my  pockets 
with  the  dexterity  of  men  who  had  served  a  long 
apprenticeship  under  an  Artful  Dodger.  It  proved  a 
blank  search.  I  gave  a  sigh  of  relief,  because  had  the 
searchers  run  their  hands  over  the  lower  part  of  my 
person  they  would  have  come  across  two  cameras, 
and  my  treasured  little  companion,  wrapped  in  his 
leather  jacket,  alert  and  ready  for  silent  service, 
but  concealed  in  a  most  unexpected  corner.  I  could 
scarcely  repress  a  smile  when  I  recognised  that  I  was 
immune  from  further  search.  Evidently  the  Pooh-bah 
was  somewhat  disconcerted  at  the  negative  results 
achieved,  because,  after  firing  one  or  two  other  desultory 
questions  at  me,  he  handed  back  my  passport  and  other 
papers,  and  told  me  I  could  continue  my  journey. 

Desiring  to  disarm  suspicion  completely  I  did  not 
hurry,  away  but  lingered  around  the  little  _court  and 


i8  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

even  indulged  in  a  short  idle  conversation  with  my 
interlocutor,  who,  however,  somewhat  resented  my 
familiarity.  I  lounged  back  to  the  train,  hugely 
delighted  with  myself,  more  particularly  as,  quite  un- 
beknown to  the  fussy  individual  with  the  beard,  I  had 
snapped  a  picture  of  his  informal  court  with  my  little 
camera. 

The  frontier  formalities  at  last  concluded,  the  train 
resumed  its  crawl,  ambling  leisurely  along  for  some  two 
hours,  stopping  now  and  then  to  draw  into  a  siding. 
On  such  occasions  troop  train  after  troop  train  crowded 
with  soldiers  thundered  by  us  en  route  to  Berlin.  The 
sight  of  a  troop  train  roused  our  passengers  to  frenzy. 
They  cheered  madly,  throwing  their  hats  into  the  air. 
The  huzzas  were  returned  by  the  soldiers  hanging  out  of 
the  windows  with  all  the  exuberant  enthusiasm  of  school 
boys  returning  home  at  the  end  of  the  term. 

But  we  were  not  destined  to  make  a  through  run  to 
the  capital.  Suddenly  the  train  was  pulled  up  by  a 
military  guard  upon  the  line.  We  were  turned  out 
pell-mell  and  our  baggage  was  thrown  on  to  the  embank- 
ment. This  proceeding  caused  considerable  uneasiness. 
What  had  happened  ?  Where  were  we  going  ?  and 
other  questions  of  a  similar  character  were  hurled  at 
the  soldiers.  But  they  merely  shook  their  heads  in  a  non- 
committal manner.  They  either  did  not  or  would  not 
know.  Our  feelings  were  not  improved  when  the  empty 
carriages  were  backed  down  the  line,  the  engine  changed 
ends,  and  we  saw  the  train  steam  off  in  another  direction. 
The  hold-up  of  the  train  had  taken  place  at  a  depress- 
ing spot.  We  were  completely  stranded,  without  pro- 
visions or  any  other  necessities,  and  at  an  isolated  spot 
where  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  any  supplies.  The 
passengers  pestered  the  guard  for  information,  and  at 
last  the  officers,  to  still  any  further  enquiry,  declared 
that  they  were  going  to  do  something,  to  carry  us 
"  somewhere." 

Some  two-and-a-half  hours  slipped  by  when  a  loud 
cheer  rang  out  at  the  appearance  of  a  train  of  crazy 


ARRESTED    AS   A   SPY  19 

carriages  which  backed  towards  us.  The  passengers 
scrambled  in  and  made  themselves  as  comfortable  as 
they  could.  But  where  was  the  baggage  to  go  ?  The 
soldiery  had  overlooked  this  item  and  they  surveyed 
the  straggling  mass  of  bags  and  trunks  littering  the 
embankment  ruefully.  But  they  solved  the  problem 
in  their  own  way.  What  could  not  be  stacked  within 
the  trucks  would  have  to  go  on  top. 

We  forged  ahead  once  more  to  pull  up  at  a  small 
station.  Here  there  was  a  mad  scramble  for  supplies 
and  the  refreshment  room  was  soon  cleared  out  of  its 
small  stock.  On  the  platform  an  extortionate  German 
drove  a  brisk  trade  selling  small  bottles  of  lemonade 
at  sixpence  a  bottle.  More  excitement  was  caused  by  a 
newsvendor  mounting  a  box  and  holding  aloft  a  single 
copy  of  the  latest  newspaper  which  he  would  sell  to  the 
highest  bidder. 

Being  ignorant  of  what  had  transpired  since  I  had 
left  London  I  resolved  to  have  that  copy.  I  scrambled 
over  a  pile  of  baggage  and  came  within  arm's  length  of 
the  newsvendor.  I  threw  down  coins  to  the  value  of 
2s.  8d.,  grabbed  his  paper  and  vanished  before  he  could 
voice  a  protest.  I  scrambled  back  to  my  car.  Here 
the  paper  was  snatched  from  me  to  be  read  aloud  to  the 
expectant  crowd  thirsting  for  news.  There  was  a  tense 
silence  as  the  reader  ran  through  the  items  until  he 
gravely  announced  the  latest  intelligence — Russia  and 
Germany  had  declared  war.  The  news  was  official. 
For  a  second  a  profound  silence  reigned.  Then  there 
broke  out  a  further  outburst  of  wild,  maniacal  cheering, 
above  which,  however,  could  be  heard  hysterical  screams 
and  shrieks  from  women,  especially  from  those  bound 
for  Russia,  which  they  now  realised  they  would  never 
reach. 

I  saw  at  once  that  it  was  hopeless  to  get  to  my  destina- 
tion, as  the  Russo-German  frontier  was  now  closed. 
But  as  it  was  quite  as  impossible  to  turn  back  I  decided 
to  push  on  to  Berlin  there  to  await  events;  So  far  Britain 
was  not  involved  and  might  even  keep  clear  of  the  tangle* 


20  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

This  I  might  say  was  the  general  opinion  on  the  train. 
The  remainder  of  the  journey  to  the  capital  was  now 
far  more  exciting,  and  the  animated  conversation  served 
to  while  away  the  tedium  of  the  slow  travelling,  al- 
though the  latter  part  was  completed  in  darkness,  the 
train  running  into  Berlin  at  1.30  in  the  morning  of 
August  3rd,  the  journey  from  Flushing  having  taken 
about  18  hours. 

The  platform  at  Berlin  was  over-run  with  officials 
of  all  sorts  and  descriptions,  ranging  from  puny  col- 
lectors to  big  burly  fellows  smothered  with  sufficient 
braid  and  decorations  to  pass  as  field-marshals.  But 
one  and  all  seemed  to  be  entrusted  with  swords  too  big 
for  them  which  clanked  and  clattered  in  the  most  nerve- 
racking  manner.  They  strutted  up  and  down  the  plat- 
form with  true  Prussian  arrogance,  jostling  the  fatigued, 
cursing  the  helpless  who  lounged  in  their  path,  ignoring 
the  distress  of  the  children,  sneering  at  the  pitiful  plead- 
ings of  the  women — in  fact  caring  about  nothing  beyond 
their  own  importance.  They  disdained  to  reply  to  any 
question,  and  said  nothing  beyond  the  terse  statement 
that  no  more  trains  were  going  East  to  Russia.  At  this 
intelligence  the  travellers  bound  for  the  latter  country 
collapsed,  the  majority,  women,  flopping  upon  their 
baggage  and  dropping  their  heads  in  their  hands  in 
grief  and  utter  despair. 

Yet,  although  the  authorities  were  fully  aware  that 
no  more  trains  were  going  East  they  made  no  attempt 
to  cope  with  the  influx  of  arriving  and  stranded  passen- 
gers. They  were  left  to  their  own  devices.  The  major- 
ity of  the  women  and  children  were  famished,  thirsty, 
and  tired,  but  the  officials  resolutely  refused  to  open 
the  waiting  rooms  and  buffets  before  the  usual  hour. 
Accordingly  the  travel-tired,  grief-stricken  women 
either  threw  themselves  prone  upon  the  platforms,  or 
crawled  into  corridors,  sub-ways,  and  corners  to  seek 
a  little  repose,  using  their  luggage  as  head-rests,  os 
being  content  with  the  cold  hard  steps.  The  few  seate 
upon  the  platform  were  speedily  occupied  but  thr 


ARRESTED   AS   A   SPY  21 

occupants  were  denied  more  than  a  brief  repose.  At 
the  end  of  15  minutes  officials  came  round  and  emptied 
the  seats  of  those  in  possession  to  allow  other  parties 
to  have  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  rest. 

While  the  worn-out  passengers  slept  the  light- 
fingered  German  gentry  passed  swiftly  from  bag  to  bag, 
the  conditions  offering  favourable  opportunities  for  the 
light-fingered  gentry.  They  appeared  to  suffer  no 
molestation  from  the  officials,  who  could  plainly  see 
what  was  going  on,  but  possibly  officialdom  regarded 
the  belongings  of  tired  and  exhausted  foreigners  as 
legitimate  loot  to  those  who  were  prepared  to  take  it. 
Outside  the  station  the  heavier  baggage  was  stacked  in 
barricades  in  a  wildly  haphazard  manner  with  the 
heavier  articles  at  the  top.  These,  crushing  the  lighter 
and  more  fragile  packages  beneath,  spread  the  contents 
of  the  latter  in  the  roadway  to  serve  as  sport  for 
gamins  and  other  loungers  who  prowled  around. 

The  utter  chaos  was  aggravated  by  the  rain  which 
pelted  down  with  torrential  fury.  Mothers  with  their 
little  children  drew  closely  into  corners  or  sat  upon 
doorsteps  seeking  the  slightest  shelter.  As  I  turned 
out  of  the  station  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a 
woman — she  had  come  up  on  our  train — who  was  sitting 
on  the  kerb,  her  feet  in  the  gutter,  the  rushing  water 
coursing  over  her  ankles,  feeding  her  child  at  the  breast, 
and  vainly  striving  to  shelter  the  little  mite  from  the 
elements.  The  woman  was  crying  bitterly.  I  went  up 
to  her.  She  spoke  English  perfectly.  She  was  Rus- 
sian and  had  set  out  from  England  to  meet  her  husband 
at  Kalish.  But  she  could  not  get  through,  she  had  very 
little  money,  could  not  speak  German,  and  knew  not 
what  to  do,  or  what  would  become  of  her.  I  soothed  her 
as  well  as  I  could.  There  were  hundreds  of  similar 
cases  around.  Notwithstanding  their  terrible  plight 
not  a  hand  was  moved  by  the  authorities  on  their  behalf. 
They  were  even  spurned  and  roughly  moved  out  of 
the  way  by  the  swaggering  officials.  It  was  not  until 
the  British  colony  got  busy  the  next  day  that  they 


22  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

received  the  slightest  alleviation,  and  the  majority, 
being  strangers  in  a  strange  land,  were  sent  back  to 
England,  the  Germans  mutely  concurring  in  the  task. 
The  wild  rush  from  the  Comment  may  have  precipi- 
tated congestion  at  our  ports  and  railway  stations,  but 
there  never  could  have  been  that  absolute  chaos  which 
reigned  at  Berlin  on  the  fateful  night  of  the  2nd  of 
August.  Humanity  was  thrown  to  the  iour  winds. 
The  much- vaunted  Teuton  organisation,  sy  -tern,  and 
scientific  control  had  broken  down  completely  under 
the  first  test  to  which  it  was  subjected. 

The  terrific  downpour  caused  me  to  decide  to  spend 
a  few  hours  in  the  comfort  of  an  hotel.  I  hailed  a  taxi 
and  jumped  in.  The  car  was  just  moving  when  the  door 
was  flung  open,  1  was  grabbed  by  the  coat-collar  and 
the  next  moment  found  myself  skating  across  the  road- 
way on  my  back.  1  jumped  up,  somewhat  ruffled  at 
this  rude  handling,  to  learn  that  it  was  an  officer  who 
had  treated  me  so  unceremoniously.  I  had  no  redress. 
Berlin  was  under  martial  law.  The  uniform  of  the 
military  came  beiore  the  mufti  of  the  civilian. 

Unable  10  find  another  vehicle  I  turned  into  the  first 
place  I  found  open.  It  was  an  all-night  cafe.  It  was 
packed  to  suffocation  with  German  soldiers  and  the 
feminine  underworld  of  Berlin.  There  was  a  glorious 
orgy  oi  drunkenness,  nauseating  and  debasing  amuse- 
ment, and  the  incoherent  singing  of  patriotic  songs. 
The  other  sex  appeared  to  have  thrown  all  discretion 
and  womanliness  to  the  winds.  A  soldier  too  drunk  to 
stand  was  assisted  to  a  chair  which  he  mounted  with 
difficulty.  Here  he  was  supported  on  either  side  by  two 
flushed,  hilariously-shouting,  partially-dressed  harpies. 
He  drew  off  his  belt — his  helmet  had  already  gone  some- 
where— and  pointing  to  the  badge  he  shouted  thickly 
and  coarsely,  "  Deutschland,  Deutschland,  Gott  mit 
uns  "— (Germany,  Germany,  God  is  with  us).  Meta- 
phorically he  was  correct,  because  the  words  are  printed 
upon  the  belt  of  every  German  soldier,  but  if  the 
Almighty  was  with  that  drunken,  debased  crowd  that 


ARRESTED   AS   A    SPY  23 

night,  then  Old  Nick  must  have  been  wearing  out  his 
shoes  looking  for  a  job. 

When  the  crowd  caught  sight  of  me,  which  was  some 
time  after  my  entrance  because  I  had  dropped  unseen 
into  a  convenient  corner,  they  rushed  forward  and  urged 
me  to  participate  in  their  revels.  I  declined.  They  had 
been  hurling  distinctly  uncomplimentary  and  obscene 
epithets  concerning  Britain  through  the  room.  My 
decision  was  construed  into  an  affront  to  the  All-Highest. 
A  big,  burly,  drunken  soldier  wanted  to  fight  me.  The 
crowd  pressed  round  keenly  anticipating  some  fun.  We 
indulged  in  a  spirited  altercation,  but  as  neither  under- 
stood what  the  other  said,  words  did  not  lead  to  blows. 
However,  the  upshot  was  the  intimation  that  my  room 
was  preferred  to  my  company.  This  was  received 
with  enthusiasm,  the  result  being  that  I  made  the 
sudden  acquaintance  of  the  pavement  outside  once 
more,  being  assisted  in  my  hurried  departure  by 
fisticuffs  and  heavy  boots. 

I  picked  myself  up  and  walked  until  I  caught  sight 
of  an  hotel.  I  entered,  booked  a  room,  and  indulged  in 
an  elaborate  wash  and  brush-up  of  which  I  was  sorely 
in  need,  following  this  with  a  substantial  breakfast. 
Then  I  sauntered  into  the  vestibule  for  a  smoke.  Three 
German  officers  and  a  squad  of  soldiers  came  clanking 
in.  There  was  a  short  sharp  order.  One  officer 
remained  at  the  door  while  the  others  disappeared 
into  the  depths  of  the  building. 

I  went  over  to  the  officer  and  entered  into  conversation 
with  him.  He  spoke  English  fluently  and  was  fairly 
affable.  We  discussed  things  in  general  and  also 
the  political  situation,  from  which  I  gathered  that 
matters  were  rapidly  approaching  a  climax,  and 
that  there  was  no  telling  what  would  happen  next. 
This  was  the  first  time  I  had  been  brought  face  to  face 
with  the  situation  and  my  outlook  was  serious.  The 
officer  at  last  turned  to  me,  and  with  a  friendly  smile, 
remarked — 

"  Look  here,  my  English  friend,  I  would  advise  you 


24  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

to  make  for  your  country  at  once.    Don't  stop  for 
anything !  " 

'  Why  ?  " 

"  Don't  ask  questions.  Do  as  I  say  !  Can't  you  take 
a  friendly  warning  ?  Take  to-day's  train  home  !  If 
you  don't — well,  you  may  be  detained  !  " 

His  advice  was  expressed  in  such  significant  tones 
that  I  looked  at  him  sharply.  He  answered  with 
another  smile  and  a  shrug  which  intimated  only  too 
plainly  that  he  had  said  as  much  as  he  dared. 

I  was  debarred  from  prosecuting  the  conversation 
farther  by  the  return  of  his  comrades  with  a  crowd  of 
waiters.  They  were  all  Russians  and  they  had  been 
rounded  up  by  the  military.  No  opportunity  was  given 
them  to  pack  a  few  necessities.  They  were  arrested 
at  their  tables,  while  performing  their  duties,  were 
corralled  and  now  were  off  to  prison.  No  one  possessed 
any  more  than  he  stood  up  in. 

I  followed  them  down  the  street,  intending  to  proceed 
to  the  British  Consulate.  The  streets  were  full  of 
soldiers  and  the  air  rang  with  martial  music.  While 
proceeding  to  the  Consulate  I  became  aware  that  I 
was  being  shadowed.  An  individual  resolutely  dogged 
me.  I  had  seen  him  previously  but  had  taken  no 
serious  notice  of  his  presence.  Now  he  began  to  get  a 
bit  irksome.  I  bought  some  picture  post-cards  and 
addressed  them  to  friends  at  home,  announcing  my 
immediate  return,  also  introducing  brief  comments 
on  the  condition  of  things  in  Berlin  as  they  appeared 
to  me.  A  few  hours  later  I  regretted  writing  those 
post  cards.1 

The  Consulate  was  besieged  by  hundreds  of  com- 
patriots thirsting  for  guidance  as  to  what  to  do.  After 
waiting  an  hour-and-a-half  I  secured  an  audience.  I 
briefly  explained  my  position. 

"  Get  home  at  once.     The  train  leaves  1.13  mid-day." 

1  Upon  my  return  to  England  I  made  enquiries  and  discovered 
that  not  a  single  one  had  been  received.  Undoubtedly  they  were 
stopped  by  the  German  military  authorities  and  contributed  some- 
what materially  to  my  subsequent  troubles. — H.  C.  M. 


ARRESTED   AS   A   SPY  25 

"  But  I've  got  luggage  worth  £400  at  the  station  1  " 

"  Get  home  !  " 

«  But " 

"  Leave  your  luggage  where  it  is  !  " 

"  Do  you  think ?  " 

"  You  take  the  1.13  train.     Good  morning." 

Further  enquiries  convinced  me  that  the  1.13  was 
very  likely  to  be  the  last  train  which  would  leave  Berlin 
for  Britain,  so  I  scurried  off  to  the  station  to  recover  my 
luggage.  Many  of  the  photographic  instruments  were 
exceedingly  valuable  because  they  had  been  made 
specially.  I  was  bandied  from  one  official  to  another. 
At  last  I  alighted  upon  one  who  knew  something.  He 
led  me  to  a  huge  building  and  flung  open  the  door.  It 
was  stacked  from  floor  to  roof  with  baggage,  which  had 
been  packed  in  without  any  semblance  of  order.  I 
surveyed  the  pile  ruefully.  I  asked  him  if  he  could 
trace  my  luggage  but  he  shook  his  head.  I  held  out  a 
tempting  pourboire.  It  was  of  no  avail.  If  I  wanted 
the  luggage  I  could  look  for  it  myself.  Reflecting  that 
some  six  weeks  at  least  would  be  required  to  complete 
the  search  I  concluded  that  I  should  have  to  leave  it 
behind  willy-nilly.  So  somewhat  depressed  I  prepared 
to  leave  by  the  1.13  train. 

The  express  was  heavily  laden  and  to  it  was  attached 
a  carriage  reserved  for  the  military,  who  were  accom- 
panying the  departing  Britishers  to  the  frontier.  Cur- 
iously enough,  not  one  of  us  knew  definitely  what  had 
happened.  Rumour  was  busy,  but  it  was  inconclusive. 
The  general  feeling  was  that  Britain  had  taken  some 
drastic  action  which  must  have  serious  results,  otherwise 
we  should  not  have  been  bundled  home  so  hurriedly. 

We  had  been  travelling  some  time  when  I  noticed  a 
lady  sauntering  along  the  corridor  vainly  searching  for 
a  seat.  I  was  comfortable,  but  I  instantly  surrendered 
my  place  to  assume  a  standing  position  in  the  corridor 
where  I  chatted  with  several  fellow-travellers.  I  may 
say  that  slung  over  my  shoulder  was  a  black  leather 
strap  carrying  a  small  camera  case  in  the  manner 


26  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

frequently  affected  by  tourists.  Ever  after  I  have 
cursed  that  innocent  looking  camera  case,  and  certainly 
when  travelling  in  the  future  will  favour  some  other 
means  of  carrying  photographic  apparatus. 

About  half-an-hour  passed  in  this  way.  Then  I 
observed  a  young  German  ambling  along  the  corridor. 
He  came  up  to  us  and  entered  into  an  idle  conversation. 
One  by  one  the  others  dropped  away  from  him,  not 
caring  to  talk  with  a  German.  I  would  have  done  the 
same  but  the  strange  youth  would  not  let  me.  He 
pinned  me  to  the  spot  with  his  conversation.  At  first 
his  questions  were  extremely  innocent,  but  they  soon 
became  somewhat  inquisitive  and  searching,  and  were 
purposely  directed  to  discover  why  I  was  travelling, 
where  I  had  been,  how  long  I  had  been  in  Germany,  and 
so  forth.  As  the  conversation  assumed  this  turn  I  came 
to  the  alert.  He  was  a  typical  German  with  all  the 
inexperience  of  youth,  though  he  doubtless  prided  him- 
self upon  his  powers  of  observation,  deduction,  and 
cross-examination  by  apparently  idle  questions.  But 
to  one  and  all  of  his  interrogations  I  gave  the  retort 
courteous.  His  pressing  attentions  did  not  escape  the 
notice  of  my  fellow-travellers  within  earshot.  Looking 
out  of  the  corner  of  my  eye  I  saw  that  they  did  not  regard 
this  questioning  of  myself  as  being  so  innocent  as  it 
appeared.  Many  were  apparently  familiar  with  German 
methods  of  inter-espionage  and  they  extended  me  silent 
warning,  by  sign,  frown,  and  wink. 

The  raw  youth  disappeared  and  I  forgot  all  about  him. 
But  to  my  surprise  five  minutes  later  I  saw  him  return- 
ing along  the  corridor  accompanied  by  a  military  official 
whom  he  had  evidently  brought  from  the  military 
carriage  attached  to  the  train.  They  came  straight  up 
to  me.  The  youth  pointing  directly  at  me  remarked. 

"  Here  he  is.  See  !  There's  the  camera  on  his 
back !  " 

The  officer  looked  at  the  strap  and  turning  me  round 
caught  sight  of  the  camera  case.  He  nodded  in 
acquiescence. 


ARRESTED    AS   A    SPY  27 

"  And  I  saw  him  using  it,"  went  on  the  youth 
triumphantly.  "  He  has  been  taking  photographs  of 
the  bridges  and  sentries  along  the  line  !  " 

I  was  distinctly  amused  at  this  charge  because  it 
was  absolutely  untrue.  But  I  was  somewhat  impressed 
by  the  strange  silence  which  had  settled  upon  my  fellow- 
travellers  and  the  inscrutable  look  upon  the  officer's 
face.  Something  serious  was  evidently  amiss.  I  turned 
to  the  officer. 

'  The  accusation  is  absurd.  Why !  Look  at  the 
windows  !  They  have  been  kept  closed  all  the  time 
according  to  the  military  orders.  And  you  could  not 
take  a  photograph  through  the  closed  windows  even  if 
you  wanted  to.  They  are  too  begrimed  with  dirt." 

The  officer  did  not  say  a  word  but  continued  to  eye 
me  narrowly. 

j  I  began  to  feel  uncomfortable  before  that  piercing 
gaze,  so  I  decided  to  floor  the  aspiring  detective  working 
so  zealously  for  the  Fatherland  and  to  point  out  the 
danger  of  jumping  at  conclusions.  I  turned  to  him  : 

"  You  say  you  saw  me  taking  photographs  ?  " 

'  Yes,  with  that  camera  on  your  back," 

"  You  are  quite  sure  ?  " 

"  Yes  !  " 

I  swung  the  case  which  had  been  so  offensive  to  his 
eyes  round  to  the  front  of  me. 

"  Now  I'll  ask  you  again.  You  are  quite  certain  you 
saw  me  taking  photographs  ?  " 

"  Ach  !  I  distinctly  saw  you  take  the  camera  out 
of  the  case,  take  the  pictures,  and  then  put  it  back 
again  !  "  was  his  rejoinder  given  with  great  emphasis. 

I  did  not  attempt  to  argue  any  further.  I  clicked  the 
catch  of  the  case.  The  lid  flew  open.  Both  the 
officer  and  the  youth  craned  forward  expectantly,  to 
draw  back,  the  officer  giving  vent  to  a  smothered  ejacu- 
lation. 

The  camera  case  was  full  of  cigarettes. 

Being  a  heavy  smoker  I  had  stocked  myself  with 
cigarettes  with  which  I  had  filled  the  camera  case.  I 


28  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

turned  them  out  into  my  hands  leaving  the  case 
empty. 

The  youth's  face  was  a  study.  He  was  so  completely 
trapped  in  his  lying  that  he  went  all  colours,  while  his 
jaw  dropped.  My  fellow  passengers  who  had  been 
watching  and  listening  in  profound  silence  gave  expres- 
sion to  uproarious  mirth  at  the  complete  manner  in 
which  the  immature  detective  had  been  bowled  out. 
But  their  mirth  was  misplaced.  A  German  resents  dis- 
comfiture. The  officer,  too,  was  not  disposed  to  throw 
over  his  subordinate,  who  undoubtedly  had  been  acting 
in  accordance  with  orders.  Looking  me  steadily  in  the 
face  the  officer  placed  his  hand  on  my  shoulder  and  in 
cold  tones  said. 

"  I  formally  charge  you  with  being  a  spy  in  ih"  pay  of 
the  British  Government !  " 


CHAPTER   II 

COMMITTED   TO  WESEL  PRISON 

To  say  that  I  was  completely  dumbfounded  by  this 
accusation  is  to  express  my  feelings  very  mildly.  But, 
with  an  effort,  I  succeeded  in  keeping  my  sang-froid, 
which  I  am  afraid  only  served  to  convince  the  officer 
that  he  was  correct  in  his  charge. 

He  assailed  me  with  interrogations,  demanded  my 
passport,  and  after  perusing  it  closely,  enquired  why  I 
was  travelling  to  Russia  at  such  a  time.  "  Why  !  "  he 
pointed  out,  "  you  only  left  England  on  August  ist, 
when  Russia  and  Germany  were  on  the  eve  of  war !  " 

I  gave  a  detailed  explanation  of  my  mission,  but  I 
failed  to  shake  his  suspicions.  I  had  to  surrender  my 
ticket  for  inspection  and  this  caused  him  to  frown  more 
heavily  than  ever. 

"  Where  is  your  camera  ?  " 

I  produced  two  which  were  in  my  pockets,  keeping 
my  tiny  companion  in  its  secret  resting  place. 

At  the  sight  of  the  two  cameras  he  gave  a  smile  of 
complete  self-satisfaction.  He  handed  them  to  the 
guard  together  with  my  ticket.  Turning  on  his  heel 
he  remarked : 

"You'll  ask  for  these  articles  when  you  reach 
Wesel!" 

As  he  strode  down  the  corridor  the  serious  character 
of  my  situation  dawned  upon  me.  My  companions 
had  already  formed  their  opinions  concerning  my 
immediate  future.  All  thoughts  of  the  war  vanished 
before  a  discussion  of  my  awkward  predicament.  I 
saw  that  the  injunction  to  make  enquiry  for  my  cameras 
and  ticket  at  Wesel,  which  is  an  important  military 

29 


30  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

centre,  was  merely  a  ruse  to  prevent  my  escape.  My 
arrest  at  Wesel  was  inevitable. 

I  was  carrying  one  or  two  other  articles,  such  as  a 
revolver,  about  me.  I  saw  that  although  they  were 
apparently  harmless,  and  could  be  fully  explained,  they 
would  incriminate  me  only  still  more.  I  promptly  got 
rid  of  them.  I  had  half-a-mind  to  discard  my  little 
camera  also,  but  somehow  or  other  I  could  not  bring 
myself  to  part  with  this.  I  thought  it  might  come  in 
useful.  Moreover  there  was  very  little  likelihood  of  it 
being  discovered  unless  I  was  stripped.  So  I  left  it 
where  it  was.  Afterwards  I  was  thankful  I  acted  upon 
second  thoughts  on  that  occasion. 

The  outlook  was  certainly  discouraging  and  when  the 
train  stopped  at  Wesel — outside  the  station  I  after- 
wards discovered — I  acted  on  the  impulse  for  self- 
preservation,  darted  along  the  corridor,  found  a  place 
of  concealment  and  tucked  myself  in.  Now  I  realise 
that  this  was  the  worst  thing  I  could  have  done,  but 
then  my  thoughts  were  centred  upon  effecting  my 
escape,  in  the  half-hope  that  the  Germans,  unable  to 
find  me,  would  assume  that  I  had  surreptitiously  left 
the  train. 

But  I  misjudged  German  thoroughness,  especially 
when  a  suspected  spy  is  the  quarry.  Fifteen,  thirty, 
fifty  minutes  slipped  by  and  still  the  train  did  not  move. 
The  other  passengers  were  not  being  regarded  kindly 
at  my  non-appearance.  So,  stealing  out  of  my  hiding 
place  I  sauntered  as  composedly  as  I  could  along  the 
corridor  to  come  face  to  face  with  the  officer,  who  with 
his  guard  was  diligently  searching  every  nook  and 
cranny  and  cross-questioning  the  other  passengers. 
Directly  he  caught  sight  of  me  he  sprang  forward,  utter- 
ing a  command.  The  next  instant  I  was  surrounded 
by  soldiers.  I  was  under  arrest. 

The  officer  gave  a  signal  from  a  window  and  the  train 
pulled  into  the  station.  I  was  hustled  unceremoniously 
on  to  the  platform,  where  eight  soldiers  closed  around 
me  to  form  an  escort  and  I  was  marched  forward.  As 


COMMITTED    TO    WESEL    PRISON         31 

we  crossed  the  platform  the  locomotive  whistle  shrieked, 
and  about  9.30  p.m.  the  last  train  to  leave  Berlin  on 
the  outbreak  of  war  bore  my  companions  homewards. 

Personally  I  was  disposed  to  regard  the  whole 
episode  as  a  joke,  and  an  instance  of  Teuton  blind 
blundering.  The  gravity  of  the  situation  never  struck 
me  for  an  instant.  I  argued  with  myself  that  I  should 
speedily  prove  that  I  was  the  victim  of  circumstances 
and  would  be  able  to  convince  the  military  of  my 
bona  fides  without  any  great  effort. 

But  as  I  reflected  it  dawned  upon  me  that  my  arrest 
had  been  skilfully  planned.  The  youth  on  the  train, 
whom  I  never  saw  again,  had  played  but  a  minor  part 
in  the  drama  of  which  I  was  the  central  figure.  My 
departure  must  have  been  communicated  from  Berlin. 
Otherwise  how  should  Wesel  have  learned  that  a  spy 
had  been  arrested  ?  The  station  was  besieged  with  a 
wildly  shouting  excited  crowd  who  bawled  : 

"  English  spy  !  English  spy  !  Lynch  him  !  Lynch 
him !  " 

I  was  bundled  into  a  military  office  which  had 
evidently  been  hurriedly  extemporised  from  a  lumber 
room.  The  crowd  outside  increased  in  denseness  and 
hostility.  They  were  shouting  and  raving  with  all 
the  power  of  their  lungs.  These  vocal  measures  prov- 
ing inadequate,  stones  and  other  missiles  commenced 
to  fly.  They  could  not  see  through  the  windows  of  the 
room  so  an  accurately  thrown  brick  shivered  the  pane 
of  glass.  Through  the  open  space  I  caught  glimpses 
of  the  most  ferocious  and  fiendish  faces  it  has  ever  been 
my  lot  to  witness.  Men  and  women  vied  with  one 
another  in  the  bawling  and  ground  their  teeth  when  they 
caught  sight  of  me. 

The  excitement  was  intense  and  the  chant  "  Bring  him 
out !  Give  him  to  us  !  Let  us  lynch  him  !  Down 
with  the  English  spy  !  "  even  began  to  grate  upon  me. 
At  the  time  it  appeared  to  me  to  be  somewhat  extra- 
ordinary, seeing  that  we  were  not  at  war  with  Germany, 
but  it  conveyed  a  graphic  illustration  of  the  anti-British 


32  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

sentiment  prevailing  in  the  military  centre.  Indeed, 
the  crowd  became  so  menacing  that  my  guard  became 
apprehensive  of  my  safety,  and  I  was  hurriedly  thrust 
into  an  inner  room.  My  removal  there  was  more  abrupt 
than  dignified.  I  was  hustled  to  the  door.  Then  a 
German  soldier,  by  an  adroit  movement  of  his  rifle  which 
he  held  reversed,  pricked  my  leg  with  the  bayonet  and 
at  the  same  time  brought  the  butt  against  my  head  with 
a  resounding  thwack  J  Simultaneously  he  let  drive  with 
his  heavily-booted  foot  in  the  small  of  my  back.  I  dis- 
covered afterwards,  from  actual  experience,  that  this 
is  a  very  favourite  movement  of  the  rifle  by  the 
Germans,  and  is  used  on  every  possible  occasion. 

The  outcome  of  this  action  was  to  send  me  sprawling 
headlong  into  the  room  to  pull  up  with  a  crash  against 
the  floor.  The  entrance  was  rendered  additionally 
dangerous  to  myself  because  I  stumbled  over  the  legs 
of  several  sleeping  soldiers.  I  felt  inclined  to  remon- 
strate with  the  officer-in-charge  of  the  escort  at  the  treat- 
ment I  was  receiving,  but  the  uninviting  armed  sentry 
at  the  door  frustrated  my  efforts  very  effectively. 

It  was  an  improvised  guard-room.  The  soldiers 
sprawled  upon  the  straw  littering  the  floor,  striving  to 
snatch  a  brief  rest  before  going  on  duty,  sleepily  raised 
themselves  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  disturbance. 
The  sentry  told  them  excitedly  the  charge  upon  which  I 
had  been  arrested,  at  which  the  men  turned  to  blink 
wonderingly  upon  the  "  Englandische  Spion  !  "  I  was 
not  sorry  when  they  at  last  wearied  of  gazing  upon  me 
as  if  I  were  a  freak  side-show,  and  sank  down  to  finish 
their  two  hours'  rest  before  going  on  guard  once  more. 

I  had  barely  recovered  my  senses  when  the  door  again 
flew  open  and  two  further  prisoners  were  injected  into  the 
room  in  a  manner  comparable  with  my  own  entrance. 
They  were  Hindoo  students — young  fellows  returning 
to  England  after  a  continental  holiday,  who  had  been 
detained.  Both  were  somewhat  alarmed,  but  I  speedily 
composed  them.  Later  there  was  a  repetition  of  the 
performance  to  admit  three  more  Indian  students.  We 


COMMITTED   TO   WESEL   PRISON         33 

all  agreed  that  the  German  methods  of  introduction  were 
decidedly  novel  and  forceful  if  informal  and  unpleasant. 
The  latest  arrivals,  however,  were  detained  for  only  a 
short  while.  They  were  rich  in  funds  and  were  equally 
astute  in  their  distribution  of  largesse  to  advantage. 
Money  talked  in  their  instance  to  distinct  effect.  The 
three  of  us  who  were  left  maintained  a  conversation 
in  whispers  and  finally  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
best  thing  we  could  do  was  to  seek  sleep  so  as  to  be  fit 
for  the  enquiry  which  was  certain  to  take  place. 

I  was  dog-tired,  but  the  authorities,  as  represented 
by  the  sentries,  were  not  disposed  to  let  us  enjoy  what 
they  were  denied.  The  guard  was  constantly  changing 
and  the  clattering  and  rasping  of  orders  and  commands 
repeatedly  woke  us  up.  Then  again,  at  frequent  inter- 
vals, the  sentry  would  enter.  Seeing  me  asleep  he 
would  either  give  me  a  prod  with  his  bayonet  or  a  smart 
rap  with  the  butt-end  of  his  rifle  to  wake  me  up,  the 
idea  no  doubt  being  to  impress  upon  me  the  serious 
nature  of  my  position  and  to  inflict  upon  me  the  utmost 
discomfort. 

Being  prevented  from  sleeping  and  commencing  to  feel 
the  pangs  of  hunger,  having  eaten  nothing  since  lunch 
upon  the  train,  I  asked  for  something  to  eat.  The 
sentry  was  very  sorry  but  related  that  food  was  quite 
out  of  the  question  because  none  of  the  officers  in  charge 
of  me  from  whom  he  could  obtain  the  necessary 
instructions  were  available. 


The  absence  of  the  officers  was  explained  a  little 
later.  They  had  been  searching  for  an  interpreter, 
so  that  I  might  be  put  through  another  inquisition. 
This  interpreter  was  about  the  most  incompetent  of  his 
class  that  one  could  wish  to  meet.  His  English  wa,s 
c 


34  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

execrable — far  worse  than  Chinese  pidgin — and  he  had 
an  unhappy  and  disconcerting  manner  of  intermingling 
German  and  English  words,  while  either  through  a 
physical  defect  or  from  some  other  cause,  he  could  not 
pronounce  his  consonants  correctly. 

I  was  taken  through  the  usual  rigmarole  such  as  I 
had  at  first  experienced  at  Goch.  The  evidence  also, 
as  usual,  was  committed  to  paper.  It  was  a  perfunc- 
tory enquiry,  however,  and  was  soon  completed. 
Naturally  upon  its  conclusion  I  considered  that  I  would 
be  free  to  resume  my  journey.  I  turned  to  my  inter- 
preter. 

"  Now  this  is  all  over  I  suppose  I  can  go  ?  " 

"  Ach  !  nein  zoo  tant  doh  !  " 

His  English  was  so  vile  that  I  thought  he  said  and 
meant  "  ah  !  at  nine  you  can  go  !  " 

Seeing  that  it  was  about  eleven  o'clock  at  the  time,  I 
thought  I  had  better  hurry  in  case  there  was  another 
Flushing-bound  train.  So  I  scuttled  towards  the  door 
only  to  receive  another  heavy  clout  from  the  sentry's 
rifle.  What  the  interpreter  really  said  was  "  Ah  !  No, 
you  can't  go  !  "  As  I  rubbed  my  bruised  head  I  treated 
that  interpreter  to  a  candid  opinion  of  his  English  speak- 
ing qualifications,  but  he  did  not  understand  half  what 
I  said. 

As  I  realised  nothing  further  could  be  done  that  night 
I  lay  down  to  snatch  another  rest.  But  after  midnight 
my  trials  and  troubles  increased.  Every  few  minutes 
the  door  would  rattle  and  be  clanked  open  to  admit  an 
officer  who  had  brought  a  number  of  friends  to  see  the 
latest  sensation — the  English  spies.  The  friends,  who 
were  brother-officers,  regarded  us  with  a  strange  interest, 
while  the  officer  who  had  charge  of  me  strutted  to  and 
fro  like  a  peacock  drawn  to  his  full  height,  at  the  unique 
greatness  thrust  upon  him,  and  dwelling  at  great  length 
upon  the  enormity  of  our  offence  related  a%eird  story 
about  my  capture. 

*  Upon  such  occasions  I  and  my  two  Hindoo  com- 
panions were  compelled  to  stand  at  attention.  At 


COMMITTED    TO    WESEL   PRISON         35 

first  I  regarded  the  incident  with  amusement,  but  after 
we  had  been  through  the  circus-like  performance  about 
a  dozen  times,  it  became  distinctly  irksome,  especially 
as  I  was  dog-tired.  It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
I  maintained  my  self-control. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  heard  voices 
in  the  adjoining  room.  Evidently  someone  in  authority 
had  arrived.  I  decided  to  seize  the  opportunity  to 
secure  an  interview  with  one  who  at  least  would  be  able 
to  give  me  some  satisfaction.  I  moved  smartly  towards 
the  door.  The  sentry  lowered  his  rifle,  but  I  evaded  the 
bayonet,  I  saw  a  flash  and  then  all  was  darkness. 

Some  time  later  I  woke  up.  I  was  lying  at  full  length 
upon  the  floor  and  my  head  was  singing  like  a  kettle, 
while  it  ached  fearfully.  I  opened  my  eyes  but  for  some 
minutes  could  descry  nothing  but  stars.  As  I  came 
round  I  made  out  the  dim  forms  of  the  two  Hindoo  stu- 
dents bending  over  me.  They  were  extremely  agitated, 
but  their  peace  of  mind  became  restored  somewhat  when 
I  at  last  sat  up.  Then  they  explained  what  had  hap- 
pened. After  I  had  dodged  the  bayonet  the  soldier  had 
swung  his  rifle  round  bringing  the  butt  end  smartly 
down  upon  my  head  and  had  knocked  me  silly.  From 
the  pain  I  suffered  and  the  size  of  the  lump  which  I  could 
feel  I  tacitly  agreed  that  I  had  received  a  pretty  smart 
rap. 

I  felt  round  for  the  tin  of  cigarettes  which  I  had 
extemporised  to  form  a  pillow  before  the  incident,  but 
was  suddenly  reminded  that  smoking  was  very  much 
verboten.  Regarding  the  tin  longingly  I  absent-mind- 
edly opened  it.  To  my  surprise  I  found  that  the  fifty 
cigarettes  which  it  had  originally  contained  had 
dwindled  down  to  one  !  I  looked  at  the  sentry  and 
smiled  quietly  to  myself.  Rising  to  my  feet  I  held  out 
the  open  tin  to  him. 

'  You've  been  helping  yourself  while  I  have  been 
asleep  and  I  think  you  might  as  well  take  the  last  one," 
I  muttered  sarcastically. 

The  phlegmatic  sentry  looked  at  me  cunningly.    His 


36  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

face  lapsed  into  a  broad  grin.  Growling  "  danker  !  " 
(thank  you  ! )  he  calmly  took  it  and  lighted  up.  From 
this  incident  I  discovered  that  even  a  thick-skulled,  dull- 
witted  German  infantryman  has  a  bump  of  humour. 

The  din  which  still  reigned  around  the  station  told 
me  that  the  crowd  was  impatient  to  see  me.  In  fact 
Bedlam  appeared  to  have  been  let  loose.  The  news  of 
my  capture  had  spread  through  Wesel  like  wildfire, 
and  public  animosity  and  hostility  towards  me  had  risen 
to  fever-heat.  During  the  night  the  crowd  had  swollen 
considerably,  and  it  clung  tenaciously  to  the  station  in 
the  hope  of  having  some  glorious  fun  at  my  expense. 

At  six  o'clock  an  officer  entered  with  one  or 
two  subordinates  and  a  squad  of  soldiers.  Certain 
formalities  had  to  be  gone  through  in  which  I  played 
a  prominent  part.  These  completed  the  officer  stood 
before  me  with  all  the  pomposity  he  could  command 
and  delivered  a  harangue  at  high  speed  in  a  worrying 
monotone.  To  me  it  was  gibberish,  but  one  of  the 
men  who  could  speak  English  informed  me  that  the 
gist  of  his  wail  was  the  intimation  that  "  if  I  moved  a 
pace  to  the  right,  or  a  pace  to  the  left,  or  fell  back 
a  pace,  or  hurried  a  pace  during  the  march  to  the  Wesel 
Arresthaus — Wesel  Prison — I  would  be  shot  down 
immediately."  I  mentally  decided  to  obey  the  in- 
junction to  the  absolute  letter,  and  must  admit  that 
never  before  or  since  during  my  life  have  I  walked 
such  a  straight  line. 

With  four  soldiers  behind  with  lowered  bayonets, 
four  in  front  and  two  on  either  side  we  moved  out  of 
the  station.  The  clock  was  chiming  seven,  but  the 
droning  of  the  clock  was  drowned  by  the  howls  of 
rage,  snarlings,  screeches,  shrieks  and  groans  of  fury 
which  went  up  from  the  mob  the  moment  they  caught 
sight  of  us.  Despite  my  self-control  I  winced. 
Directly  we  gained  the  roadway  an  ugly  rush 
was  made.  I  thought  I  was  doomed  to  be  torn 
limb  from  limb,  for  I  was  overwhelmed  by  a  sea  of 
itching  hands,  shaking  fists,  and  gnashing  teeth. 


COMMITTED    TO   WESEL   PRISON         37 

The  escort  wavered  and  was  all  but  overwhelmed. 
Although  it  quivered  ominously  before  the  mob 
assault  it  stood  its  ground.  Swinging  their  rifles  over 
their  heads  the  soldiers  lashed  out  with  the*  butt-ends. 
A  sharp  order  rang  out.  We  turned  about  and  hastily 
returned  to  the  station.  Here  the  officer  demanded  a 
double  escort,  which  was  granted,  and  we  made 
another  attempt  to  reach  the  Arresthaus. 

But  the  increased  parade  of  military  power  only 
served  to  infuriate  the  crowd  still  more.  They  surged, 
swayed,  and  pressed,  and  howled,  groaned,  and  shrieked 
as  if  bereft.  Baulked  in  their  desire  to  snatch  us  from 
the  soldiers  they  began  to  fling  missiles  of  all  descrip- 
tions. Fortunately  they  were  too  excited  to  throw 
with  pronounced  accuracy,  although  my  two  Hindoo 
companions  and  I  were  struck  several  times  with 
vegetables.  Then  a  bottle  came  singing  through  the 
air.  I  ducked,  but  it  struck  the  soldier  beside  me  full 
on  the  side  of  the  face  to  shatter  into  a  score  of  pieces. 
The  blow  was  so  terrific  as  to  cause  a  gaping  wound 
in  the  soldier's  face,  extending  from  his  temple  to  his 
chin.  The  blood  spurted  out.  The  wounded  man 
saluted,  and  requested  the  officer  to  permit  him  to 
drop  out  to  have  his  wound  dressed.  But  the  officer 
curtly  refused,  and  so  the  unfortunate  soldier  was 
compelled  to  walk,  or  rather  to  stumble,  beside  me, 
the  blood  pouring  from  his  lacerated  face. 

As  we  turned  into  the  square  immediately  facing 
the  entrance  to  the  prison  I  blanched.  The  mob 
which  had  gathered  here  was  so  dense,  and  was  lashed 
to  such  a  high  pitch  of  vicious  fury,  that  I  felt  con- 
vinced we  should  have  to  succumb  to  overwhelming 
numbers.  The  air  was  thick  with  missiles,  and  the 
soldiers  suffered  severely,  although  we  three  prisoners 
were  not  often  struck.  The  soldiers  tolerated  the 
fusi.lade  with  the  best  grace  they  could  command  for 
some  time,  but  even  their  endurance  had  its  limits, 
and  at  last  they  turned.  But  the  crowd  was  by  no 
means  daunted.  By  hook  or  by  crook  they  intended 


38  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

to  prevent  us  reaching  the  prison,  and,  they  having 
closed  behind  us,  we  were  completely  hemmed  in. 

"  Our  last  chance  !  Give  them  to  us !  English 
spies  !  Seize  them,  comrades  !  Lynch  them  !  Lynch 
them  !  "  were  the  coarse  cries  which  rang  out  without 
ceasing. 

It  was  a  thrilling  and  critical  moment.  The  mass 
of  screaming  men  and  women  was  now  so  dense  that 
we  could  not  move.  The  soldiers  could  no  longer 
even  swing  their  rifles.  The  outstretched  hands  of 
the  mob  were  snapping  and  tearing  within  an  inch  or 
two  of  my  coat.  Had  I  swayed  a  trifle  they  must 
have  grasped  me. 

A  shrill  whistle  rang  out.  The  prison  door  was 
flung  open  and  a  number  of  soldiers  came  out  at  the 
double  with  arms  lowered,  while  the  officers  were 
waving  their  swords.  The  crowd  around  the  entrance 
fell  back,  and  the  next  moment  a  passage  was  being 
cleaved  through  the  mass  of  raving  humanity.  This 
sudden  appearance  of  extra  force  created  a  diversion 
of  which  our  escort  took  advantage.  We  slipped 
through  the  gap  which  had  been  cut  in  the  crowd,  and 
the  next  moment  were  in  the  prison.  As  the  gate 
closed  with  a  resounding  bang  I  gave  a  sigh  of  relief. 
We  were  safe  from  mob  violence  whatever  other  fate 
might  be  in  store  for  us.  Personally,  although  I  passed 
through  many  exciting  experiences  subsequently,  and 
was  often  a  victim  of  Prussian  brutality,  I  regard 
that  march  from  the  station  to  the  prison  at  Wesel  as 
the  most  dangerous  few  minutes  which  I  have  ever 
encountered. 

We  were  promptly  taken  into  an  office  and  subjected 
to  another  inquisition.  The  questions  were  merely 
repetitions  of  those  I  had  already  answered  half-a- 
dozen  times  previously.  Then  I  was  submitted  to  my 
second  search.  I  was  ordered  to  throw  my  hands 
above  my  head,  a  bayonet  point  being  held  at  my 
stomach  to  enforce  the  command.  Searchers  went 
adroitly  through  my  pockets,  taking  everything  which 


COMMITTED   TO   WESEL   PRISON        39 

they  contained.  These  included  a  batch  of  letters 
which  I  had  received  just  before  starting  from  home, 
and  which  I  had  thrust  into  my  pocket  to  read  at 
leisure  during  the  journey. 

These  letters  provoked  a  considerable  amount  of 
whispering,  head-shaking,  wise  smiles,  and  significant 
noddings.  No  one  could  read  a  word  of  English — 
but  that  was  immaterial.  In  the  wisdom  of  their 
conceit  these  inquisitors  considered  the  communica- 
tions to  be  fully  incriminating,  and  the  frequent 
recurrence  of  the  word  "  Russia  "  in  the  letters  con- 
vinced them  that  my  guilt  was  now  fully  and  truly 
established  beyond  a  shadow  of  a  doubt.  The  various 
articles  were  carefully  wrapped  up  and  tied  with  blue 
ribbon.  Knowing  the  significance  of  red-tape  at  home, 
I  concluded  that  this  was  the  Prussian  analogue  of 
our  official  preference.  Afterwards,  however,  I  was 
told  that  "  blue  "  ribbon  was  employed  for  a  specific 
purpose — the  sealing  of  articles  and  goods  belonging 
to  one  arrested  on  the  charge  of  espionage.  How  far 
this  is  true  I  do  not  know,  but  I  did  observe  that  in 
every  instance  blue  ribbon  was  employed  to  secure  the 
parcels  belonging  to  spies. 

My  two  cameras  were  regarded  with  reverent  awe. 
As  they  were  being  examined  I  urged  them  to  be 
careful.  I  suggested  that  they  should  allow  me  to 
develop  the  films,  but  this  proposal  was  regarded  with 
consternation  and  emphatic  negative  head-shakings. 
The  authorities  would  see  to  that. 

Suddenly  there  was  intense  excitement.  One  of  the 
searchers  had  drawn  a  watch-like  contrivance  from 
my  waistcoat  pocket.  It  was  not  a  watch,  because  it 
had  no  dial  or  works,  but  something  which  was  quite 
foreign  to  them.  First  they  dropped  it  as  if  fearing 
it  might  explode.  Then  finding  that  the  fall  brought 
about  no  ill-effects  they  approached  it  warily,  picked 
it  up  gingerly,  and  held  it  to  their  ears.  It  did  not 
tick.  Then  they  shook  it,  banged  it  on  the  desk, 
studied  it  closely  with  a  wise,  old-owlish  look,  and  at 


40  FOUR  GERMAN   PRISONS 

last,  shaking  their  heads  quizzically,  consigned  it  to 
wrapping  paper  and  sealed  it  with  the  blue  ribbon. 

Despite  my  serious  predicament  I  could  not  refrain 
from  indulging  in  an  outburst  of  laughter  which  only 
served  to  annoy  them  still  further.  The  mystery 
was  not  a  new  type  of  infernal  machine  as  they  imagined 
but  merely  a  home-made  actinometer !  It  was 
contrived  from  an  old  cheap  watch-case,  while  the 
strange  contents  were  merely  strips  of  paper  which  had 
been  soaked  in  a  solution  of  potassium  bichromate  ! 

These  preliminaries  completed,  my  two  companions 
and  I  were  paraded  before  another  pompous  official 
who,  like  the  majority  of  his  ilk,  was  smothered  with 
decorations.  Drawing  himself  to  his  full  height  he 
lired  a  tirade  at  us  for  several  minutes  without  taking 
the  slightest  pause  for  breath.  What  it  was  all  about 
I  do  not  know.  He  spoke  so  rapidly,  and  so  in  the  style 
of  a  gramophone,  that  I  came  to  the  conclusion  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  holding  forth  in  this  strain  at  intervals 
of  every  few  minutes.  But  his  manner  was  so 
menacing  as  to  lead  me  to  apprehend  that  no  feelings 
of  affection  or  hospitality  were  to  be  extended  towards 
us. 

His  speech  completed,  he  shouted  an  order.  Soldiers 
hurried  in,  and  at  the  word  of  command  they 
commenced  to  load  their  rifles.  I  was  quite  at  a  loss 
to  understand  this  action,  but  my  heart  thumped  and 
a  queer,  indescribable  feeling  came  over  me.  I  felt 
sick  and  faint,  especially  when  I  saw  the  men,  upon 
completing  loading,  form  up  in  two  lines.  Like  a 
flash  it  dawned  upon  me  that  according  to  German 
military  form  1  had  been  found  guilty  of  the  charge 
levelled  against  me,  and  that  the  harangue  of  the 
pompous  individual  was  no  more  or  less  than  the 
promulgation  of  my  death  sentence  !  For  what  else 
could  these  men  have  loaded  their  rifles  so  ostentatiously  ? 
And  why  were  there  so  many  soldiers  ?  Their  numbers 
plainly  indicated  the  firing  party. 

My  eyes  grew  dun  with  tears  in  spite  of  myself. 


COMMITTED    TO   WESEL   PRISON         41 

Visions  of  my  wile  and  family  at  home,  waiting  and 
momentarily  expecting  "  Daddy,"  who  had  notified 
them  of  his  return,  flitted  through  my  brain.  A  lump 
rose  in  my  throat  and  for  the  first  time  I  was  within  an 
ace  of  breaking-down.  But  smothering  my  thoughts, 
I  pulled  myself  together.  Assuming  a  bravado  I  was 
far  from  feeling,  I  demanded  to  see  the  Commandant. 
To  my  surprise  the  request  was  granted.  This  function- 
ary was  seated  at  his  desk  in  a  corner  of  the  room,  and 
I  was  escorted  to  him.  Seeing  me  he  curtly  demanded 
what  I  wanted. 

"  Can  I  write  to  my  wife  ?  " 

The  officer  who  accompanied  me  explained  the 
situation,  and  although  I  did  not  understand  what 
transpired  I  caught  the  words  "  Englische  Spion  !  " 
The  Commandant  glared  at  me. 

"  Where  is  she  ?  "  he  roared. 

"  In  England  !  " 

"  England  !  "  and  the  word,  full  of  venom  and  hate, 
burst  out  like  the  cork  from  a  pop-gun.  "  Nein  ! 
Certainly  not !  It  is  impossible  !  Get  out  1  " 

Assisted  by  a  vigorous  prod  I  was  brought  alongside 
my  two  companions. 

The  soldiers  lined  up  to  march.  My  head  was 
swimming,  but  all  thoughts  of  my  own  plight  were 
dispelled  by  an  incident  which  was  as  unexpected  as 
it  was  sudden.  At  the  command  "  March  "  one  of 
the  two  Indian  students,  positive  that  he  was  now 
going  to  his  doom,  staggered.  I  caught  him  as  he 
fell.  He  dropped  limply  to  the  ground,  half-dead  with 
fright,  and  with  his  face  a  sickly  green. 

"  Are  we  going  to  be  shot  ?  Are  we  going  to  be 
shot  ?  "  he  wailed  agonisedly. 

He  clutched  the  sleeve  of  a  soldier,  who,  looking 
down  and  evidently  understanding  English,  motioned 
negatively.  Then  he  added  as  an  afterthought, 
"  Not  now  !  " 

While  his  negative  head-shake  revived  my  drooping 
spirits,  his  ^  words  afterwards  sent  them  to  zero  once 


42  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

more.  I  hardly  knew  whether  to  feel  relieved  or 
otherwise.  It  would  have  been  far  better  had  the 
soldier  curbed  his  tongue,  because  his  final  words  kept 
us  on  the  rack  of  suspense. 

We  were  hustled  out  of  the  room.  As  we  passed 
out  I  glanced  at  the  clock.  It  was  just  nine  o'clock — 
Tuesday  morning,  August  4.  I  shall  never  forget  the 
day  nor  the  hour.  Like  sheep  we  were  driven  and 
rushed  downstairs,  the  guards  assisting  our  faltering 
steps  with  sundry  rifle  prods  and  knocks.  We  tramped 
corridors,  which  seemed  to  be  interminable,  and  at 
last  came  to  a  ponderous  iron  gate.  Here  we  were 
halted,  and  the  military  guard  handed  us  over  to  the 
gaolers.  We  passed  through  the  gates,  which  closed 
with  a  soul-smashing,  reverberating  bang. 

Over  the  top  of  this  gate  I  had  noticed  one  of  those 
mottoes  to  which  the  German  is  so  partial.  I  do  not 
recall  the  actual  words,  but  I  was  told  that  it  was 
something  to  do  with  crime  and  punishment.  It 
would  have  been  far  more  appropriate  had  it  been 
inscribed  "  Main  entrance  to  Hell.  No  pass-out 
checks  !  ' '  According  to  many  accounts  which  reached 
my  ears  during  the  succeeding  few  days,  many  entered 
those  gates,  but  few  passed  out  alive.  I  can  sub- 
stantiate this  from  my  own  observations,  which  are 
duly  narrated,  while  my  experience  was  sufficient  to 
vouch  for  its  similarity  to  Hades. 

This  gate  gave  approach  to  a  long  corridor,  flanked 
on  either  side  by  cells.  This  corridor  is  facetiously 
nick-named  by  the  prisoners  as  "  Avenue  of  the 
Damned,"  because  it  is  in  these  cells  that  the  tenants 
await  their  doom.  I  was  separated  from  my  two 
companions,  who  were  already  being  treated  more 
leniently  than  myself,  the  case  against  them  being 
obviously  very  thin,  and  was  brought  to  a  stop  before 
cell  "  No.  n." 

The  massive  door  swung  open,  and  accompanied  by 
four  soldiers  I  entered.  The  door  closed,  there  was  a 
grating  in  the  lock,  and  we  were  alone.  Even  now  I 


COMMITTED    TO   WESEL   PRISON         43 

could  not  keep  back  a  smile.  Although  I  had  been 
thrust  into  the  cell,  together  with  four  armed  soldiers, 
and  the  door  had  been  bolted  and  barred,  I  turned  at 
the  sound  of  a  slight  click.  The  head  gaoler,  who  had 
ushered  us  in  and  had  locked  the  door  upon  us, 
according  to  the  regulations  of  the  prison,  had 
opened  the  peep-hole  to  satisfy  himself  that  I  was 
safely  inside ! 


CHAPTER    III 

HOW   GERMANY   DRIVES   HER   PRISONERS  MAD 

THE  soldiers  had  accompanied  me  into  the  cell  to 
complete  the  preliminaries  which  comprised  the  final 
search.  This  involved  my  transition  to  a  state  of 
nature.  My  frock  coat  was  removed  and  all  pockets 
further  examined.  The  seams  and  lining  were  closely 
investigated  while  even  the  buttons  were  probed  to 
make  certain  they  concealed  nothing  of  a  dangerous 
nature.  In  a  few  minutes  they  discovered  my  silent 
companion,  the  tiny  camera,  which  I  had  deftly 
removed  from  its  secret  hiding-place  to  a  tail  pocket 
in  my  coat,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  have  it  found  in  its 
hiding-place,  which  would  have  been  far  more  incrimin- 
ating. I  had  done  this  while  coming  down  the  steps 
to  the  cells.  Also  I  had  extracted  the  exposed  film 
and  had  placed  this  in  a  spot  where  it  was  absolutely 
safe  from  discovery. 

When  the  soldiers  alighted  upon  the  instrument 
they  were  sorely  puzzled.  All  my  pockets  had  been 
turned  inside  out  in  the  room  upstairs  and  now  this 
camera  had  been  brought  to  light.  They  shook  their 
heads  completely  baffled,  and  looked  at  me  meaningly. 
But  my  face  was  inscrutable. 

Every  garment  was  subjected  to  a  rigorous  search. 
Yet  beyond  the  camera  they  found  nothing.  Certainly 
no  papers  were  brought  to  light.  There  was  no  mis- 
taking their  bitter  disappointment  ;  this  was  plainly 
written  upon  their  faces.  My  watch  was  prized  open, 
and  the  works  were  turned  out,  while  a  photograph 
of  my  wife  and  children  was  torn  from  the  back  case 
to  make  certain  there  was  nothing  concealed  behind 

44 


GERMANY   DRIVES    PRISONERS   MAD    45 

it.  My  shirt  was  turned  over  and  over  and  held  up 
to  the  light  to  be  examined  inch  by  inch  for  any  traces 
of  secret  writing.  But  all  to  no  purpose.  From  their 
mortification  and  behaviour  I  surmised  that  they  had 
been  promised  a  monetary  reward  if  they  succeeded 
in  finding  anything  in  writing.  And  now  they  were 
destined  to  go  empty-handed.  Thereupon,  after  laying 
their  heads  together  for  a  few  seconds,  they  drew 
pencil  and  paper  from  their  pockets  and  commenced 
writing. 

I  was  suspicious  of  this  action.  To  me  it  was 
palpable  that,  animated  by  the  lure  of  money  and  foiled 
in  their  efforts,  they  were  prepared  to  go  the  length 
of  concocting  evidence  against  me.  At  least  I  thought 
so,  and  summarily  frustrated  their  action.  I  went 
to  them  and  by  the  aid  of  signs  demonstrated  that  I 
wanted  the  paper  torn  up,  or  I  would  ring  the  emer- 
gency bell  and  summon  the  head  gaoler  to  explain 
matters.  They  apparently  did  not  relish  my  threat, 
because  they  instantly  tore  the  paper  to  shreds. 

By  the  time  their  search  was  completed  I  was  stripped 
to  the  skin.  But  I  was  not  permitted  to  re-dress. 
Evidently  they  concluded  that  I  might  have  pockets 
in  my  epidermis  because  they  went  over  me,  inch  by 
inch,  resorting  to  actions  which  were  wholly  unnecessary 
and  which  were  revolting,  degrading,  and  demoralising 
to  the  last  degree — such  actions  as  one  would  hardly 
expect  even  from  the  lowest  animals.  During  the 
process  they  joked  and  gibed  freely  at  my  expense. 

Although  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  I  controlled 
my  feelings,  my  blood  soon  began  to  boil,  rapidly 
rising  to  fever  heat,  when  they  descended  to  familiari- 
ties and  personalities  which  flesh  and  blood  could  not 
stand.  I  suffered  their  indignities  as  long  as  I  could. 
Then  unable  to  contain  my  rage  any  longer  I  threw 
myself  at  the  leader  of  the  party,  pitching  into  him 
with  all  the  strength  I  could  command.  I  pommelled 
him  unmercifully  with  my  fists  and  he  began  to  howl 
somewhat  vociferously.  His  comrades  were  too  sur- 


46  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

prised  at  my  unexpected  rebellion  to  extend  assistance, 
until  at  last  their  dull  wits  took  in  the  situation. 
I  caught  a  glimpse  of  one  of  the  soldiers  grasping  his 
rifle.  I  saw  it  flash  in  the  air — I  remembered  no  more. 

When  I  awoke  I  was  lying  stark  naked  upon  the 
floor  of  my  cell.  My  head  was  racking  and  throbbing 
like  a  hammer.  Raising  my  hand  to  my  forehead  I 
sharply  withdrew  it.  It  was  quite  wet,  and  as  I  looked 
more  closely,  I  saw  that  it  was  blood.  I  felt  again 
and  found  my  face  clotted  and  my  hair  reeking  wet 
from  a  ragged  wound  on  the  head.  Evidently  the 
soldier  whose  rifle  I  had  seen  swinging  through  the 
air,  had  brought  it  down  heavily  upon  my  skull, 
felling  me  like  an  ox.  How  long  I  had  lain  unconscious 
I  never  knew,  but  it  must  have  been  for  some  time, 
judging  from  the  quantity  of  blood  I  had  lost,  which 
was  partially  congealed  on  my  face,  neck  and  shoulders. 
I  shivered  with  the  cold  and  collecting  my  senses 
I  commenced  to  dress  my  wound.  For  bandages  I 
had  to  tear  my  shirt  to  ribbons.  I  swabbed  the  ragged 
wound  as  well  as  I  could,  and  then  bound  it  up.  Weary 
and  faint  from  loss  of  blood  I  dressed  myself  with 
extreme  difficulty  and  then  proceeded  to  examine  my 
present  abode. 

We  are  familiar  with  the  cramped  quarters  at  the 
Tower  of  London  into  which  our  mediaeval  sovereigns 
were  wont  to  thrust  our  ancestors  who  fell  foul  of 
authority.  Wesel  Prison  is  the  German  counterpart 
of  our  famous  quondam  fortress-prison.  The  cells 
are  little,  if  any,  larger  than  those  in  the  Tower,  and 
are  used  to  this  day.  My  residence  measured  about 
nine  feet  in  length  by  about  four  and  a  half  feet  in 
width,  and  was  approximately  ten  feet  in  height — 
about  the  size  of  the  entrance  hall  in  an  average  small 
suburban  residence.  High  up  in  the  wall  was  a  window 
some  two  feet  square.  But  it  admitted  little  or  no 
daylight.  It  was  heavily  barred,  while  outside 
was  a  sloping  hood  which  descended  to  a  point  well 
below  the  sill,  so  that  all  the  light  which  penetrated 


GERMANY   DRIVES    PRISONERS    MAD    47 

into  the  cell  was  reflected  from  below  against  the  black 
interior  of  the  hood.  In  addition  there  was  a  glazed 
window,  filthy  dirty,  while  even  the  slight  volume  of 
light  which  it  permitted  to  pass  was  obstructed 
further  by  small-mesh  wire  netting.  Consequently 
the  interior  was  wrapped  in  a  dismal  gloom  throughout 
the  greater  part  of  the  day,  through  which  one  could 
scarcely  discern  the  floor  when  standing  upright. 
After  daylight  waned  the  cell  was  enveloped  in  Cim- 
merian blackness  until  daybreak,  no  lights  being 
permitted. 

The  bed  comprised  three  rough  wooden  planks,  void 
of  all  covering  and  mattress,  and  raised  a  few  inches 
above  the  floor.  The  other  appointments  were  ex- 
ceedingly meagre,  consisting  of  a  small  jug  and  basin 
as  well  as  a  small  sanitary  pan.  High  on  the  wall  was 
a  broken  shelf.  That  was  all.  The  wall  itself  was 
about  two  feet  in  thickness  and  wrought  of  masonry. 

The  walls  themselves  were  covered  with  inscriptions 
written  and  scratched  by  those  who  had  been  doomed 
to  this  depressing  domicile.  Some  of  the  drawings 
were  beautifully  executed,  but  the  majority  of  the 
inscriptions  testified,  far  more  eloquently  than  words 
can  describe,  to  the  utter  depravity  of  many  of  those 
who  had  preceded  me,  and  who  had  passed  their  last 
span  of  life  on  this  earth  within  these  confines. 

A  few  minutes  sufficed  to  take  in  these  general 
features.  Then  my  attention  was  riveted  upon  the 
floor,  and  this  told  a  silent,  poignant  story  which  it 
would  be  difficult  to  parallel.  The  promenade  was 
less  than  nine  feet — in  fact,  it  was  only  two  full  paces 
— and  barely  twelve  inches  in  width.  Consequently 
the  occupant,  as  he  paced  to  and  fro,  trod  always  upon 
the  same  spots.  And  the  patterings  of  the  feet  in 
that  short  walk  had  worn  the  board  into  hollows  at 
the  treads.  I  felt  those  hollows  with  my  hands,  traced 
their  formation,  and  despite  my  unhappy  plight 
could  not  refrain  from  musing  upon  the  stories  which 
those  hollows  could  relate — stories  of  abandoned  hope, 


48  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

frenzy,  madness,  resignation,  suppressed  fury,  and 
pathetic  awaiting  of  the  doom  which  could  not  be 
averted. 

Those  hollows  exercised  an  irresistible  fascination 
for  me,  and  when  I  started  to  walk  they  drew  my  feet 
as  certainly  as  the  magnet  attracts  the  iron  filings. 
I  would  strive  to  avoid  the  hollows  and  for  a  few  seconds 
would  succeed,  but  within  a  short  time  my  feet  fell 
into  them.  Later  I  learned  from  one  of  my  wardens 
that  the  pacings  of  the  criminals  condemned  to  this 
and  the  other  cells  is  so  persistent  and  ceaseless  as 
to  demand  the  renewal  of  the  boards  at  frequent 
intervals. 

In  the  United  States  the  third  degree  has  attained  a 
revolting  ill-fame.  But  the  American  third  degree 
must  be  paradise  in  comparison  with  what  can  only  be 
described  as  its  equivalent  in  Germany.  The  Teuton 
method  is  far  more  effective  and  brutal.  The  man  is 
not  badgered,  coaxed,  and  threatened  in  the  hope  of 
extorting  a  signed  confession,  but  he  is  condemned 
to  loneliness,  silence  and  solitude  amid  a  gloom  which 
can  be  felt,  and  which  within  a  short  time  eats  into 
your  very  soul.  Add  to  this  complete  deprivation  of 
exercise  and  insufficient  un-nourishing,  food,  and  one  can 
gather  some  faint  idea  of  the  effect  which  is  wrought 
upon  the  human  body.  The  German  idea  is  to  wear 
down  a  man  physically  as  well  as  mentally,  until  at 
last  he  is  brought  to  the  verge  of  insanity  and  collapse. 
By  breaking  the  bodily  strength  and  undermining  the 
mind  he  is  reduced  to  such  a  deplorable  condition  as 
to  render  him  as  pliable  as  putty  in  the  hands  of  his 
accusers.  He  is  rendered  absolutely  incapable  of 
defending  himself.  He  fails  to  realise  what  is  said 
against  him  or  the  significance  of  his  own  words. 

His  brain  is  the  first  to  succumb  to  the  strain,  utter 
loneliness  speedily  conducing  to  this  result,  aggravated 
by  a  sensation  which  is  produced  by  walking  the  cell, 
and  which  I  will  describe  later.  Consequently  he 
invariably  achieves  with  his  own  mouth  what  his 


GERMANY   DRIVES    PRISONERS   MAD    49 

persecutors  desire — his  own  condemnation.  To  make 
their  devilry  complete  German  justice  resorts  to  a 
final  phase  which  seals  the  fate  of  the  poor  wretch 
irrevocably,  as  I  will  narrate. 

I  had  been  deprived  of  every  belonging.  I  was  denied 
paper,  pencil  and  reading  material.  Solitary  confine- 
ment in  Germany  is  carried  out  in  strict  accordance 
with  the  interpretation  of  the  term.  One  is  left  alone 
with  one's  thoughts.  At  intervals  of  ten  minutes  the 
gaoler  opens  the  peep-hole  and  peers  within.  Conse- 
quently you  are  under  constant  surveillance,  and  this 
contributes  towards  the  unhinging  of  the  mind  Night 
and  day,  without  a  break,  the  peep-hole  opens  with 
•  mechanical  regularity.  Not  only  is  all  mental  exercise 
denied  but  physical  exercise  as  well.  All  that  one  can 
do  towards  stretching  one's  limbs  is  to  pace  the  tiny 
cell.  The  method  is  typically  Prussian,  and  is  com- 
plete in  its  Prussian  thoroughness  and  devilishness. 

I  sat  down  upon  my  bed  with  my  bleeding,  aching 
head  in  my  hands,  an  object  of  abject  misery.  Not 
a  sound  beyond  the  clanging  of  doors  was  to  be  heard, 
punctuated  at  frequent  intervals  by  the  dull  thud 
of  blows,  as  some  hapless  wretch  was  being  clubbed, 
the  shrieks  and  howls  of  prisoners,  and  the  groans  of 
those  on  the  verge  of  insanity.  It  was  just  as  if  all 
the  demons  of  the  Nether  Regions  were  at  work 
worrying  and  harrying  their  victims.  While  rocking 
myself  to  and  fro  I  heard  the  turning  of  the  key.  The 
gaoler  entered  with  a  bowl  containing  some  evil-looking 
and  worse  smelling  soup.  I  ventured  to  speak,  but 
he  merely  glowered  threateningly  and  departed  without 
uttering  a  sound.  The  dinner  was  revolting,  but 
recognising  that  I  was  considered  to  be  a  criminal, 
and  as  such  was  condemned  to  prison  fare  I  ventured 
to  taste  the  nauseous  skilly.  I  took  one  mouthful. 
My  nose  rebelled  at  the  smell  and  my  stomach  rose 
into  my  throat  at  the  taste.  One  sip  was  more  than 
adequate,  so  I  pushed  the  basin  to  one  side.  I  threw 
myself  upon  the  plank  bed.  Ten  minutes  later  the 


50  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

peep-hole  opened.  I  took  no  notice  but  started  when 
a  gruff  voice  roared  "  Get  up  !  " 

I  ignored  the  command.  The  door  opened  and  the 
guard  came  in.  He  gave  me  a  savage  prod  with  his 
rifle.  I  sat  up. 

"  Get  up  !     Pace  !  "  he  roared. 

I  relapsed  on  to  my  bed  without  a  murmur  only  to 
receive  a  resounding  clout  which  set  my  head  throbbing 
once  more  with  accentuated  intensity. 

"  Get  up  !     Pace  !  "  came  the  roar  again. 

The  guard  pointed  to  the  floor. 

I  saw  what  was  expected  of  me.  I  was  to  walk  to 
and  fro  up  and  down  the  cell.  I  was  not  to  be  allowed 
to  sit  down.  Wearily  I  got  up  and  started  to  "  pace  !  " 
One — two — steps  forward  :  one — two — steps  back  ! 
Only  that  and  no  more.  The  guard  watched  me  for 
a  few  seconds  and  then  went  out. 

I  continued  to  do  his  bidding  for  a  short  while,  but 
walking  two  paces,  then  swinging  round  on  the  heels, 
taking  two  more  strides,  turning  round  again,  to  make 
another  two  steps,  soon  brought  on  violent  giddiness. 
But  that  doesn't  matter  to  the  German.  Within  a  few 
minutes  I  felt  as  if  I  had  been  spun  round  like  a  top 
and  stumbled  rather  than  paced.  But  to  stumble 
was  to  court  disaster  because  my  ankles  came  into 
violent  contact  with  the  plank  bed.  Again  I  had  to 
keep  my  thoughts  centred  upon  the  pacing.  To  allow 
them  to  stray  was  to  essay  a  third  step  inadvertently 
which  brought  my  face  into  violent  collision  with  the 
wall.  More  than  once  I  made  my  nose  bleed  copiously 
from  this  cause. 

Within  a  few  minutes  my  brain  was  whirling  madly, 
my  head  throbbed  from  my  wound,  while  my  face 
was  bruised  from  colliding  with  the  wall.  I  was  so 
giddy  that  I  could  not  stand  erect,  while  my  eyes  burned 
and  ached  as  if  they  had  been  seared  with  a  red-hot 
iron.  I  fell  upon  the  plank  bed,  but  open  flew  the 
peep-hole  and  again  rang  out  the  ominous  growl, 
"  Pace  I  " 


GERMANY   DRIVES    PRISONERS   MAD    51 

And  this  is  what  I  was  condemned  to  do  hour  after 
hour  through  the  livelong  day.  The  only  respite 
comes  when  meals  are  brought  in  and  during  the  night, 
when  the  prisoner  is  left  alone.  But  throughout  the 
day,  from  6.30  in  the  morning  to  about  7  at  night 
one  must  pursue  the  eternal  round — two  paces  for- 
ward, right  about,  two  paces  back,  right  about,  and 
so  on.  The  punishment  cannot  be  escaped  ;  it  is  not 
suspended  for  illness  until  collapse  comes  to  the  relief 
of  the  hapless  wretch.  It  is  a  refinement  of  cruelty 
which  probably  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  country. 
Little  wonder  that  the  continued  dizziness  and  lack 
of  ability  to  stretch  the  limbs  bring  about  a  complete 
nervous  prostration  and  reduce  the  strongest  man  to 
a  physical  wreck  within  a  very  short  time.  And 
if  the  hapless  prisoner  declines  to  answer  the 
stern  command  "  Pace ! "  then  bayonet  prodding, 
clubbing  and  head-cuffing  are  brought  into  action  as 
a  stimulant. 

Ages  seemed  to  have  passed  before  the  door  opened 
again,  although  as  a  matter  of  fact,  there  is  only  about 
4|  hours  between  the  mid-day  and  the  afternoon  meals. 
I  lost  all  account  of  time,  even  during  the  first  day  of 
my  incarceration.  An  hour's  pacing  seemed  like  weeks. 
This  time  the  gaoler  brought  me  another  basin  con- 
taining a  greenish  liquid,  very  much  like  the  water  in 
which  cabbages  are  cooked,  accompanied  by  a  hunk 
of  black  bread. 

The  method  of  serving  the  meals  is  distinctly  German. 
The  gaoler  opens  the  door.  He  places  the  food  on  the 
ground  at  the  entrance  and  pushes  it  along  the  floor 
into  the  cell  as  if  the  inmate  were  a  leper.  I  tasted 
this  repast,  but  it  was  even  more  noisome  than  the 
dinner,  so  I  placed  it  beside  the  bowl  which  I  had  first 
received,  and  which  with  its  spoon  was  left  with  me. 
Even  if  one  could  have  swallowed  it  I  should  not  have 
received  a  very  sustaining  meal,  seeing  that  it  had  to 
suffice  until  5.30  the  next  morning — 13  hours  without 
food.  Moreover  the  food  is  served  out  sparingly.  It  is 


52  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

not  designed  to  nourish  the  frame,  but  is  just  sufficient 
to  keep  it  going  though  with  depreciating  strength. 

Daylight  waned  to  give  way  to  the  blackness  of  night 
and  in  my  cell  I  could  not  see  my  hand  before  my 
face.  Yet  darkness  was  not  an  unmitigated  evil.  It 
did  bring  relief  from  the  enforced  pacing  for  which 
I  was  devoutly  thankful.  Although  torn  with  hunger  I 
was  so  exhausted  as  to  jump  at  the  opportunity  to  lie 
down.  But  the  planks  were  hard,  and  being  somewhat 
slender  in  build  my  thighs  speedily  became  sore.  My 
brain  from  the  fiendish  exercise  refused  to  stop  spinning. 
I  was  like  a  drunken  man  and  to  lie  down  was  to  provoke 
a  feeling  of  nausea  which  was  worse  than  pacing. 
Then  as  the  night  wore  on  I  began  to  shiver  with  the 
cold  because  I  was  denied  any  covering.  How  I  passed 
the  first  night  I  cannot  recall,  but  I  am  certain  that  a 
greater  part  of  the  time  passed  in  delirium,  and  I  almost 
cried  with  delight  when  I  saw  the  first  rays  of  the  break- 
ing day  filter  through  the  window.  'They  at  least 
did  modify  the  terrible  darkness. 

At  5.30  in  the  morning  along  came  the  gaoler.  The 
cell  was  opened  and  a  broom  was  thrust  into  my  hands. 
To  me  that  domestic  utensil  was  as  a  new  toy  to  a  child. 
I  grasped  it  with  delight :  it  at  least  would  give  me  some 
occupation.  I  set  to  sweeping  the  cell  furiously.  I 
could  have  enjoyed  the  company  of  that  broom  for  hours, 
but  a  prisoner  is  only  allowed  two  minutes  to  sweep  his 
cell.  Then  the  broom  was  snatched  out  of  my  hands 
and  to  the  droning  of  "  Pace  !  "  which  rang  out  con- 
tinually like  the  tolling  of  a  funeral  bell,  I  knew  the 
next  day  had  begun. 

I  fell  back  on  to  my  bed  almost  broken  at  heart  at 
being  deprived  of  the  humble  broom.  But  by  now  the 
significance  of  German  solitary  confinement  had  been 
brought  home  to  me  fully.  I  would  not  be  broken. 
I  would  ward  off  the  terrible  results  at  all  hazards. 
So  when  the  gaoler  came  with  my  breakfast  he  found 
me  in  high  spirits — assumed  for  the  occasion  I  may  say. 
When  he  pushed  in  the  basin  of  skilly  I  picked  it  up 


GERMANY   DRIVES   PRISONERS   MAD    53 

and  set  it  beside  the  others.  Pointing  to  the  row  of 
untouched  food  I  turned  to  him  cynically  and  remarked, 
"  Don't  you  think  you're  making  too  much  fuss  of 
me?" 

"  Ach  !  "  he  growled  in  reply. 

"  If  you  persist  in  going  on  like  this  I  shall  think  I 
am  in  a  nursing  home !  " 

"  Ach  !  "  he  retorted  sharply,  "  If  you  think  you  are 
in  a  nursing  home  you'll  soon  change  your  mind," 
saying  which  he  slammed  the  door  with  extra  vigour. 

The  only  interlude  to  the  daily  round  is  shortly 
after  sweeping  cells.  The  doors  are  thrown  open  and 
each  prisoner,  armed  with  his  water  jug  and  sanitary 
pan,  forms  up  in  line  in  the  corridor.  They  are  spaced 
two  paces  apart  and  this  distance  must  be  rigorously 
maintained.  If  you  vary  it  a  fraction  a  smart  rap 
over  the  head  with  the  rifle  brings  you  back  again 
to  the  correct  position.  The  German  warders  never 
attempt  to  correct  by  words.  The  rifle  is  a  handy 
weapon  and  a  smart  knock  therewith  is  always  forceful. 
Consequently,  if  you  are  dull  of  comprehension,  your 
body  speedily  assumes  a  zebra  appearance  with  its 
patches  of  black  and  blue. 

We  were  marched  off  to  a  huge  yard  flanked  by  a 
towering  wall  studded  with  hundreds  of  heavily  barred 
windows — cells.  Only  those  resident  in  the  "  Avenue 
of  the  Damned  "  experience  this  limited  latitude,  the 
ordinary  prisoners  being  extended  the  privilege  of 
ordinary  exercise.  Not  a  word  must  be  spoken  ;  to 
do  so  is  to  invite  a  crash  over  the  head,  insensibility 
being  an  effective  protection  against  communication 
between  prisoners. 

Reaching  the  yard  we  were  lined  up,  still  two  paces 
apart  and  under  the  hawk-eyes  of  the  guard.  Then  the 
first  man  from  one  end  advanced  to  the  pump,  alongside 
which  stood  two  soldiers  with  fixed  bayonets  with  which 
the  man  was  prodded  if  he  evinced  signs  of  lingering 
or  dwelling  unduly  over  his  work.  The  duty  involved 
cleaning  out  the  sanitary  pan,  in  which  by  the  way 


54  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

dependence  had  to  be  placed  upon  the  hands  alone, 
no  mop  or  cloth  being  allowed.  Then  the  jug  had  to  be 
refilled  from  the  pump,  which  was  a  crazy  old  appliance 
worked  by  hand.  I  may  say  that  so  far  as  we  prisoners 
residing  in  the  ill-famed  avenue  were  concerned  we 
had  to  depend  upon  water  entirely  for  washing  purposes 
— soap  was  an  unheard-of  luxury — while  a  towel  was 
unknown.  Under  these  circumstances  it  was  impos- 
sible to  keep  clean.  Shaving  was  another  pleasure 
which  we  were  denied,  and  I  may  say  that  the  prisoners 
residing  in  the  salubrious  neighbourhood  of  the  con- 
demned cells  had  the  most  unkempt  and  ragged  appear- 
ance it  is  possible  to  conceive.  When  the  man  had 
finished  his  task  he  marched  to  the  opposite  end  of  the 
line,  his  place  being  immediately  taken  by  the  next 
man,  and  so  on  until  the  work  was  completed,  which 
usually  involved  about  ten  minutes. 

Although  intercourse  was  rendered  impossible  by 
the  vigilance  and  number  of  the  guards  yet  I  was  able 
to  take  stock  of  my  neighbours.  We  were  a  small 
but  cosmopolitan  family,  the  French  predominating. 
For  some  inscrutable  reason  the  Germans  appear  to  have 
been  unusually  successful  in  their  haul  of  French  spies, 
although  doubtless  the  great  majority  were  as  innocent 
of  the  charge  of  espionage  as  I  was.  Yet  we  were  a 
motley  throng  and  I  do  not  think  any  self-respecting 
tramps  would  have  chummed  up  with  us.  Many  of 
my  fellow  prisoners  bore  unmistakable  evidences  of 
premature  old  age — the  fruits  of  solitary  confinement, 
lack  of  exercise,  and  insufficient  food.  Others  seemed 
half-witted  and  dazed  as  a  result  of  the  brutal  treat- 
ment which  they  had  received.  Some  were  so  weak 
that  they  could  scarcely  manipulate  the  crazy  pump. 
Many  were  garbed  only  in  trousers,  being  void  of  boots, 
socks,  shirts  and  vest.  Unkempt  beards  concealed 
thin,  worn  and  haggard  faces  studded  with  red  bloodshot 
eyes. 

While  I  was  waiting  in  the  line  my  attention  was 
arrested  by  one  man,  who  formed  a  member  of  our 


GERMANY   DRIVES    PRISONERS   MAD    55 

party.  He  was  a  German,  but  he  did  not  appear  as 
if  he  had  been  guilty  of  any  heinous  crime — at  least 
not  one  of  sufficient  calibre  to  bring  him  into  our  Avenue. 
He  was  well  built,  of  attractive  personality,  and  was 
well  dressed  in  a  blue  suit  complete  with  clean  collar, 
tie  and  other  details. 

Who  was  he  ?  What  was  he  doing  with  us  ?  Was 
he  a  spy  ?  My  curiosity  was  thoroughly  aroused. 
I  became  interested  in  him,  and  strange  to  say  the 
sentiment  was  mutual  because  he  could  not  take  his 
eyes  from  me.  I  keenly  wanted  to  speak  to  him  but 
this  was  frankly  out  of  the  question.  Yet  we  seemed 
to  be  drawing  together. 

I  did  not  attempt  to  speak  but  contrived  by  sundry 
movements  and  shuffling  on  one  pretext  or  another 
to  get  closer  to  him.  Then  I  resorted  to  subterfuge. 
Standing  with  my  hands  in  front  of  me  I  began  to 
twiddle  my  fingers  rapidly.  The  action  appeared  to 
be  natural  and  did  not  arouse  the  slightest  suspicion. 
Within  the  limitations  available  I  was  forming  some 
of  the  letters  of  the  deaf  and  dumb  alphabet  with  which 
I  am  fully  acquainted  and  dexterous.  Did  he  under- 
stand the  language  ?  I  watched  him  closely.  Presently 
I  saw  his  fingers  begin  to  move  with  apparent  equal 
aimlessness.  I  watched  intently.  He  was  answering 
me  and  to  my  joy  I  discovered  that  he  understood 
English. 

Our  fingers  were  now  working  briskly  and  we  carried 
on  a  brief  monosyllabic  conversation  while  the  other 
prisoners  were  completing  their  work.  From  him  I 
learned  that  I  was  certainly  in  great  danger.  But  he 
urged  me  to  cheer  up.  Then  he  asked  me  the  number 
of  my  cell,  which  I  gave.  He  replied  that  he  was 
directly  opposite  me,  and  he  told  me  to  look  out  for  him 
whenever  I  got  a  chance,  which,  needless  to  say,  under 
the  stringency  of  my  life,  was  not  likely  to  be  often. 
He  had  such  a  frank  open  face  that  I  felt  as  if  I  could 
trust  him,  although  I  had  come  to  regard  every  German, 
no  matter  how  apparently  innocent  his  conversation 


56  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

might  be,  with  the  gravest  suspicion.  But  a  quaint, 
quiet,  suppressed  smile  which  he  gave  restored  my 
confidence  completely. 

The  hours  dragged  along  as  during  the  previous  day. 
It  was  wearying  and  exhausting.  I  refused  all  my 
food  and  was  making  an  imposing  collection  of  bowls 
of  foodstuff.  None  was  taken  away.  The  gaoler 
merely  observed  that  I  had  not  touched  anything, 
but  he  made  no  comment.  When  night  fell  I  essayed 
to  lie  down,  but  this  was  impossible.  The  sores  on 
my  projecting  thigh  bones  had  broken  into  large  wounds 
which  were  now  bleeding  and  suppurating  and  were 
so  painful  as  to  render  lying  down  impossible.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  more  than  two  months  passed  before 
those  wounds  healed  and  the  scars  are  still  visible. 

I  was  lying  as  best  I  could  upon  my  bed  vainly 
striving  to  woo  sleep.  It  was  about  midnight.  The 
key  grated  in  the  lock  and  a  young  officer  entered. 
He  was  gruff  of  manner,  but  according  to  the  German 
standard  was  not  unkind.  I  found  that  his  manner 
was  merely  a  mask  to  dissipate  any  suspicion  among 
others  who  might  be  prowling  round,  such  is  the 
distrust  of  one  German  of  another.  After  he  had  shut 
the  door  his  manner  changed  completely  and  he  was 
disposed  to  be  affable.  But  I  resented  his  intrusion. 
Had  he  come  to  fathom  me  ?  Was  he  an  emissary 
seeking  to  induce  me  to  commit  myself  inadvertently  ? 
Frankly  I  thought  so.  He  spoke  softly  and  his  voice 
was  intentionally  kind,  while  he  spoke  English 
perfectly. 

"I  would  like  to  help  you,"  he  began, 

"  Would  you  ?  "  I  retorted  cynically. 

"  Yes,  I  am  very  fond  of  the  English.  I  have  lived 
in  London  several  years  and  have  many  friends  over 
there." 

"  Well,  it's  a  thousand  pities  we  don't  serve  some 
of  your  blighted  countrymen  the  same  as  they  are 
serving  me,"  I  shot  back. 

"  Yes,  I  know.    I  am  very  sorry  for  you.    But  it  is 


GERMANY   DRIVES   PRISONERS   MAD    57 

our  way.  Now  I,  myself,  don't  think  you  are  a  spy. 
I  think  your  story  is  honest  and  straightforward." 

"  Then  why  in  the  name  of  Heaven  don't  they  treat 
me  so  until  they  have  tried  me  ?  " 

"  Ah !  That  is  the  English  way.  Here,  in  Germany, 
a  man  is  guilty  until  he  is  found  innocent  I  " 

"  Oh  !  So  that's  your  much- vaunted  German  '  Kul- 
tur/  is  it  ?  "  I  laughed  sarcastically. 

Seeing  that  I  was  a  bit  over-wrought  he  sought 
to  pacify  me. 

"  Would  you  like  a  cigarette  ?  " 

At  the  thought  of  a  smoke  I  nearly  jumped  for  joy. 
There  was  nothing  for  which  I  had  been  yearning  so 
much  as  the  solace  of  a  cigarette.  I  took  one  from  his 
proffered  case. 

"  H'sh  !  I  cannot  stay  any  longer  now.  The  guard 
might  get  suspicious.  But  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  you. 
I  will  come  to  see  you  every  night  at  this  time.  I  will 
make  you  as  comfortable  as  I  can  as  a  return  for  the 
many  courtesies  and  kindnesses  I  received  while 
in  London.  Now  light  up  and  jump  up  to  the  ventila- 
tor to  puff  the  smoke  out.  If  they  smell  tobacco  in 
the  cell  you  will  get  into  serious  trouble." 

He  bade  me  good-night  and  the  next  instant  I  was 
at  the  window  to  enjoy  the  only  peaceful  few  minutes  of 
pleasure  which  had  come  my  way  since  my  arrest. 
My  smoke  completed  I  settled  down  to  sleep  with  addi- 
tional comfort. 

At  2.30  in  the  morning  I  was  once  more  awakened. 
The  door  flew  open  and  in  rushed  my  friend  the  young 
officer.  He  was  terribly  agitated.  He  grasped  both 
my  hands  and  I  felt  that  he  was  trembling  like  a  leaf. 
His  voice  was  so  broken  that  he  could  scarcely  speak. 

"  Good  God  !  Do  you  know  what  has  happened  ? 
Great  Britain  has  declared  war  on  Germany  !  "  Like 
a  child  he  burst  out  crying.  As  for  myself  I  knew  hardly 
what  to  think.  I  had  been  hoping  against  hope  that 
the  circumstance  of  our  still  keeping  friendly  relations 
would  facilitate  my  speedy  release.  This  hope  was 


58  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

fairly  blasted  now,  and  I  was  certain  to  meet  with  far 
shorter  shrift  and  harsher  treatment  than  had  already 
been  meted  out  to  me.  I  may  say  that  this  was  the 
first  intelligence  I  had  received  about  the  outbreak 
of  war  with  Great  Britain. 

Stifling  his  emotion  the  officer  went  on. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  it  has  happened.  I  shall  not  be 
able  to  see  you  again  !  " 

"  Why  ?  "' 

"  I  have  to  leave  for  the  front.  I  have  ten  minutes 
to  say  farewell  to  my  poor  old  mother."  Here  he 
broke  down  once  more.  "  My  poor  mother/'  he 
wailed.  "  It  will  kill  her.  She  does  not  know  a  soul 
in  Wesel.  We  are  utter  strangers.  I  was  summoned 
back  from  London  only  a  week  or  two  ago."  He  gave 
vent  to  another  outburst  of  sobbing. 

"  Cheer  up  !  "  I  said  soothingly,  "  you'll  see  her  when 
you  come  back  !  " 

"  Come  back  ?  "  he  echoed  bitterly.  "  No  !  I 
shall  never  come  back.  I  shall  never  see  her  again  ! 
Good-bye  !  Remember  that  I  always  thought  kindly 
of  the  English.  But  I  won't  forget  you  before  I  go  !  " 

His  fatalistic  resignation  somewhat  moved  me. 
He  was  inwardly  convinced  that  he  was  going  to  his 
death.  But  I  appreciated  his  sparing  a  little  of  his 
bare  ten  minutes  to  give  me  a  parting  visit.  I  also 
thank  him  for  remembering  me  as  he  had  promised. 
Shortly  after  he  had  gone  the  gaoler  came  to  my  cell 
with  a  sack  of  fresh  straw  to  serve  as  a  mattress.  The 
young  officer  had  paid  him  to  extend  me  this  slight 
privilege.  To  me  it  was  like  a  Heaven-sent  blessing, 
because  it  enabled  me  to  seek  a  little  repose  without 
subjecting  my  bleeding  hips  to  further  damage. 

During  the  following  day,  Wednesday,  I  was  enabled 
to  snatch  a  peep  of  the  corridor  without,  owing  to  the 
gaoler  paying  me  a  visit  in  response  to  my  summons. 
To  my  utter  astonishment,  looking  across  the  corridor, 
I  saw  the  mysterious  prisoner  with  whom  I  had  been 
talking  by  aid  of  the  mute  alphabet,  lounging  at  the 


GERMANY   DRIVES    PRISONERS    MAD    59 

door  of  his  open  cell  smoking  a  cigar.  This  discovery 
startled  me,  and  I  decided  to  be  more  than  ever  on  my 
guard.  To  my  mind,  which  was  becoming  distracted, 
everyone  appeared  to  be  spying  upon  my  actions. 
The  mysterious  prisoner  looked  across  the  corridor  and 
saw  me.  Instantly  his  fingers  commenced  to  move 
rapidly.  I  was  talking  to  the  gaoler,  but  was  looking 
beyond  him  at  the  prisoner  opposite,  greedily  taking 
in  the  signs.  I  almost  jumped  as  I  read  off  the  letters. 
"  Be  alert !  Something  is  going  to  happen  !  " 


CHAPTER    IV 

MY  SECRET  MIDNIGHT  TRIAL 

IT  was  Wednesday  evening.  I  should  judge  the  hour 
was  about  eight,  although  to  me  it  appeared  to  be 
nearer  midnight.  I  was  lying  upon  my  planks  thinking 
and  wondering  what  the  end  of  it  would  be.  My  head 
was  whirling  with  giddiness  from  the  eternal  pacing, 
and  from  the  wound  which  I  had  received,  while  I  was 
faint  from  hunger,  having  eaten  nothing  since  the 
lunch  on  the  train  on  Monday,  save  for  the  two  small 
rolls  upon  Wesel  station.  I  had  not  refused  the  prison 
fare  from  feelings  of  obstinacy,  but  simply  because  my 
stomach  revolted  at  it.  The  untouched  basins  were 
still  standing  beside  me  in  a  row,  the  one  which  had 
been  served  first  now  commencing  to  emit  distinct 
signs  of  its  staleness. 

The  door  opened,  but  I  ignored  it.  In  fact  I  was 
in  a  semi-comatose  condition. 

"  Rouse  !     Get  up  !  "  growled  the  head  gaoler. 

I  struggled  to  a  sitting  posture  and  looked  up. 
Standing  beside  me  was  a  military  ofhcei.  I  could 
not  repress  a  start.  But  the  absence  of  arrogance 
somewhat  reassured  me,  and  I  struggled  to  my  feet. 

"  Herr  Mahoney,"  he  commenced,  "  a  serious  view 
has  been  taken  of  your  case.  However,  as  you  have 
money  the  authorities  are  prepared  to  give  you  every 
chance  to  prove  your  innocence.  You  can  have 
counsel  if  you  choose.  I  can  arrange  it  at  once  !  " 

I  reflected  for  a  moment.  The  crisis  had  been 
reached  at  last,  and  the  moment  for  which  I  had  been 
longing  for  bracing  myself  up  to  meet  the  supreme 
ordeal  had  arrived.  I  decided  to  maintain  a  stiff  upper 

60 


MY   SECRET   MIDNIGHT   TRIAL          61 

lip.  Yet,  in  all  fairness  I  must  admit  that  the 
authorities  were  treating  me  justly.  Here  was  I,  an 
absolute  stranger  in  their  country,  ignorant  of  the 
language  beyond  a  few  colloquialisms,  and  in  the  most 
dangerous  situation  in  which  a  man  could  possibly 
find  himself. 

Yet  I  did  not  regard  the  offer  favoura*bly.  I  feared 
that  it  was  a  move  to  trap  me  decisively.  I  should 
be  at  the  mercy  of  counsel.  This  was  the  thought  which 
harassed  me.  However,  subsequently,  I  discovered 
that  throughout  that  Wednesday  the  trials  of  other 
spies  had  been  held,  and  that  in  no  other  instance,  so 
far  as  I  could  ascertain,  had  the  privilege  of  represen- 
tation by  counsel  been  extended.  But  I  swiftly  made 
up  my  mind  as  to  my  course  of  action. 

"  Thank  you  for  the  offer/1  I  retorted  at  last,  "  but 
I  prefer  to  undertake  my  own  defence.  Besides  I  am 
absolutely  innocent  and  it  will  not  be  a  difficult  matter 
for  me  to  convince  the  Court." 

"  As  you  will,"  and  the  officer  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

He  went  to  the  door,  and  at  his  command  four 
soldiers  came  up  with  loaded  rifles.  They  closed 
around  me,  their  bayonets  levelled,  to  run  me  through 
should  I  make  an  attempt  to  escape.  We  marched 
out  of  the  cell.  Up,  up,  up,  we  went,  the  steps  appear- 
ing to  be  interminable.  I  walked  as  if  in  a  dream, 
and  being  faint  and  weary  I  moved  somewhat  slowly. 
But,  strange  to  say,  my  escort  did  not  hurry  me.  I 
was  certainly  shown  every  consideration  upon  this 
occasion.  During  the  procession  I  was  thinking  hard 
and  swiftly,  and  with  a  superhuman  effort  pulled 
myself  together  for  the  coming  fight  for  life. 

We  entered  a  spacious,  well-lighted  room.  At  the 
opposite  end  was  a  long  table  set  transversely,  around 
three  sides  of  which  were  seated  a  number  of  military 
dignitaries.  That  they  were  of  considerable  eminence 
was  evident  from  their  prodigal  array  of  decorations. 
They  glanced  at  me  as  I  entered,  but  instantly  resumed 
their  low  conversation  and  perusal  of  documents  and 


62  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

other  material  connected  with  my  case.  It  did  not 
require  a  second  thought  to  realise  the  importance  of 
this  court-martial,  but  I  felt  somewhat  perturbed  at 
one  circumstance. 

My  trial  was  to  be  held  in  secret. 

I  was  made  to  take  up  a  position  some  distance 
from  the  table  and  immediately  opposite  the  central 
figure  who  was  acting  as  chairman  and  inquisitor- 
in-chief.  The  soldiers  formed  a  semi-circle  around 
me,  the  only  open  space  being  immediately  before 
me. 

At  this  date  I  often  reflect  upon  the  strange  and 
sorry  sight  I  must  have  presented.  I  was  dressed  in  a 
frock  coat  which  was  sadly  soiled,  a  white  waistcoat 
extremely  dirty  and  blood-stained,  and  trousers  sadly 
frayed  at  the  bottom  where  the  searchers  had  ripped 
off  the  turn-ups.  I  was  without  a  shirt,  having  torn 
this  up  to  bandage  my  head,  which  even  now  was 
swathed  in  a  dirty,  blood-stained  dressing,  while  the 
buttons  had  become  detached  from  my  under- vest 
so  that  the  soiled  ends  flapped  over  my  waistcoat. 
My  face  was  none  too  clean,  being  besmirched  with 
smudges,  since  I  had  been  denied  the  luxuries  of  soap 
and  towel,  and  it  was  covered  with  a  stubbly  growth. 
Altogether  I  must  have  been  the  most  sorry-looking, 
if  not  revolting  specimen  of  a  spy  ever  arraigned  before 
that  immaculate  Tribunal. 

It  is  useless  to  relate  the  trial  in  extenso  because  there 
were  so  many  details  which  were  completely  void  of 
interest  except  to  me  and  my  judges.  Although  every 
word,  passage,  and  scene  is  burned  into  my  brain  I 
have  only  committed  the  most  important  episodes  to 
paper.  The  proceedings  opened  with  the  chairman 
holding  forth  in  monotone  German.  Seeing  that  I 
took  no  notice  of  his  tirade  he  paused.  We  were  soon 
to  come  to  grips.  He  fired  at  me  in  English  : 

"  You  understand  German  ?  " 

"  No  !  " 

"  Well,  we  think  you  do  !  " 


MY    SECRET   MIDNIGHT   TRIAL          63 

"  You  are  at  liberty  to  think  what  you  like,  but  the 
fact  remains  that  I  don't !  " 

Seeing  that  I  was  not  to  be  over-awed  by  his  arrogance 
or  to  be  brow-beaten  he  modified  his  attitude.  This 
spirited  bout  sobered  the  tribunal,  and  the  trial  pro- 
ceeded more  smoothly,  except  for  a  few  outbursts 
now  and  again  which  were  sharp  and  pointed  while 
they  lasted. 

"  Well,  we  will  provide  you  with  an  interpreter," 
he  continued  in  a  more  placid  tone,  "  but  we  still 
hold  the  opinion  that  you  can  speak  and  understand 
German  !  " 

There  was  delay  for  a  few  minutes.  Then  the  door 
opened  and  a  second  later  my  interpreter  stood  beside 
me.  How  it  was  I  did  not  jump  into  the  air  I  do  not 
know,  because  the  man  summoned  to  assist  me  was 
none  other  than  the  mysterious  prisoner  with  whom 
I  had  been  talking  in  the  mute  alphabet. 

This  denouement  almost  unnerved  me.  I  was  now 
more  positive  than  ever  that  he  had  been  deputed  to 
spy  upon  me  in  prison.  I  looked  at  him  askance, 
but  received  not  the  slightest  sign  of  recognition.  I 
had  refused  to  entrust  my  cause  to  counsel  and  now  I 
was  placed  in  the  hands  of  an  interpreter  who,  if  he 
so  desired,  could  wreak  much  more  damage  by  twisting 
the  translations  from  English  to  suit  his  own  ends. 

As  events  proved,  however,  I  could  not  have  been 
in  better  hands.  He  was  highly  intelligent,  and  he 
interpreted  my  statements  with  a  fluency  and  accuracy 
which  were  astonishing.  Only  now  and  again  did  he 
stumble  and  hesitate.  This  was  when  he  was  presented 
with  an  unfamiliar  expression  or  idiomatic  sentence. 

As  the  trial  proceeded  I  gained  an  interesting  side- 
light upon  German  methods  and  the  mutual  distrust 
which  exists.  Ostensibly,  and  so  I  was  led  to  believe, 
none  of  the  Tribunal  spoke  English  with  any  fluency, 
but  when,  on  one  occasion,  my  interpreter  was  floored 
by  a  particularly  difficult  colloquialism  which  I  uttered, 
the  Clerk  of  the  Court  came  to  his  aid,  and  in  a  moment 


64  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

turned  the  sentence  properly  to  convey  my  exact 
meaning.  This  revelation  placed  me  on  my  guard 
more  than  ever,  because  it  was  brought  home  to  me 
very  convincingly  that  if  my  interpreter  tended  to 
lean  unduly  towards  me,  he  himself  would  be  in  serious 
jeopardy.  Later,  during  the  trial,  I  discovered  that 
the  Clerk  spoke  and  understood  English  as  well  as  I 
^id.  It  was  a  telling  illustration  of  the  German 
practice  of  spying  upon  one  another. 

The  first  part  of  the  trial  was  taken  up  with  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  numerous  questions  I  had  already  answered 
times  out  of  number,  accompanied  by  a  more  searching 
cross-examination.  As  the  trial  proceeded  I  saw  that 
the  authorities  had  collected  every  vestige  of  evidence 
from  every  official  who  had  questioned  me  and  with 
whom  I  had  held  any  conversation. 

There  was  one  exciting  moment.  An  officer, 
evidently  of  high  rank,  entered  the  room.  He  looked 
at  me  in  a  manner  which  I  resented.  With  a  sneering 
grin  he  enquired, 

"  Englander  ?  Ha  !  Ha  !  Spion  ?  What  are 
you  doing  here  ?  " 

"  I  have  come  at  the  pressing  invitation  of  four 
gentlemen  with  four  points  !  "  I  suavely  replied. 

This  sly  allusion  to  the  four  soldiers  with  their 
bayonets  lashed  the  interrupting  officer  to  fury.  The 
whole  court  indulged  in  a  wild  and  loud  conversation. 
The  chairman  waved  his  arm  wildly.  Before  I  grasped 
what  had  happened  the  soldiers  closed  round  me,  I 
was  roughly  turned  round,  and  to  the  accompaniment 
of  liberal  buffeting  was  hustled  down  the  steps  to  my 
cell. 
I  A  few  minutes  later  my  interpreter  came  to  me. 

"  Listen  to  me,  English  friend.  You  must  not 
annoy  the  Court.  I  am  trying  to  do  all  I  can  for  you. 
I  do  not  think  you  guilty.  But  if  you  are — what  do 

you  call   it — h'm "   and  he  snapped  his  fingers 

perplexedly. 
"  Sarcastic  ?  "  I  ventured. 


MY   SECRET   MIDNIGHT   TRIAL          65 

"  Yes  !  That's  it.  If  you  are  sarcastic  you  make 
my  work  very  hard  !  " 

"  But  that  officer  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  Court, 
had  he  ?  Why  did  he  interfere  with  a  gratuitous 
insult  ?  " 

"  Ah !  I  see.  You  don't  understand.  They  will 
do  that.  But  you  must  remember  the  uniform  !  " 

Further  conversation  was  prevented  by  the 
reappearance  of  the  soldiers.  I  was  to  be  taken  back  to 
the  Court.  I  decided  to  take  my  interpreter's  advice, 
and  although  I  was  frequently  roused  intentionally, 
I  bit  my  lip  at  thef  insults  and  choked  down  sharp 
retorts. 

"  Do  you  realise  the  nature  of  the  charge  and  the 
gravity  of  your  position  ?  "  asked  the  chairman,  after 
proceedings  had  been  resumed.  There  was  no  trace 
of  resentment  at  the  recent  incident  in  his  voice. 

"  I  do  perfectly." 

"  Then  do  you  not  think  it  somewhat  strange  that  a 
man  like  you  should  be  travelling  to  Berlin,  on  the  way 
to  Warsaw,  on  the  very  day  when  war  was  declared 
against  Russia  ?  Is  it  not  strange  also  that  you 
should  be  here  after  Great  Britain  has  declared  war  ?  " 

"  When  I  set  out  for  Berlin  war  had  not  been  declared 
between  Germany  and  Russia.  On  Monday  when  I  was 
arrested  war  had  not  been  declared  against  Germany 
by  Great  Britain.  I  was  arrested  on  the  flimsiest 
pretext  and  upon  the  word  of  a  deliberately  lying 
youth  before  war  had  been  declared  with  my  country  !  " 

"  Ah  !  we  shall  see.  You  do  not  think  it  strange 
to  be  travelling  through  Germany  at  such  a  perilous 
time  with  so  much  photographic  apparatus  ?  " 

"  No  !     I  was  not  using  it !  " 

"  So  you  took  no  photographs  in  Germany  ?  " 

"  No  !  "  And  the  lie  flew  out  in  spite  of  myself. 
But  I  felt  perfectly  secure  because  I  knew  exactly 
where  the  film,  which  I  had  exposed,  was.  It  was 
beyond  their  reach  ! 

"  Then  what  is  this  ?  "     And  to  my  surprise  he  held 


66  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

up  somewhat  triumphantly  the  length  of  photographic 
film  from  the  camera  with  which  I  had  taken  the  two 
farewell  pictures  of  my  family. 

Up  to  this  point  I  had  successfully  maintained  a 
stiff  upper  lip  and  perfect  composure.  Rut  at  the 
sight  of  the  film  carrying  the  parting  pictures,  my 
thoughts  flew  to  home  and  its  associations.  I  broke 
down. 

The  court  was  jubilant.  My  spontaneous  outburst 
of  weakness  at  memories  of  home  was  misconstrued 
into  a  recognition  of  the  fact  that  I  had  been 
trapped. 

Amid  a  'silence  which  was  soul-burning  and  which 
caused  my  voice,  quivering  at  first  but  rapidly  regaining 
strength  and  its  natural  ring,  to  echo  strangely  through 
the  room,  I  narrated  the  history  of  that  film.  As  I 
had  expected  it  provoked  a  fearful  wrangle.  The 
fight  was  sharp  and  hot  while  it  lasted,  but  I  thanked 
my  lucky  stars  that  I  was  not  only  well  skilled  in  the 
technics  of  photography  but  the  chemistry  side  as 
well.  The  film  in  question  was  sufficient  for  six 
exposures.  Three  had  been  made.  In  addition  to  the 
two  pictures  of  my  family's  farewell  which  corresponded 
to  exposures  two  and  three  there  was  another  picture, 
of  archaeological  interest,  concerning  a  Sussex  church, 
which  was  exposure  number  one.  The  rest  of  the 
film,  which  would  have  corresponded  to  pictures 
4,  5  and  6,  had  never  been  exposed. 

The  film  which  was  held  up  had  been  developed  by 
order  of  the  court.  The  unexposed  portion  had  been 
passed  through  the  development  processes,  and  I 
experienced  a  thrill  of  joy.  I  saw  that  I  was  now  on 
solid  ground. 

"  How  did  you  expose  this  film  ?  " 

"  In  the  usual  way.  The  church  was  taken  first, 
followed  by  the  two  pictures  of  my  family.  The  rest 
of  the  film  has  never  been  exposed." 

"  That  is  what  you  say.  But  the  Court  thinks 
differently.  Listen,  the  two  pictures  of  your  family 


MY   SECRET   MIDNIGHT   TRIAL          67 

were  taken  first  and  this  of  the  church  last — possibly, 
indeed  probably,  in  Germany  ?  " 

"  It  was  not.  No  photographer,  even  the  tyro, 
would  pass  half  a  film  through  his  camera  before 
making  an  exposure." 

For  ten  minutes  we  fought  tooth  and  nail  over  the 
way  in  which  that  film  had  been  passed  through  the 
camera.  Then,  seeing  that  they  could  not  shake  my 
evidence,  and  doubtless  impressed  by  my  vehemence, 
they  turned  round  completely  to  return  to  the  attack. 

"Well,  granted,  as  you  say,  that  the  church  was 
taken  first,  the  second  half  of  the  film  was  exposed  in 
Germany.  But  you,  seeing  the  danger  of  your  position 
upon  arrest,  contrived  to  ruin  these  last  three  pictures 
before  the  camera  was  taken  away  from  you/'  snapped 
the  Chairman. 

In  spite  of  myself  I  laughed. 

'  The  second  half  of  the  film  has  never  been  exposed 
at  all,"  I  rejoined. 

"  How  can  you  prove  that  ?  " 

"  Very  easily.  If  I  had  ruined  it  by  exposing  it 
to  the  light  as  you  suggest,  the  film  upon  development 
would  have  come  out  black  !  But  it  is  quite  transparent ! ' ' 
I  replied  in  triumph. 

My  retort  floored  the  Court.  We  were  dipping  into 
matters  about  which  they  were  completely  ignorant. 
There  was  a  hurried  whispering  and  then  the  Chair- 
man commented : 

"  We'll  soon  prove  that  you  are  wrong  !  " 

Proceedings  were  suspended.  A  clerk  left  the  room 
to  return  a  little  later  with  a  civilian  who  proved  to 
be  a  photographer  in  Wesel. 

The  problem  was  presented  to  him,  but  I  saw  at  once 
that  he  knew  nothing  whatever  about  the  chemistry 
of  photography.  He  was  turned  over  to  me  for  cross- 
examination,  and  within  three  minutes' I  had  so  pul- 
verised his  statements  that  he  was  quite  bewildered, 
and  he  left  the  Tribunal  with  his  photographic  reputa- 
tion sadly  Chattered. 


68  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

Another  witness  was  summoned,  the  Court  being 
determined  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  the  problem  which 
had  been  raised.  They  certainly  recognised  the 
significance  of  my  contention.  This  time  it  was  a  mili- 
tary officer.  He  was  examined  by  the  Court,  and  then 
I  was  given  the  liberty  to  cross-examine.  My  very 
first  question  was  adequate  to  satisfy  myself  that  he 
knew  even  less  about  the  subject  than  the  previous 
witness.  But  he  was  nervously  anxious  not  to  betray 
his  ignorance.  He  had  been  called  in  as  an  expert 
and  fervently  desired  to  maintain  this  reputation.  He 
did  so  by  acquiescing  in  every  statement  which  I  put 
to  him  concerning  the  action  of  light  upon  nitrate  of 
silver. 

"  Now,"  I  asked  emphatically,  when  I  had  com- 
pletely caught  him,  "  under  these  circumstances,  and 
according  to  what  you  have  been  explaining  to  the 
court,  the  second  half  of  this  film  which  is  transparent 
has  never  been  exposed  ?  " 

"  It  has  not." 

His  negative  was  so  emphatic  as  to  convince  the 
Court.  I  had  scored  the  crucial  point  and  felt,  now 
<my  supreme  difficulty  had  been  subjugated  so  conclu- 
sively, that  all  was  plain  sailing.  It  was  only  too  evident 
that  everything  had  turned  upon  that  short  length  of 
unexposed  film,  and  I  felt  devoutly  thankful  to  Provi- 
dence that  the  light  had  not  accidentally  penetrated 
to  the  sensitised^  surf  ace.  Had  the  unexposed  section 
been  black  my  fate  would  have  been  irrevocably 
sealed. 

Now  I  was  asked  to  present  my  defence. 

"  Can  you  give  us  a  complete  and  detailed  narrative 
of  your  journey,  say  from  the  time  you  left  Brighton 
by  the  5.10  p.m.  train,  on  Saturday,  August  i,  up  to 
your  arrest?11 

I  nodded  affirmatively. 

"  Well,  go  ahead  !  " 

Forthwith  I  launched  out.  I  am  naturally  a  rapid 
speaker  and  although  my  interpreter  was  confronted 


MY   SECRET   MIDNIGHT   TRIAL          69 

with  a  gigantic  task,  he  performed  his  work  magnifi- 
cently. Only  once  or  twice  did  he  falter  for  a  moment 
or  two.  But  I  was  never  interrupted  nor  asked  to 
repeat  a  statement,  so  that  the  thread  of  my  story 
remained  unbroken.  For  two  hours  and  a  half  I 
spoke  and  I  think  the  readiness  and  clearness  with 
which  I  proceeded  must  have  impressed  the  Court. 
As  I  warmed  to  the  subject  my  head  grew  clearer  and 
clearer.  I  knew  I  was  fighting  for  my  life,  but  the  whole 
of  the  episodes  and  scenes  during  the  critical  fifty  odd 
hours  passed  through  my  mind  as  if  delineated  upon 
a  continuous  cinematograph  ribbon  of  film. 

Midnight  had  passed  before  I  had  finished.  The 
clerks  of  the  Court  had  been  steadily  writing  during 
the  whole  period,  and  I  knew  that  every  word  I  had 
uttered  had  been  faithfully  recorded.  The  Tribunal 
gave  a  sigh  of  relief  as  I  intimated  that  I  had  nothing 
more  to  say.  I  was  returned  to  my  cell,  accompanied 
by  my  interpreter,  whom  I  thanked  for  his  assistance 
which  I  could  never  repay.  The  Court  might  decide  what 
it  liked.  I  had  put  up  a  stiff  fight  and  could  do  no  more. 
I  thought  I  was  to  be  left  alone  for  the  night.  I  was 
sorely  in  need  of  rest,  and  the  nervous  tension  under 
which  I  had  been  labouring  now  began  to  reveal  itself. 
The  reaction  commenced  to  set  in.  But  there  was  no 
rest  for  me  yet.  Hardly  had  I  sat  down  upon  my  plank 
bed  before  I  was  re-summoned.  By  this  time  I  was  so 
weak  that  I  could  hardly  stand.  The  perspiration 
was  pouring  out  all  over  my  body.  Indeed,  I  had  to 
be  assisted  up  the  stairs. 

To  my  utter  surprise,  when  I  entered  the  court, 
I  found  the  record  of  my  defence  completed.  There 
it  was  in  a  pile  of  neatly  inscribed  sheets,  numbered, 
and  secured  together.  The  Chairman  pushed  the 
depositions  before  me. 

"  Sign  here/'  and  he  indicated  the  foot  of  the  last 
page. 

I  picked  up  the  papers.  They  were  in  German. 
I  returned  them  unsigned  to  the  table. 


70  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

"  I  decline  1"  I  replied  emphatically  . 

"  But  you  must  1  " 

"  Well,  I  shall  not.  I  don't  understand  German. 
I  don't  know  what  it's  about  I  " 

"  It's  your  defence  1  " 

"  So  it  may  be,  but  I  have  only  your  word  for  that. 
I  decline  to  sign  anything  I  do  not  understand.  It 
may.be  my  death  warrant  1  " 

"  If  you  don't  sign  I  can  tell  you  that  we  have 
means  of  making  you  do  so,"  he  continued  somewhat 
menacingly. 

"  I  don't  care.  You  can  do  as  you  like,  but  I  am 
not  going  to  sign  those  papers." 

My  determination  provoked  another  animated  dis- 
cussion. Finally  another  pile  was  pushed  towards 
me,  I  could  not  curb  a  start.  It  was  my  defence 
written  throughout  in  English,  and  had  undoubtedly 
been  written  simultaneously  with  the  German  version. 
I  eyed  the  Clerk  of  the  Court  narrowly  and  he  returned 
the  gaze  just  as  keenly. 

I  ran  through  the  depositions.  They  were  perfect. 
Picking  up  the  pen  I  signed  my  name  without  hesita- 
tion. The  signature  was  inspected,  and  then  the  original 
German  papers  were  once  more  presented  with  the 
invitation  to  sign.  Again,  I  refused. 

"  But,"  expostulated  the  Chairman,  "  this  is  a 
literal  German  translation  from  the  English  which  you 
have  signed  !  " 

"So  it  may  be,  but  the  fact  remains  that  1  don't 
understand  German,"  I  retorted. 

Another  storm  burst,  but  the  Tribunal  saw  that  it 
was  impossible  to  shake  my  resolution.  There  was 
another  brief  discussion.  Then  the  Chairman  turned  to 
one  of  his  colleagues,  and  in  a  despairing  voice  asked, 
"  Can  you  suggest  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty  ?  " 

'  Yes  !  "  1  interrupted.  "  Give  the  interpreter 
the  German  and  me  the  English  copy.  Let  him 
translate  from  the  German  and  I  will  compare  with 
the  English  version." 


MY   SECRET   MIDNIGHT   TRIAL          71 

The  offer  was  accepted,  but  now  another  hitch 
arose.  The  interpreter  said  he  did  not  think  he  could 
read  oft  the  translation  from  the  German  right  away — 
at  least,  it  would  take  time. 

The  Court  was  in  a  quandary.  Seeing  that  this 
unexpected  obstacle  was  likely  to  prejudice  my  posi- 
tion I  grabbed  the  English  text  and  thrust  the  German 
copy  into  my  interpreter's  hands.  Telling  him  to 
go  ahead  I  remarked  that  we  could  make  something 
out  of  it.  We  wrestled  with  the  translation,  although 
it  was  a  slow  and  tedious  operation,  but  at  last  we 
finished  the  task.  The  German  depositions  being 
quite  in  order,  and  fairly  translated  I  signed  the  papers 
without  further  ado. 

Now  I  thought  the  ordeal  was  over,  but  it  was  not. 
Picking  up  my  signed  depositions  the  Chairman  pro- 
ceeded to  re-examine  me  on  my  defence.  He  started 
from  the  moment  I  arrived  at  Flushing  and  traced  my 
movements,  minute  by  minute,  to  Berlin,  followed  what 
I  did  in  the  capital  between  1.30  a.m.  the  hour  of  my 
arrival  and  1.13  p.m.  the  time  of  my  departure.  The 
manner  in  which  my  movements  had  been  dogged 
was  astonishing  and  I  recalled  the  individual  whom  I 
had  noticed  shadowing  me  in  the  city.  I  saw  at  once 
that  everything  turned  upon  the  instant  nature  of 
my  answers,  so  I  replied  to  every  question  without  the 
slightest  hesitation  and  to  such  effect  that  I  never 
once  contradicted  myself. 

Only  one  interval,  and  that  of  ten  minutes  in  Berlin, 
threatened  to  engulf  me.  I  could  scarcely  nil  up 
this  gap.  It  happened  to  be  one  of  those  idle  intervals 
which  one  can  never  explain  away  very  readily  or 
satisfactorily.  We  disputed  this  ten  minutes  vigor- 
ously for  about  half  an  hour,  and  by  the  time  we  had 
finished  I  do  not  think  there  was  a  single  second  for 
which  an  account  had  not  been  rendered.  My  inter- 
view with  the  Consul  also  precipitated  a  storm,  especi- 
ally as  by  this  time  I  was  becoming  bored  and  felt 
dead-tired.  Every  question,  however,  sufficed  to 


72  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

prove  that  I  was  firmly  considered  to  be  a  spy,  and  a 
dangerous  one  at  that.  But  even  the  re-examination 
came  to  a  close  at  last, 

Now  my  heart  nearly  jumped  out  of  my  body.  The 
chairman,  picking  up  the  papers  which  had  been  taken 
from  my  pocket,  withdrew  a  little  book.  It  was  my 
diary,  which  was  full  of  notes.  The  moment  I  saw  its 
familiar  cover  I  cursed  the  inspiration  which  had 
prompted  me  to  keep  a  diary.  I  knew  what  it  contained 
and  I  knew  the  cryptic  notes  therein  would  bring 
about  further  explosions  and  protestations.  I  was 
not  disappointed.  Opening  the  little  book  the  Chair- 
man enquired  innocently  : 

"What  do  you  mean  by  things  being  "lively"  in 
Berlin  ?  " 

"It  is  a  British  expression,"  I  retorted,  my  brain 
working  rapidly  to  advance  a  conclusive  reply  as  I 
recalled  the  phrase  which  I  had  jotted  down.  "  We 
term  things  '  lively  '  when  say,  as  in  my  case,  one  is 
first  thrown  out  of  a  cab  by  an  officer  and  shortly  after- 
wards is  flung  out  of  a  restaurant !  " 

"  Rather  an  unusual  phrase  to  use  when  one  recalls 
the  political  situation  wlu'ch  prevailed  in  the  capital 
last  Sunday,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"  Possibly  from  the  German  point  of  view,  in  the 
light  of  events." 

'  Then  you  had  an  enlightening  chat  with  an  officer  ? 
What  was  it  all  about  ?     How  did  you  open  conversa- 
tion with  him  ?  " 

"  In  the  usual  British  manner.  We  just  chatted 
about  things  in  general." 

"  Especially  of  the  war  between  Germany  and  Eng- 
land ?  " 

"  No  !     Because  we  were  not  at  war  !  " 

"  But  the  officer  advised  you  to  return  home  1 
Why  ?  " 

"  Because  I  could  not  get  through  to  Warsaw  1  " 

Other  incidents  of  a  spirited  character  raged  about 
other  phrases  in  the  little  book,  but  I  was  on  the  alert. 


MY   SECRET   MIDNIGHT   TRIAL          73 

The  Chairman  evidently  considered  me  to  be  a  match 
for  him  in  these  wrangles  because  he  speedily  put  the 
diary  down. 

During  the  proceedings  the  Chairman  made  one 
frantic  endeavour  to  trap  me,  and  to  prove  that  I  was 
more  fully  conversant  with  the  language,  as  he  confi- 
dently believed,  than  I  felt  disposed  to  concede.  Some- 
thing was  being  read  over  to  me  by  the  Clerk  upon 
which  my  thoughts  were  concentrated.  Suddenly 
the  Chairman  roared  out  a  terrifying  word  in  the  ver- 
nacular. I  never  moved  a  hair.  I  behaved  just  as 
if  the  Chairman  had  merely  sneezed.  My  imperturb- 
ability appeared  to  convince  him  that  I  really  did  not 
understand  German,  because  no  further  reference  was 
made  to  the  fact.  Subsequently  my  interpreter  told 
me  that  it  was  fortunate  I  did  not  understand  German 
or  I  would  certainly  have  retorted  to  the  Chairman's 
sudden  interjection.  I  should  not  have  been  human 
had  I  not  done  so.  He  refused  to  tell  me  what  the 
word  was  or  what  it  meant,  so  I  was  never  a  whit  the 
wiser. 

At  last  I  was  told  the  proceedings  with  reference  to 
myself  were  closed.  I  had  been  on  the  rack  for  several 
hours,  and  when  the  gate  of  my  cell  clicked  upon  me  for 
the  last  time  that  eventful  evening  the  morning  hours 
were  well  advanced.  As  my  interpreter  left  me  to  go 
to  his  cell  I  enquired  wearily,  though  with  a  trace  of 
anxiety. 

"  When  shall  I  know  the  result  ?  " 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Perhaps  to-morrow.    Who  knows  ?  " 

Personally  I  felt  confident  that  a  speedy  release  would 
be  granted.  It  seemed  to  me  impossible  to  convict 
upon  the  evidence.  But  I  was  ignorant  of  German 
ways  and  military  court  procedure.  I  was  destined  to 
receive  a  greater  surprise  than  any  which  had  yet 
befallen  me. 


CHAPTER   V 

WAITING  TO   BE   SHOT 

I  SHALL  never  forget  the  night  of  Wednesday,  August 
5th.  After  the  excitement  of  my  trial  which  had  left  me 
well  nigh  exhausted,  I  threw  myself  upon  my  wooden 
plank  bed  to  recuperate  with  a  well-earned  rest.  But 
I  had  just  made  myself  comfortable  when  a  terrible 
uproar  broke  out.  The  prison  trembled  and  I  half  feared 
that  it  would  tumble  about  our  ears.  The  emergency 
bells  commenced  to  clang  madly,  while  the  building 
was  torn  with  the  most  terrifying  shrieks  and  howls. 

Then  the  deafening  sounds  of  explosions  burst  on  our 
ears.  At  the  time  I  wondered  what  was  the  cause  for 
this  din,  but  the  next  morning  I  was  told  that  during 
the  night  the  French  had  made  an  aerial  raid  upon 
Wesel.  From  within  it  sounded  as  if  the  whole  Allied 
Army  were  pounding  the  building.  On  top  of  the  prison 
anti-aircraft  guns  were  mounted  and  when  they  were 
discharged,  which  was  continuously  and  rapidly,  they 
shook  the  building  violently.  Indeed  an  earthquake 
could  scarcely  have  set  up  a  more  agitated  oscillation 
of  the  fabric. 

Although  the  bells  rang  madly  they  were  not 
answered.  Every  gaoler  had  left  his  post ;  gone  no 
one  knew  whither.  The  prisoners  thought  they  had 
been  deserted.  They  were  haunted  by  the  terror  of 
the  prison  being  set  in  flames  by  the  bombardment. 
The  shrieks,  cries,  howls  and  wails  born  of  fright  made 
my  blood  chill.  Outside  one  could  hear  the  muffled 
shouts  of  officers  giving  orders,  curses,  and  rapid  firing 
by  small  arms.  The  whole  place  appeared  to  have  been 
afflicted  with  panic,  as  acute  among  the  soldiers  without 

74 


WAITING  TO   BE   SHOT  75 

as  among  the  prisoners  within.  For  about  an  hour 
pandemonium  reigned.  Even  to  me,  shut  up  as  I  was 
in  a  narrow  cell,  it  was  easy  to  appreciate  the  terrible 
and  far-reaching  undermining  effect  which  an  aerial 
raid  has  upon  the  Teuton  mind. 

Within  the  prison  next  morning  it  was  possible  to 
see  the  dire  effects  which  the  French  aviators  had 
caused.  A  few  cells  below  me  was  a  prisoner. 
When  I  saw  him  on  the  Thursday  morning  I  scarcely 
recognised  him.  As  a  result  of  that  hour  of  terror  his 
fair  had  gone  completely  white  !  Other  prisoners  were 
sadly  bruised  and  scarred  from  frantically  beating 
their  hands  and  heads  against  the  doors  of  their  cells 
in  the  desperate  endeavour  to  get  out.  One  poor 
wretch  went  raving  mad. 

Notwithstanding  the  ordeal  of  the  trial,  which  had 
deprived  me  of  my  normal  span  of  rest,  I  was  woke  up 
at  5.30  to  sweep  out  my  cell.  The  strain  of  the  pro- 
longed inquisition  of  the  previous  evening  upon  an 
enfeebled  physique  and  brain  now  commenced  to  assert 
itself  in  an  emphatic  manner.  I  had  eaten  nothing, 
not  even  a  crust  of  the  black  bread,  for  fifty-four  hours. 
Little  wonder  that  I  could  scarcely  keep  my  feet.  My 
gaoler  observed  my  condition,  but  said  nothing, 
although  he  modified  his  customary  boorish  attitude 
towards  myself. 

When  I  had  to  make  my  daily  visit  to  the  yard  to 
clean  my  utensils  and  to  re-charge  my  water- jug  I 
staggered  down  the  steps.  1  stepped  out  of  the  line 
in  my  turn  and  grasped  the  pump-handle.  But  I  was 
too  weak  to  move  it.  A  fellow-prisoner,  recognising 
my  plight,  dashed  forward  to  work  the  pump.  As  he 
did  one  of  the  guard  raised  his  rifle  to  club  the  man 
across  the  head,  but  thinking  better  of  his  action, 
dropped  his  weapon,  and  permitted  him  'to  assist  me. 

How  I  crawled  back  to  the  cell  I  can  scarcely  remem- 
ber. But  I  recall  being  spurred  forward  with  sundry 
jabs  and  prods  by  the  rifle.  Reaching  my  cell  I  sank 
down  upon  my*  bed* 


76  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

How  long  I  lay  there  it  is  impossible  to  say,  but 
presently  I  became  conscious  of  some  one  standing 
beside  me.  I  wearily  sat  up  to  see  an  officer.  Had  he 
brought  me  the  verdict  of  the  Court  ?  At  the  thought 
I  rose  to  my  feet.  But  no !  He  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  Tribunal.  He  eyed  me  closely  and  then 
turning  to  the  array  of  basins  containing  the  un- 
touched food  and  hunks  of  black  bread  he  remarked 
grimly  : 

"  Do  you  know  you  will  die  if  you  don't  eat  your 
food  ?  " 

"  I  shall  if  I  do,  so  what's  the  odds  ?  Its  smell  is 
sufficient  !  " 

"  Do  you  know  we  can  make  you  eat  it  ?  " 

"  You  try,  and  I  promise  you  that  you  will  get  it 
back  in  double  quick  time/'  I  retorted  significantly  and 
defiantly. 

"  Well,  what  would  you  like  to  eat  ?  " 

"  Like  to  eat  ?  "  I  repeated.  "  Why,  I  could  do 
with  a  six-course  dinner/'  was  my  sarcastic  rejoinder, 
feeling  confident  that  he  had  merely  asked  the  question 
to  tantalise  me.  But  seeing  that  he  really  meant  what 
he  said  I  rattled  off  a  complete  menu,  not  forgetting 
the  cup  of  black  coffee  and  an  Egyptian  cigarette. 
Feeling  that  the  officer  was  in  reality  the  prison  doctor 
I  grew  reckless  and  cynical. 

"  Well,  I'm  damned  !  "  was  his  ejaculatory  comment 
when  I  had  finished.  And  he  gave  a  loud,  long  laugh. 

My  temper  was  rising,  and  I  think  my  face  must  have 
betrayed  my  wish  to  strangle  him,  because  he  continued, 
"  You've  got  money,  and  you  can  buy  one  meal  a 
day  from  outside  if  you  like.  I'll  grant  you  your 
gluttonous  feed  to-day — except  the  cigarette — seeing 
that  you've  eaten  nothing  for  three  days.  The  cigar- 
ette is  impossible :  it  is  quite  against  the  rules  and 
regulations  of  the  prison.  But  to-morrow  you'll  have 
to  rest  content  with  a  plate  of  meat  and  vegetables." 

After  he  had  left  the  cell  I  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  he  had  been  merely  having  a  huge  joke  at  my 


WAITING   TO   BE    SHOT  77 

expense.  But  ten  minutes  later  the  gaoler  entered 
bearing  two  big  trays  upon  which  were  arrayed  the  six 
courses.  My  eyes  glittered  with  a  wolfish  greed,  but  I 
restrained  myself.  I  sat  down  to  the  meal  and  pro- 
ceeded with  it  very  leisurely,  getting  up  now  and 
again  to  pace  a  little  while  to  assist  my  weakened 
digestion.  Indeed,  by  the  time  I  had  swallowed  the 
last  morsel  the  gaoler  entered  with  my  tea.  But  that 
meal  put  new  life  into  me.  Afterwards  I  easily  sub- 
sisted upon  the  dinner  from  without ;  that  was  ade- 
quate for  the  twenty-four  hours.  I  think  I  paid  suffi- 
cient for  the  privilege  seeing  that  the  six-course  dinner 
and  three  subsequent  plates  of  meat  and  vegetables  cost 
me  twenty-six  marks. 

While  I  was  denied  all  conversation  with  any  of  the 
prisoners  I  saw  them  at  least  once  a  day.  But  if  I 
did  not  see  much  of  them  I  heard  them  frequently, 
especially  when  punishment  was  being  dealt  out. 
Then  the  corridor  would  ring  with  dull  thuds  as  blows 
by  the  rifle  were  administered,  followed  by  violent 
shrieking  and  wailing.  The  prison,  at  least  the  pre- 
cincts of  the  Avenue  of  the  Damned,  was  ruled  with  a 
rod  of  iron,  and  various  brutalities  were  practised  and 
often  upon  the  slightest  pretext.  It  is  only  necessary 
to  relate  one  revolting  episode  which  I  witnessed  with 
my  own  eyes.  On  Friday  morning,  August  7,  my  cell- 
pacing  was  rudely  interrupted  by  the  appearance  of 
the  gaoler  who  curtly  ordered  me  to  stand  outside  my 
cell  door.  I  found  that  all  the  cells — except  one — 
along  the  corridor  were  wide  open,  and  with  their 
occupants  similarly  standing  at  the  entrances.  Between 
each  two  cells  stood  a  soldier  with  his  rifle  ready  to  jab 
his  bayonet  to  right  or  left  at  an  instant's  notice. 

I  wondered  what  was  the  matter,  and  was  told  that 
we  were  to  witness  and  to  profit  from  the  punishment 
which  was  to  be  dealt  out  to  a  prisoner  who  had  broken 
one  of  the  prison  rules.  Lying  in  the  centre  of  the 
corridor  was  the  prone  groaning  form  of  a  prisoner — 
a  Frenchman,  I  believe — who  had  been  dragged  from 


78  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

the  cell  before  the  open  door  of  which  no  one  was 
standing.  He  was  terribly  weak  and  ill.  Beside  him 
stood  four  hulking,  burly  and  heavily-booted  Prus- 
sians. 

At  the  word  of  command  these  four  men  rushed 
forward  and  commenced  to  kick  the  hapless  prisoner 
for  all  they  were  worth.  The  man  shrieked,  groaned 
and  howled.  We  all  shivered  at  the  sight  and  at  his 
terrible  cries.  It  sickened  me.  But  the  brutes  never 
relented.  The  more  he  writhed  and  the  louder  he 
howled  the  harder  they  kicked,  face,  body  and  head 
receiving  the  blows  indiscriminately.  In  a  minute 
or  so  the  man  lay  still  upon  the  floor,  literally  kicked 
into  insensibility.  Whatever  any  of  the  prisoners 
around  may  have  felt  none  could  extend  assistance  or 
interfere.  Some  strove  to  shut  out  the  terrible  sight 
by  covering  their  faces  with  their  hands,  but  the 
bayonet  point  speedily  induced  them  to  look  as  com- 
manded. If  any  one  of  us  had  moved  a  step  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  poor  wretch's  aid  we  should  certainly 
have  been  run  through  without  the  slightest  com- 
punction. 

The  unconscious  prisoner  was  picked  up  and  thrown 
into  his  cell,  while  we  were  likewise  rushed  in  upon 
the  conclusion  of  the  disgusting  exhibition.  Subse- 
quently I  enquired  the  reason  for  such  a  ferocious 
outburst.  Then  I  found  that  the  prisoner,  who  was  so 
ill  that  he  really  ought  to  have  been  in  hospital,  had 
rung  his  bell,  to  summon  the  gaoler  for  permission  to 
respond  to  one  of  the  calls  of  nature,  but  that  he  had 
been  unable  to  contain  himself  until  the  dilatory  official 
arrived.  I  might  mention  that  I  had  heard  the  bell 
ringing  for  fully  ten  minutes  but  without  avail. 
Although  scrupulous  cleanliness  is  demanded  from  each 
cell  I  know  from  experience  that  the  gaolers  are  ever 
reluctant  to  reply  to  a  call  of  the  emergency  bell,  and 
think  nothing  of  causing  the  hapless  wretch  terrible 
misery.  It  serves  to  bring  home  to  the  prisoner 
that  he  is  under  confinement  and  not  in  a  hotel  to  be 


WAITING   TO   BE   SHOT  79 

waited  on  hand  and  foot.  Such  is  the  German  argu- 
ment. 

Next  morning  on  our  going  into  the  yard  the 
unfortunate  prisoner  who  had  been  punished  so 
diabolically  was  not  to  be  seen.  More  significant  still 
his  cell  was  empty,  and  the  door  was  wide  open.  I 
could  only  surmise  that  his  worldly  troubles  were  over. 
If  so  he  would  be  officially  declared  to  have  "  died  in 
prison  !  " 

Favoured  prisoners  are  granted  a  sack  of  straw  to 
serve  as  a  mattress.  I  had  been  denied  this  luxury 
but  secured  it  later  through  the  good  offices  of  the 
lieutenant  who  visited  me  on  Tuesday  night.  I  was 
lucky  enough  to  get  new  straw.  Apparently  the  sacks 
are  never  renewed  during  a  prisoner's  incarceration. 
He  merely  replenishes  his  stock  when  another  cell 
becomes  vacant,  irrespective  of  the  period  the  straw 
therein  has  been  in  use.  There  is  a  mad  rush  for  the 
empty  cell,  and  the  prisoners  fight  like  wolves  among 
themselves  for  the  possession  of  the  derelict  straw,  each 
bearing  away  triumphantly  the  smalPMole  he  has 
obtained  from  the  struggle. 

As  may  be  supposed,  under  such  conditions,  the 
straw  is  not  very  inviting.  It  soon  becomes  verminous, 
and  this  deplorable  state  of  affairs  becomes  worse  the 
longer  the  straw  is  in  use.  In  fact  it  becomes  alive 
with  lice.  In  one  instance  I  saw  a  dropped  wisp  so 
thickly  encrusted  with  the  parasites  that  it  actually 
moved  along  the  ground  under  the  united  action  of  the 
insects. 

There  is  one  inflexible  law  in  German  prisons.  Under 
no  pretence  whatever  must  one  prisoner  enter  the  cell 
of  another  while  it  is  occupied.  This  regulation  is  not 
to  prevent  conversation  or  communication  between 
prisoners,  but  is  for  reasons  which  it  is  not  necessary 
to  describe.  When  one  recalls  the  utter  depravity 
which  prevails  in  German  military  centres  the  wisdom 
of  the  ordination  is  obvious.  The  punishment  is  severe, 
the  easiest  being  a  spell  of  confinement  upon  a  black 


8o  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

bread  and  water  diet,  but  generally  and  preferably 
clubbing  into  insensibility. 

A  few  cells  above  me  was  a  prisoner  who  had  been 
incarcerated  for  fifteen  years.  Whether  the  whole  of 
this  time  had  been  spent  in  Wesel  or  not  I  could  not 
say,  but  when  I  came  face  to  face  with  him  for  the 
first  time  he  gave  me  a  severe  shock.  He  was  a  walking 
skeleton.  Every  bone  in  his  body  was  visible,  while 
his  skin  was  the  colour  of  faded  parchment.  He  looked 
more  like  an  animated  mummy  than  a  human  being. 
I  stood  beside  him  one  day  in  the  corridor,  and  a  bright 
ray  of  sunshine  happened  to  fall  across  his  face  which 
was  to  me  in  profile.  I  started.  His  face  was  so  thin 
that  the  cheek  and  jawbones  were  limned  distinctly 
against  the  light,  producing  the  effect  of  the  X-ray 
photograph,  while  the  sun  shone  clean  through  his 
cheeks.  You  could  have  read  a  paper  on  the  off  side 
of  his  face  by  the  light  which  came  through. 

This  prisoner  unnerved  me.  From  morning  to  night, 
as  he  paced  his  cell,  he  groaned  dismally  :  not  fitfully 
but  continually.  It  was  like  the  wail  of  a  dog  suffering 
excruciating  agony,  only  a  thousand  times  more  irritat- 
ing and  nerve-racking.  Even  during  the  night  he 
groaned,  apparently  in  his  sleep.  Another  day,  when 
similarly  paraded  beside  him,  I  asked  if  he  would  like  a 
piece  of  black  bread.  He  made  no  reply,  but  turned 
such  a  wolfish  look  upon  me  that  I  hastily  told  him  to 
dive  into  my  cell — No.  n.  He  watched  the  guard 
for  a  second,  and  while  all  backs  were  turned  he  was 
gone  and  back  beside  me  with  the  prize  which  he 
clutched  in  his  hand.  I  have  never  seen  such  a  rapid 
movement.  He  slid  into  the  cell  like  a  shadow  and 
as  stealthily  and  as  quickly  returned.  This  poor 
wretch  doubtless  enjoyed  this  unexpected  addition  to 
his  quantity  of  food,  since  he  was  apparently  being  given 
just  enough  to  keep  him  alive,  and  no  more.  Other- 
wise he  could  never  have  become  so  fearfully  thin. 

Once  again  I  was  to  receive  another  shock  from  my 
mysterious  prisoner  who  had  acted  as  interpreter. 


WAITING   TO    BE    SHOT  81 

On  Thursday  he  came  to  my  cell  in  the  uniform  of  a 
warder.  Consequently  I  saw  a  good  deal  of  him,  and, 
he  being  friendly,  we  had  many  brief  snatches  of 
surreptitious  conversation.  He  was  highly  intelligent, 
well-educated  and  sympathetic.  I  enquired  as  to  how 
he  happened  to  be  in  our  unsalubrious  avenue.  He 
informed  me  that  he  was  awaiting  the  Kaiser's  pardon. 
His  offence  was  not  heinous.  He  had  not  responded 
to  his  country's  call,  upon  mobilisation,  with  the 
celerity  which  the  officials  declared  he  should  have 
shown.  As  a  punishment  he  was  committed  to  the 
cells  for  three  days.  Upon  the  expiration  of  this 
sentence  he  had  been  made  under-gaoler.  His  name 

was   M ,   and  he  told  me  he  had  a  prosperous 

business  outside  Germany. 

I  was  on  the  tip-toe  of  anticipation  and  suppressed 
excitement  throughout  Thursday  and  Friday,  hoping 
for  news  concerning  the  decision  of  the  Tribunal. 
But  when  Friday  passed  without  my  receiving  any 
tidings  I  commenced  to  get  fidgety  and  anxious* 
My  feelings  were  not  assuaged  by  hearing  volleys  ring 
out  every  morning,  followed  by  a  death-like  stillness. 
These  reports  appeared  to  stifle  the  cries  and  groans 
of  the  prisoners  a  little  while.  To  me  the  sounds 
presaged  serious  news.  Apparently  there  were  several 
prisoners  condemned  for  spying,  and  each  volley,  I 
was  told,  signified  the  flight  of  one  or  more  hapless 
souls.  My  spirits  were  not  revived  by  noticing  the 
cells  on  either  side  of  me  rapidly  emptying,  while  the 
little  party  which  went  down  into  the  yard  in  the 
morning  began  to  dwindle  in  numbers  very  rapidly. 

When  the  head-gaoler  came  round  on  Friday  night 
I  decided  to  tackle  him.  The  suspense  was  becoming 
intolerable.  By  this  time  he  had  become  somewhat 
more  friendly  towards  me,  and  if  in  the  mood  would 
talk  for  a  brief  while. 

"  Were  any  other  prisoners  tried  on  Wednesday  as 
spies"?  "  I  asked  innocently. 

"  jah  !    All  day  !  " 


82  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

"  How  many  ?  " 

"  May-be  twenty-three  !  " 

"  How  many  have  been  shot  ?  " 

"  Ach  !  I  cannot  give  prisoners  news  of  that  kind. 
But  I  can  tell  you  that  there  are  three  left,  and  you  are 
one  of  them  !  " 

I  smiled  to  myself  at  the  gaoler's  rigid  observance 
of  the  letter  of  German  prison  law  to  refuse  news  to 
prisoners,  yet  giving  the  desired  information  in  an 
indirect  manner. 

"  When  shall  I  hear  the  result  of  my  trial  ?  " 

"  Trial  ?     You  have  not  been  tried  yet !  " 

"  What  ?  You  must  be  mistaken.  I  was  tried  on 
Wednesday  night !  " 

"  That  wasn't  the  trial.     That  was  the  enquiry  !  " 

"  Then  when  will  the  trial  come  off  ?  " 

"  You'll  learn  the  result  of  the  trial  soon  enough !  " 
and  he  slammed  the  door  to  prevent  further  dis- 
cussion. 

I  was  completely  flabbergasted.  I  scratched  my 
head  and  endeavoured  to  collect  my  thoughts.  Surely 
I  could  not  have  heard  aright.  Yet  the  man  must 
know  what  he  was  talking  about.  The  more  I  pondered 
the  more  perplexed  I  became.  Then  the  head-gaoler's 
stress  upon  the  word  "  result ! "  What  did  that 
portend  ?  New  fears  crept  into  my  mind.  So  when 

M ,  the  under-gaoler,  came  round  next  morning,  I 

badgered  him,  but  he  would  say  no  more  than  that  the 
trial  had  not  yet  come  off. 

I  was  completely  unnerved  and  now  commenced  to 
fear  the  worst.  If  the  ordeal  I  experienced  on  the 
Wednesday  night  was  not  the  trial,  then  what  on  earth 
was  it  ?  I  made  up  my  mind  to  find  out.  I  rang  the 
bell  wildly  and  demanded  to  see  the  Commandant. 
He  sent  down  word  to  say  he  could  not  see  me.  But 
I  was  insistent,  and  at  last,  to  avoid  further  worry,  he 
conceded  an  audience. 

As  I  entered  the  office  of  the  Commandant  I  was 
surprised  to  see  him  handling  my  little  camera.  At  my 


WAITING   TO    BE   SHOT  83 

entrance  he  slipped  it  into  his  desk.  He  looked  at 
me  curiously,  and  then  grunted, 

''  What  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  I  wish  to  know  when  my  trial  is  coming  off.  I 
thought  I  was  tried  last  Wednesday  night." 

"  No  !  That  was  the  enquiry.  We'll  let  you  know 
the  result  of  the  trial  pretty  quickly,"  and  he  grinned 
complacently,  in  which  little  pleasantry  at  my  expense 
the  officer  of  the  guard  joined  in. 

"  I  don't  want  to  know  the  result !  I  want  to  be 
there  !  " 

"  That  is  impossible.  You  gave  all  your  evidence 
before  the  enquiry  !  " 

"  Then  don't  I  appear  at  my  trial  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not  !  " 

I  was  completely  non-piussed  at  this  confirmation 
of  the  head-gaoler's  statement.  It  was  a  new  way,  to 
my  mind,  of  meting  out  justice  to  a  prisoner  to  deny 
him  the  right  to  appear  at  his  own  trial.  Truly  the 
ways  of  Teuton  jurisprudence  or  military  court  pro- 
cedure were  strange. 

"  Then  when  will  my  trial  be  held  ?  "  I  asked, 
determined  to  glean  some  definite  information. 

"  Ach  !  We  cannot  be  bothered  with  a  single  case 
whilst  mobilisation  is  going  on.  We  are  too  busy. 
You  must  wait,"  and  with  that  he  dismissed  me. 

"  But  surely  you  can  give  me  some  idea  when  it 
will  be  held,"  I  persisted. 

"  Ach  !  "  and  he  fumed  somewhat.  Seeing  that  I 
was  not  to  be  turned  away  without  satisfaction  he 
continued,  "  Your  trial  will  be  on  Monday.  Get 
out !  " 

My  reflections  upon  gaining  my  cell  may  be  imagined. 
I  could  not  resist  dwelling  upon  the  methods  of  German 
justice,  and  I  commenced  to  conjure  up  visions  of  the 
trial  from  which  I  was  to  be  absent,  and  to  speculate 
upon  the  final  result.  What  would  it  be  ?  I  saw  the 
heavy  disadvantage  under  which  I  was  labouring,  and 
as  may  be  supposed  my  thoughts  turned  to  the  blackest 


84  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

side  of  things.  I  had  another  forty-eight  hours  of 
suspense  in  solitary  confinement  to  bear. 

To  take  my  mind  off  the  subject  I  set  to  work 
sketching  an  ornate  design  upon  the  prison  wall  with 
a  safety  pin  which  I  had  picked  up  unobserved.  In 
the  perpetual  twilight  which  prevailed  during  the  day 
in  my  cell  I  drew,  or  should  it  be  engraved  ?  a  huge 
Union  Jack  intertwined  with  the  Royal  Standard, 
surmounted  by  the  crown  of  Great  Britain  and  the 
Royal  Arms.  It  occupied  considerable  time,  but  I 
took  a  quaint  delight  in  it.  It  successfully  moved  my 
thoughts  from  my  awkward  position,  although  at 
nights  I  kept  awake  for  hours  on  end  turning  over  in 
my  mind  my  chances  of  acquittal  and  condemnation, 
more  particularly  the  latter. 

On  Sunday  I  applied  for  permission  to  attend 
church,  but  after  a  long  official  discussion  the  request 
was  refused.  The  prison  had  no  facilities  for  adminis- 
tering spiritual  pabulum  to  a  British  prisoner.  This 
was  a  mere  excuse,  because  several  of  the  other  prisoners 
attended  church.  How  I  passed  that  day  it  is  difficult 
to  record.  I  paced  my  cell  in  a  frenzy  until  I  could 
pace  no  longer.  I  completed  my  design  on  the  wall, 
fumbled  with  my  fingers,  and  dozed.  But  the  hours 
seemed  to  drag  as  if  they  were  years.  By  now  I  was 
so  overwrought  that  I  declined  to  send  out  for  my 
dinner. 

Monday  was  worse  than  Sunday.  Throughout  the 
day  I  was  keyed  to  a  high  pitch  of  nervous  expectancy. 
I  could  scarcely  keep  a  limb  still.  Every  sound  made 
me  jump,  and  I  kept  my  eyes  glued  to  the  door, 
momentarily  expecting  to  gain  some  tidings  of  how  my 
trial  had  gone.  When  the  gaoler  entered  with  my  meals 
and  stolidly  declined  to  enter  into  conversation,  I 
grew  more  and  more  morose,  until  at  last  I  can  only 
compare  my  feelings  with  those  of  an  animal  trapped 
and  at  bay,  waiting  and  ready  to  land  some  final, 
fearful  blow  before  meeting  its  fate. 

Early  in  the  evening  of  the  Monday  I  was  pacing  my 


WAITING   TO   BE   SHOT  85 

cell,  a  bundle  of  twitching  nerves,  when  the  door 
opened  to  admit  an  officer.  I  almost  sprang  towards 
him.  I  was  to  learn  the  truth  at  last.  But  he  had 
not  come  from  the  Court. 

"  Do  you  feel  hungry  ?  "  he  asked,  not  unkindly. 

"  No."  I  answered  feebly,  my  heart  heavy  within 
me.  As  a  matter  of  fact  I  was  so  overwrought  with 
anxiety  that  I  failed  to  feel  the  pangs  of  hunger. 

"  Well,"  he  went  on,  "  you  can  have  what  you  like." 

Thump  went  my  heart  again.  The  verdict  had 
certainly  gone  against  me.  For  what  other  reason 
had  I  been  offered  what  I  liked  to  eat  ?  It  sounded 
ominous.  It  recalled  our  practice  in  Britain  where  a 
condemned  man  is  given  his  choice  of  viands  on  the 
morning  of  his  execution.  Most  assuredly  I  was 
going  to  be  shot  on  the  following  morning,  and  day- 
break was  not  far  distant. 

"  I  should  certainly  have  something  to  eat  if  I  were 
you,"  suggested  the  officer. 

"  Oh,  very  well,"  I  replied  resignedly,  "  I'll  have  a 
roll,  butter,  and  a  black  coffee." 

Directly  the  officer  had  gone  I  rang  the  emergency 

bell.  M ,  the  under-gaoler,  answered  it.  With  a 

tremendous  effort  I  pulled  myself  together. 

"  So  I'm  going  to  be  shot  in  the  morning,"  I  ventured, 
in  the  hope  of  drawing  some  comment. 

"  Ach  !  What  ?  Lie  down  and  keep  quiet !  "  was 
his  stolid  retort. 

"  Look  here  !  I  want  to  write  to  my  wife.  Can  you 
get  me  a  pencil  and  a  sheet  of  paper  ?  " 

"  Impossible  1  " 

"  But  I  must  write.  She  does  not  know  where  I 
am,  and  she  will  not  know  what  has  become  of  me! 


86  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 


German  military  prisons  hold  their  secrets  tightly. 

But  the  time  crept  on  and  no  guard  appeared  as  I 
had  been  dreading.  My  drooping  spirits  revived 
because  the  hour  of  the  day  when  prisoners  were 
customarily  shot  had  passed.  When  I  went  out  into 
the  yard  on  the  Tuesday  morning  I  chanced  to  meet 
the  two  Hindoos  who  had  been  arrested  with  me. 
Then  I  realised  that  they  were  two  out  of  the  three 
remaining  spies.  I  was  the  third.  They  were  in 
high  spirits.  When  the  guard  was  not  looking  they 
told  me  they  had  been  acquitted  of  the  espionage 
charge,  and  expected  soon  to  be  taken  as  far  as  the 
frontier  to  be  released. 

I  was  the  only  one  left,  and  I  had  not  been  told  the 
result  of  my  trial.  Yet  these  two  Hindoo  students  who 
also  had  been  before  the  Court  on  the  Wednesday  had 
learned  the  verdict  in  their  cases.  But  I  had  been 
denied  all  communication.  I  regained  my  cell  in  a 
kind  of  stupor.  To  me  it  seemed  that  all  was  lost, 
and  I  fell  into  the  depths  of  despair.  When  the 

friendly  M came  with  my  breakfast  I  pestered  him 

with  questions. 


WAITING   TO    BE   SHOT  87 

"  Has  the  court  been  sitting  ?  " 

"  Yes,  all  day  Monday  and  all  last  night." 

"  Have  you  heard  the  result  of  my  trial  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  But  the  two  Hindoos  have  been  acquitted.  Have 
I?" 

"  I  cannot  say/'  he  replied  sullenly. 

The  manner  in  which  he  avoided  my  eager  look 
served  to  confirm  my  worst  fears.  I  strove  hard  to 
draw  something  further  from  him,  but  he  briefly 
remarked  that  he  was  forbidden  to  speak  to  prisoners. 

I  scarcely  knew  what  to  think.  To  me  it  was 
extraordinarily  strange  that  the  two  Hindoos  should 
have  heard  of  their  acquittal  and  yet  no  one  seemed  to 
know  anything  about  my  case.  No !  There  was 
only  one  construction  to  be  placed  upon  the  situation. 
The  Court  had  gone  against  me.  My  thoughts  through- 
out that  day  were  most  unenviable.  I  fretted  and 
fumed,  wondering  when  it  would  all  be  over.  My 
nerves  started  to  twitch  and  jump,  and  within  a  short 
while  I  could  not  keep  a  limb  still.  The  fearful 
suspense  was  certainly  driving  me  mad. 

Later  in  the  day  an  escort  arrived,  and  to  my  surprise 
and  intense  relief  the  officer  informed  me  that  I  was 
not  going  to  be  shot.  I  took  this  for  an  acquittal,  but 
I  was  speedily  disillusioned.  I  was  taken  to  the  office 
of  the  Commandant. 

Reaching  this  official  I  was  surprised  to  see  among  a 
stack  of  other  baggage  my  own  belongings.  The 
Commandant  sharply  ordered  me  to  sort  my  things 
out,  and  to  run  through  them  to  see  that  everything 
was  intact.  I  could  have  danced  for  joy.  Like  an 
excited  child  I  fell  upon  the  baggage,  disentangled  my 
belongings,  and  ran  through  the  contents.  Two 
purses  and  a  camera  were  missing.  I  reported  my 
loss,  and  there  was  a  terrific  hullaballoo.  Who  had 
touched  a  prisoner's  goods  ?  The  purses  were  brought 
in  by  the  gaoler,  who  declared  to  me  that,  finding  they 
contained  money,  he  had  put  them  in  his  pocket  for 


88  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

safety.  I  smiled  at  his  ingenuous  excuse.  Now  I 
worried  about  the  missing  camera,  but  this  defied 
discovery.  Suddenly  I  remembered  where  I  had  seen 
it  last  and  kept  quiet. 

After  I  had  gathered  my  luggage  together  I  was 
marched  back  to  my  cell.  Again  my  spirits  drooped 
upon  being  asked  to  give  my  English  address.  I  saw  it 
all !  In  my  highly  strung  condition  I  took  this  latest 
expression  of  Teuton  methods  to  mean  that  my  goods 
were  to  be  sent  home,  but  that  I  would  have  to  suffer 
some  dire  penalty.  I  nursed  this  dark  imagining  because 
the  prison  treatment  was  not  relaxed  one  iota.  I 
passed  a  restless  half-hour.  I  was  heavy-eyed  from 
want  of  sleep,  while  my  face  had  assumed  a  sickly, 
revolting  pallor  from  rapidly  collapsing  health. 

Again  I  was  summoned  to  the  Commandant's  office. 
My  goods  were  exactly  as  I  had  left  them  thirty  minutes 
before. 


I  was  busily  strapping  up  my  goods  when  the  door 
opened  to  admit  the  Commandant,  guard  and  four  other 
prisoners,  whom  I  had  not  seen  before.  One  tall,  good- 
looking,  sprucely  dressed  fellow  impressed  me.  He 
looked  like  a  fellow-countryman.  I  went  up  to  him. 

"  Are  you  English  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Holy  smoke  !  What  a  treat  to  hear  an  English- 
man. '  Put  it  there/  "  and  he  extended  his  hand. 
1  proffered  mine  which  he  shook  as  if  it  were  a  pump 
handle.  He  with  others  had  been  arrested,  not  as 
spies,  and  had  been  detained  in  Wesel  Arresthaus. 
But  being  wealthy  he  had  experienced  an  easy  time. 

"  What  are  they  going  to  do  with  us  ?  "  I  enquired. 

"  Why,  haven't  you  heard  ?  They're  going  to  send  us 
to  a  hotel  and  then  it  won't  be  long  before  we  strike 
good  old  England  once  more  !  " 


WAITING   TO    BE   SHOT  89 


The  party  were  in  high  spirits.  But  I  was  not  so 
elated.  I  had  every  occasion  to  be  suspicious  of  German 
bluff  and  inwardly  would  only  believe  we  were  going 
home  when  I  was  safely  out  of  the  country.  My  fellow- 
countryman,  F K ,  who  is  a  well-known  figure 

in  City  commercial  circles,  was  wildly  excited,  and 
was  discussing  his  future  arrangements  very  keenly. 

An  escort  appeared  to  accompany  us  to  the  mysterious 
"  hotel  "  about  which  the  Commandant  had  been  talk- 
ing so  glibly.  We  swung  out  of  the  prison.  Glancing 
at  the  clock  I  saw  the  time  was  8.30  p.m.  As  the  main 
gate  clanged  behind  me  I  pulled  myself  together,  a 
new  man.  My  eight  days'  solitary  confinement  had 
come  to  an  end. 

We  tramped  the  street,  the  people  taking  but  little 
notice  of  us.  Presently  we  met  a  big  party  of  tourists 
advancing  and  also  under  escort.  They  proved  to  be 
the  passengers  of  the  pleasure  steamer  Krimhilde,  who 
had  been  detained.  When  they  saw  me,  unkempt, 
ragged,  blood-stained,  and  dirty  they  immediately 
drew  away.  They  took  me  for  an  excellent  specimen 
of  the  genus  hobo.  Within  a  few  seconds  however 
they  learned  something  about  my  experiences  and 

became  very  chummy.  F K communicated  the 

fact  that  we  were  bound  for  an  hotel,  and  the  spirits 
of  one  and  all  rose. 

The  escort  who  had  accompanied  us  from  the  prison 
here  handed  us  over  to  that  accompanying  the  tourists 
and  we  marched  to  the  station.  A  train  was  waiting 
and  we  stepped  aboard  at  nine  o'clock.  There  appeared 
to  be  as  many  soldiers  as  passengers.  The  members 


90  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

of  my  party  confidently  thought  the  train  was  bound 
for  a  point  near  the  frontier  or  a  restricted  area  by  the 
seashore.  But  I  was  not  to  be  lulled  into  a  false  sense 
of  security.  I  questioned  one  of  the  officers  and  ascer- 
tained our  destination.  Returning  to  the  party  I 
laughingly  asked,  "  Do  you  know  for  what  hotel  we're 
bound  ?  " 

"  No  !  What  is  it  ?  Where  is  it  ?  "  came  the  eager 
request. 

"  The  military  camp  at  Sennelager  !  " 


PRISON    TWO— SENNELAGER 

THE  BLACK  HOLE  OF  GERMANY 

CHAPTER    VI 


ALTHOUGH  it  was  9.25  Tuesday  evening  when  we 
boarded  the  train  in  Wesel  station,  en  route  for  the 
"  luxurious  hotel  where  we  were  to  receive  every  kind- 
ness consistent  with  the  noblest  traditions  of  German 
honour,"  there  did  not  appear  to  be  any  anxiety  to 
part  with  our  company.  There  were  about  sixty  of  us 
all  told,  and  we  were  shepherded  with  as  pronounced 
a  display  of  German  military  pomp  and  circumstance 
as  would  have  been  manifested  if  the  All-Highest  him- 
self, had  been  travelling.  Wesel  station  swarmed  with 
officers  and  men  who  apparently  had  nothing  else 
to  do  but  to  perambulate  the  platforms,  the  officers 
swaggering  with  typical  Teuton  arrogance,  and  the 
humble  soldiers  clattering  to  and  fro  in  utter  servility, 
merely  emphasising  their  existence  by  making  plenty 
of  noise  with  their  cumbrous  boots  and  rifles. 

At  midnight  the  train  started.  The  majority  of 
my  companions  were  the  male  passengers  of  military 
age  who  had  been  detained  from  the  pleasure  steamer 
Krimhilde  while  travelling  up  the  Rhine.  The  military 
authorities  in  charge  of  the  train  received  bulky  sheafs 
of  papers,  each  of  which  related  to  one  passenger,  and 
was  packed  with  the  most  minute  details.  I  am  afraid 
my  record  must  have  been  somewhat  imposing,  inas- 
much as  I  commanded  considerable  and  unappreciated 
attention  from  the  military,  while  my  fellow  prisoners 
regarded  me  with  a  keen  curiosity. 

91 


92  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

I  must  admit  that  my  personal  appearance  was  far 
from  being  attractive.  I  looked  even  more  ragged, 
un-cared  for,  and  ill  than  I  was  when  facing  my  accusers 
at  the  midnight  trial  some  days  before.  I  was  shirt- 
less, collarless,  and  tie-less.  My  hair  was  matted  and 
clotted  with  congealed  blood  freely  mixed  with  dirt. 
My  face,  in  addition  to  a  week's  growth  of  hair,  was 
smeared  with  black  marks  which  I  had  not  been  able 
to  remove  owing  to  my  inability  to  get  soap  to  wash 
myself  with.  My  frock-coat  and  trousers,  frayed  at 
the  bottoms,  were  sadly  soiled  and  contrasted  strangely 
with  the  fancy  pattern  tops  of  my  patent  boots.  In 
fact,  I  admitted  to  the  party,  that  "  I  must  have 
looked  a  '  knut '  of  the  finest  type  !  "  All  things  con- 
sidered I  am  not  surprised  that  at  first  I  was  shunned  by 
one  and  all,  both  compatriots  and  the  military  guards. 

Although  the  distance  from  Wesel  to  Paderborn — 
Sennelager  is  three  miles  outside  the  latter  town — is 
only  about  95  miles  as  the  crow  flies,  the  railway  takes 
a  somewhat  circuitous  route.  Owing  to  the  extensive 
movement  of  the  troops  we  suffered  considerable  delay, 
the  result  being  that  we  did  not  reach  our  destination 
until  about  midday  on  the  Wednesday,  the  journey 
having  occupied  nearly  twelve  hours.  The  heat  was 
unbearable,  and  confinement  within  the  carriages,  the 
windows  of  which  were  kept  sedulously  closed  by  order 
of  the  military,  thus  rendering  the  atmosphere  within 
stifling,  speedily  commenced  to  affect  some  of  the  pas- 
sengers. Each  compartment  carried  seven  prisoners, 
and  the  eighth  seat,  one  of  the  windows  beside  the 
door,  was  occupied  by  a  soldier — the  guard  of  the 
compartment — complete  with  loaded  rifle  and  fixed 
bayonet. 

Sleep  was  out  of  the  question,  but  this  did  not  affect 
us  seriously.  We  were  somewhat  excited,  and  spent 
the  hours  of  the  night  in  conversation  and  the  exchange 
of  experiences.  In  our  party  was  an  English  gentleman, 
Mr.  K ,x  who  held  an  important  position  in  a  large 

1  The  names  and  occupations  of  fellow  prisoners  who  are  stili  in 


OUR    "LUXURIOUS    HOTEL"  93 

business  house  in  one  of  the  cities  on  the  Rhine.  Some- 
how he  was  attracted  to  me,  moved,  no  doubt  by  my 
general  appearance,  and  because  I  was  now  showing 
visible  signs  of  my  incarceration  and  experiences  in 
Wesel  prison.  I  may  say  that  to  Mr.  K I  undoubt- 
edly owe  my  life,  and  I  never  can  express  my  thanks 
sufficiently  for  his  unremitting  attention  and  kindness 
during  my  subsequent  illness,  as  I  narrate  in  due  course. 
Moreover,  during  his  sojourn  among  us  he  was  a  tower  of 
strength,  having  long  been  resident  in  the  country, 
and  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  language  and  man- 
ners of  the  Germans. 

It  was  during  this  tedious  train  journey  that  he 
related  the  experiences  of  the  passengers  upon  the 
unfortunate  steamer  Krimhilde.  Many  of  the  English- 
men who  happened  to  be  upon  this  boat  had  been 
held  up  for  a  week  in  various  towns,  owing  to  the 
stress  of  mobilisation.  But  at  last  permission  was  given 
by  the  authorities  to  proceed,  and  the  delayed  travel- 
lers were  assured  of  an  uninterrupted  journey  to  Eng- 
land. Unfortunately  the  passage  down  the  Rhine  was 
impeded  by  fog,  and  this  delay  proved  fatal.  When 
it  was  possible  to  resume  the  journey,  and  while 
the  steamer  was  making  a  good  pace,  a  river  patrol 
boat  dashed  up  and  ordered  the  captain  of  the  steamer 
to  stop,  the  reason  being  that  no  intimation  had  been 
received  of  the  vessel's  coming. 

The  captain  protested,  but  at  the  point  of  the  re- 
volver he  was  compelled  to  turn  round  and  return  to 
the  place  which  he  had  left  only  a  few  hours  previously. 
The  re-arrival  of  the  Krimhilde  at  this  point  aroused 
considerable  interest,  and  the  authorities  demanded 
the  reason.  The  captain  explained,  but  receiving  a 
re-assurance  that  everything  was  in  order  and  as  origin- 
ally expressed,  he  was  free  to  travel  down  the  river. 

captivity  are  purposely  disguised,  because  if  the  German  authorities 
should  happen  to  read  this  narrative,  and  be  enabled  to  identify 
any  of  my  compatriots  who  participated  in  any  of  the  incidents 
recorded,  they  would  receive  treatment  which  would  be  decidedly 
detrimental  to  their  welfare. — H.  C.  M. 


94  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

Again  the  journey  was  attempted  and  all  went  well 
until  the  boat  was  approaching  Wesel.  Then  another 
patrol  boat  fussed  up,  the  officer  of  which  boarded  the 
steamer.  Again  the  captain  presented  his  permit  and 
expressed  his  determination  to  go  ahead. 

'  We  don't  know  anything  about  that,"  returned 
the  boarding  officer,  referring  to  the  permit.  "  My 
orders  are  to  stop  every  vessel  carrying  Englishmen  !  " 

The  boarding-officer  turned  and  ordered  all  the  male 
prisoners  to  separate  themselves  from  the  ladies.  Pass- 
ports were  produced  upon  demand  and  closely  scrutin- 
ised. Then  the  officer,  stepping  back  a  few  paces, 
beckoned  the  nearest  man.  His  name  was  demanded 
to  identify  the  passport  and  then  a  brief  hurried  cross- 
examination  proceeded,  culminating  in  the  question  : 

"  How  old  are  you  ?  " 

;'  Thirty-eight !  " 

"  Step  this  side  !  "  retorted  the  officer,  who  proceeded 
to  examine  the  succeeding  passenger,  to  whom  the 
self-same  questions  were  repeated,  the  final  interro- 
gation being  the  passenger's  age. 

"  Fifty-seven  !  "  came  the  response. 

The  officer  scanned  the  passport  and  finding  the 
answer  to  be  correct  remarked,  "  Step  over  there !  " 
indicating  his  left. 

By  the  time  the  officer  had  completed  his  interro- 
gations the  male  passengers  were  divided  into  two 
groups.  Meanwhile  the  women  and  children  had 
gathered  round,  following  the  proceedings,  which  ap- 
peared inexplicable  to  them,  with  a  strange  silence  and 
a  fearful  dread. 

"  All  you  men  of  military  age,"  continued  the  officer 
speaking  to  the  group  of  younger-looking  men,  "  are 
to  go  ashore.  You  will  be  detained  as  prisoners  of  war. 
You  have  ten  minutes  to  pack  your  trunks  and  to  say 
'  GocJ-bye  !  '  So  hurry  up  !  " 

At  this  intelligence  a  fearful  hub-bub  broke  out. 
The  women  and  children  who  were  to  be  separated 
from  their  husbands,  fathers,  and  relatives  gave  way 


OUR   "LUXURIOUS    HOTEL"  95 

to  lamentation  and  hysterical  raving.  While  the  men 
packed  their  trunks  under  official  supervision  their 
wives  and  children  clung  to  them  desperately.  But 
the  men  realising  that  war  is  war,  accepted  the  situ- 
ation philosophically,  even  cheerfully.  They  were 
buoyed  up  by  the  official  assurance  that  their  detention 
was  merely  a  matter  of  form,  and  that  they  would 
soon  be  released  and  free  to  proceed  to  their  homes. 

I  may  say  that  this  is  a  favourite  ruse  followed  by 
the  Germans  in  all  the  camps  in  which  I  was  interned, 
and  I  discovered  that  it  was  general  throughout  the 
country.  It  is  always  expressed  whenever  the  Teutons 
see  trouble  brewing.  Undoubtedly  it  is  practised  to 
keep  the  prisoners  keyed  up  to  a  feverish  pitch  of 
hopefulness.  Certainly  it  succeeded  for  a  time, 
although  such  announcements  at  a  later  date,  when  we 
had  seen  through  the  subterfuge,  were  received  with 
ironical  cheering  and  jeers. 

At  such  a  sudden  and  summary  cleavage  between 
families  many  distressing  and  pathetic  scenes  were  wit 
nessed.     On  board  there  happened  to  be  a  wealthy 

young  member  of  the  Russian  nobility — Prince  L . 

He  was  travelling  with  his  sister  and  friends  and  was 
far  from  well. 

The  sister  approached  the  officer  and  pleaded  hard  for 
her  brother's  release.  It  was  refused.  Grief-stricken 
the  Princess  fell  on  her  knees  and  with  tears  stream- 
ing down  her  cheeks,  kissed  the  officer's  boots  and 
offered  all  her  jewels — they  must  have  been  worth  a 
considerable  amount  of  money — which  she  hastily  tore 
off  and  held  in  her  outstretched  hands. 

For  the  moment  even  the  officer  was  somewhat 
moved.  Then  in  a  quiet,  determined  voice  he  remarked. 

"  I  am  exceedingly  sorry,  but  I  cannot  grant  your 
request.  I  am  merely  acting  on  my  orders.  But  I  can 
assure  you  that  your  brother  in  common  with  all  the 
others  here,  will  be  looked  after.  Not  a  hair  of  their 
heads  shall  be  injured.  They  will  all  be  treated 
according  to  the  best  and  noblest  traditions  of  German 


96  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

honour,1  and  the  regulations  which  have  been  drawn 
up  among  the  Powers  concerning  the  treatment  of 
prisoners  of  war/'  With  these  words  the  Prince  was 
cast  aside  with  the  others. 

In  another  instance  the  wife  and  child  of  an  English- 
man, Mr.  C ,  refused  to  be  parted.  The  wife  clung 

round  her  husband's  neck  while  the  child  held  to  his 
coat.  She  expressed  her  determination  to  go  with 
her  husband,  no  matter  what  might  happen,  and  was 
on  the  verge  of  hysterics.  Every  one  was  moved  and 
strove  to  coax  her  into  quietness,  while  an  officer  even 
accompanied  her  off  the  boat  with  her  husband.  On  the 
quay  efforts  were  repeated  to  placate  her  and  to  induce 
her  to  allow  her  husband  to  proceed.  But  all  in  vain. 
At  last,  drawing  the  lady  forcibly  away,  though  with 
no  greater  force  than  was  necessary,  the  officer  himself 
attempted  to  console  her. 

"  Do  not  worry.  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  you,  and  will 
see  you  do.  not^vvant^during  the  time  your  husband  is 
interned." 

What  became  of  Mrs.  C and  her  child  just  then 

I  do  not  know,  because  at  that  moment  the  boat  sheered 
off  with  a  sorrowful  and  crying  list  of  passengers  who 
waved  frantic  farewells.  Alas  !  I  fear  that  in  some 
instances  that  was  the  last  occasion  upon  which 
husband  and  wife  ever  saw  one  another,  and  when 
children  were  parted  from  "  daddy  "  for  life. 

Such  was  the  story  related  by  Mr.  K >.  After  the 

boat  had  left,  the  detained  prisoners,  he  explained, 
were  formed  up  on  the  quay,  and  surrounded  by  an 
imposing  guard  with  fixed  bayonets,  were  marched 
off.  It  was  a  sad  party.  All  that  was  dearest  in  life 
to  them  had  been  torn  away  at  a  few  minutes'  notice 
through  the  short-sightedness  of  Prussian  militarism 
or  the  desire  of  the  Road-hog  of  Europe  to  display  his 
officialism  and  the  authority  he  had  enjoyed  for  but  a 
few  days.  Many  of  these  tourists,  as  one  might  natur- 

1  The  traditions  of  German  honour  were  dinned  into  our  ears  at 
every  turn. — H.  C.  M. 


OUR    "LUXURIOUS    HOTEL"  97 

ally  expect,  were  sorely  worried  by  the  thoughts  as  to 
what  would  become  of  their  loved  ones  upon  their 
arrival  in  England,  many  without  money  or  friends  to 
receive  them.  This  was  the  discussion  that  occupied 
their  minds  when  they  were  marching  towards  Wesel 
Station,  and  when  the  tiny  party,  of  which  I  was  one, 
being  marched  from  Wesel  prison,  met  them  in  the 
street,  as  already  related. 

As  for  ourselves  we  were  soon  destined  to  taste  the 
pleasures  of  the  best  traditions  of  German  honour. 
No  provisions  of  any  kind  whatever  had  been  placed 
on  the  train  for  our  requirements.  What  was  more 
we  were  denied  the  opportunity  to  purchase  any  food 
at  any  station  where  we  happened  to  stop.  At  one 
point  a  number  of  girls  pressed  round  the  carriages 
offering  glasses  of  milk  at  20  pfennigs.  As  we  were  all 
famished  and  parched  there  was  a  brisk  trade.  But 
the  moment  the  officers  saw  what  was  happening 
they  rushed  forward  and  drove  the  girls  back  by  force 
of  arms. 

So  far  as  our  compartment  was  concerned  we  were 
more  fortunate  than  many  of  our  colleagues.  Our 
soldier  warden  was  by  no  means  a  bad  fellow  at  heart. 
In  his  pack  he  carried  his  daily  ration — two  thick  hunks 
of  black  bread.  He  took  this  out  and  instantly 
proffered  one  hunk  to  us,  which  we  gladly  accepted  and 
divided  among  ourselves. 

Those  being  the  early  days  of  the  war  the  German 
soldier  was  a  universal  favourite  among  the  civilians. 
Directly  one  was  espied  he  became  a  magnet.  The 
women,  girls  and  elder  men  rushed  forward  and  wildly 
thrust  all  sorts  of  comestibles  into  his  hands.  Un- 
happily we  did  not  stop  at  many  stations  ;  our  train 
displayed  a  galling  preference  for  lonely  signal  posts, 
so  that  the  chances  of  our  guard  receiving  many  such 
gifts  were  distinctly  limited.  But  at  one  station  he 
did  receive  an  armful  of  brodchen — tiny  loaves — which 
he  divided  amongst  us  subsequently  with  the  greatest 
camaraderie. 


98  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

But  his  comrades  in  other  compartments  were  not 
so  well-disposed.  With  true  PrussianTfiendishness 
they  refused  to  permit  their  prisoners  to  buy  anything 
for  themselves,  and  to  drive  them  to  exasperation  and 
to  make  them  feel  their  position,  the  guards  would 
ostentatiously  devour  their  own  meals  and  gifts. 
While  we  did  not  really  receive  sufficient  to  stay  us, 
still  our  guard  did  his  best  for  us,  an  act  which  we  appre- 
ciated and  reciprocated  by  making  a  collection  on  his 
behalf.  When  we  proffered  this  slight  recognition  of 
his  courtesy  and  sympathetic  feeling  he  declined  to 
accept  it, 

He 

was  one  of  the  very  few  well-disposed  Germans  I  ever 
met. 

Upon  arriving  at  Sennelager  Station  we  were 
unceremoniously  bundled  out  of  the  train.  Those  who 
had  trunks  and  bags  were  roughly  bidden  to  shoulder 
them  and  to  fall  in  for  the  march  to  the  camp.  The 
noon  heat  was  terrible.  The  sun  poured  down  un- 
mercifully, and  after  twelve  hours'  confinement  in  the 
stuffy  railway  carriages  few  could  stretch  their  limbs. 
But  the  military  guards  set  the  marching  pace  and  we 
had  to  keep  to  it.  If  we  lagged  we  were  prodded  into 
activity  by  means  of  the  rifle. 

Sennelager  camp  lies  upon  a  plateau  overlooking  the 
railway,  and  it  is  approached  by  a  winding  road.  The 
acclivity  although  somewhat  steep  is  not  long,  but  we, 
famished  and  worn  from  hunger,  thirst,  and  lack  of 
sleep,  found  the  struggle  with  the  sand  into  which  our 
feet  sank  over  our  ankles,  almost  insuperable.  Those 
burdened  with  baggage  soon  showed  signs  of  distress. 
Many  were  now  carrying  a  parcel  for  the  first  time  in 
their  lives  and  the  ordeal  completely  broke  them  up. 

Prince  L had  a  heavy  bag,  and  before  he  had  gone 

far  the  soft  skin  of  one  hand  had  been  completely  chafed 
away,  leaving  a  gaping,  bleeding  wound.  To  make 
matters  worse  the  hot  sand  was  drifting  sulkily  and 
clogging  his  wound  set  up  untold  agony. 


OUR    "LUXURIOUS    HOTEL"  99 

Prince  L made  a  representation  to  the  cfficer- 

in-charge,  showing  his  bleeding  hand,  but  he  was 
received  with  a  mocking  smirk  and  a  curt  command  to 
"  Move  on  !  "  The  weaker  burdened  prisoners  lagged, 
but  the  bayonet  revived  them.  One  or  two  gave  out 
completely,  but  others,  such  as  myself,  who  were  not 
encumbered,  extended  a  helping  hand,  half-carrying 
them  up  the  hill. 

Reaching  the  camp  the  Commanding  Officer,  a 
friendly  old  General  whose  name  I  never  heard,  hurried 
up. 

'  What's  the  meaning  of  this  ?  "  he  blurted  out  in 
amazement. 

"  Prisoners  of  war  for  internment !  "  replied  our 
officer-in-charge. 

"  But  I  don't  know  anything  about  them.  I  have 
received  no  instructions.  There  is  no  accommodation 
for  them  here  !  "  protested  the  General. 

Our  officer  produced  his  imposing  sheaf  of  papers 
and  the  two  disappeared  into  the  office. 

The  feelings  of  the  party  at  this  intelligence  may  be 
conceived.  The  majority  dropped,  in  a  state  of  semi- 
collapse  in  the  sand,  their  belongings  strewn  around 
them,  utter  dejection  written  on  their  faces. 

After  what  I  had  experienced  at  Wesel  I  was  pre- 
pared for  anything.  I  had  already  learned  the  futility 
of  giving  way.  I  felt  no  inclination  to  sit  or  lie  in  the 
blistering  sand.  I  caught  sight  of  a  stretch  of  inviting 
turf,  made  my  way  to  it,  and  threw  myself  down  upon 
it.  But  I  was  not  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  Nature's 
couch.  A  soldier  came  bustling  up  and  before  I 
grasped  his  intentions  I  was  hustled  off,  with  the 
intimation  that  if  I  wanted  to  lie  down  I  must  do  so 
in  the  sand. 

The  fact  that  no  arrangements  had  been  made  for 
our  reception  was  only  too  obvious.  It  was  about 
noon  when  the  two  officers  disappeared  into  the  official 
building  to  discuss  the  papers  referring  to  our  arrival, 
and  it  was  six  in  the  evening  before  they  had  come  to 


ioo  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

any  decision.  Throughout  these  six  hours  we  were 
left  lying  on  the  scorching  sand  in  the  broiling  sun 
without  a  bite  of  food.  Seeing  that  many  of  us  had 
eaten  little  or  nothing  since  the  early  evening  of  the 
previous  day  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  greater  part 
were  knocked  up.  One  or  two  of  us  caught  sight  of 
the  canteen  provided  for  the  convenience  of  recruits, 
and  succeeded  in  getting  a  few  mouthfuls,  but  they  were 
not  worth  consideration.  I  myself  whiled  away  the 
time  by  enjoying  a  wash  at  the  pump  and  giving  myself 
the  luxury  of  a  shave.  I  bought  a  small  cake  of  coarse 
soap  and  never  enjoyed  an  ablution  so  keenly  as  that 
al  fresco  wash,  shave,  shampoo,  and  brush-up  at 
Sennelager.  When  I  came  back  thoroughly  refreshed 
I  had  changed  my  appearance  so  completely  that  I  was 
scarcely  recognised.  Even  the  soldiers  looked  at  me 
twice  to  make  sure  I  was  the  correct  man. 

Later  a  doctor  appeared  upon  the  scene.  His  name 
was  Dr.  Ascher,  and  as  events  proved  he  was  the  only 
friend  we  ever  had  in  the  camp.  He  enquired  if  any 
one  felt  ill.  Needless  to  say  a  goodly  number,  suffering 
from  hunger,  thirst  and  fatigue,  responded  to  his 
enquiry.  Realising  the  reason  for  their  unfortunate 
plight  he  bustled  up  to  the  Commanding  Officer  and 
emphasised  the  urgent  necessity  to  give  us  a  meal. 
But  he  was  not  entirely  successful.  Then  he  in- 
spected us  one  by  one,  giving  a  cheering  word  here,  and 
cracking  a  friendly  'joke  there.  The  hand  of  Prince 

L received  instant  attention,  while  other  slight 

injuries  were  also  sympathetically  treated.  The  hearts 
of  one  and  all  went  out  to  this  ministering  angel,  to 
whose  work  and  indefatigable  efforts  on  our  behalf  I 
refer  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

At  last  we  were  ordered  to  the  barracks  near  by.  It 
was  a  large  masonry  building,  each  room  being  pro- 
vided with  beds  and  straw  upon  the  floor.  Subse- 
quently, however,  we  were  moved  to  less  comfortable 
quarters  where  there  were  three  buildings  in  one,  but 
subdivided  by  thick  masonry  walls,  thereby  preventing 


OUR    "LUXURIOUS   HOTEL"  lot 

all  intercommunication.  Here  our  sleeping  accommo- 
dation comprised  bunks,  disposed  in  two  tiers,  made  of 
wood  and  with  a  sack  as  a  mattress. 

Whether  it  is  my  natural  disposition  or  ancestral 
blood  I  do  not  know,  but  it  has  ever  been  my  practice 
in  life  to  emulate  Mark  Tapley  and  to  see  the  humor- 
ous aspect  of  the  most  depressing  situation.  The 
"  luxurious  hotel,"  to  which  we  were  consigned  accord- 
ing "  to  the  best  and  most  noble  traditions  of  German 
honour,"  moved  me  to  unrestrained  mirth,  when  once 
I  had  taken  in  our  surroundings.  My  levity  fell  like 
a  cold  water  douche  upon  my  companions,  while  the 
guards  frowned  menacingly.  But  to  me  it  was  impos- 
sible to  refrain  from  an  outburst  of  merriment.  It  was 
quite  in  accordance  with  German  promises,  which  are 
composed  of  the  two  ingredients — uncompromising 
bluff  and  unabashed  deliberate  lying,  leavened  with  a 
sprinkling  of  disarming  suavity.  I  had  tasted  this 
characteristic  at  Wesel  and  frankly  was  not  a  bit  sur- 
prised at  anything  which  loomed  up,  always  resolving 
at  all  hazards  to  make  the  best  of  an  uncomfortable 
position. 

Upon  turning  into  our  unattractive  suite  our  first 
proceeding  was  to  elect  a  Captain  of  our  barrack. 
Selection  fell  upon  Mr.  K ,  as  he  was  an  ideal  inter- 
mediary, being  fluent  in  the  language.  We  turned  in, 
the  majority  being  too  tired  to  growl  at  their  lot,  but 
there  was  precious  little  sleep.  During  the  day,  the 
heat  at  Sennelager  in  the  summer  is  intolerable,  but 
during  the  night  it  is  freezing.  Our  arrival  not  having 
been  anticipated,  we  had  nothing  with  which  to  keep 
ourselves  warm.  A  few  days  passed  before  the  luxury 
of  a  blanket  was  bestowed  upon  us. 

The  morning  after  our  arrival  we  drew  up  an  imposing 
list  of  complaints  for  which  we  demanded  immediate 
redress.  We  also  expressed  in  detail  our  requirements, 
which  we  requested  to  be  fulfilled  forthwith.  Then 
we  decided  to  apportion  this  part  of  the  camp  for 
cricket,  that  for  general  recreation  and  so  forth.  By 


102  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

the  time  we  had  completed  our  intentions,  all  of  which 
were  carried  unanimously,  several  sheets  of  foolscap 
had  been  filled,  or  rather  would  have  been  filled  had  we 
been  possessed  of  any  paper.  This  duty  completed 
we  set  out  upon  an  exploring  expedition,  intending  to 
inspect  all  corners  of  the  camp.  But  if  we  thought 
we  were  going  to  wander  whither  we  pleased  we  were 
soon  disillusioned.  We  were  huddled  in  one  corner 
and  our  boundaries,  although  undefined  in  the  concrete 
were  substantial  in  the  abstract,  being  imaginary  lines 
run  between  sentries  standing  with  loaded  rifles  and 
fixed  bayonets. 

One  and  all  wondered  how  we  should  be  able  to  pass 
away  the  time.  We  could  neither  write  nor  read 
owing  to  a  complete  lack  of  facilities.  Idleness  would 
surely  drive  us  crazy.  Our  recreations  were  severely 
limited,  depending  upon  our  own  ingenuity.  For  the 
first  few  days  we  could  do  nothing  beyond  promenading, 
discussing  the  war  and  our  situation.  These  two 
subjects  were  speedily  worn  thread-bare  since  we 
knew  nothing  about  the  first  topic  and  were  only  able  to 
speculate  vaguely  about  the  second.  The  idea  of  being 
made  to  work  never  entered  our  heads  for  a  moment. 
Were  we  not  civilian  prisoners  of  war  :  the  victims  of 
circumstances  under  the  shield  of  the  best  traditions  of 
German  honour  ? 

But  we  were  not  the  first  arrivals  at  Sennelager. 
We  were  preceded  by  a  few  hours  by  a  party  of  French 
soldiers — captives  of  war.  They  were  extremely  sul- 
len. Travel  and  battle-stained  they  crouched  and 
stretched  themselves  upon  the  ground.  Whence  they 
came  I  was  never  able  to  discover.  One  or  two  of  our 
party  who  were  versed  in  the  French  tongue  endeav- 
oured to  draw  them  into  conversation,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose. They  either  replied  in  vague  monosyllables  or 
deliberately  ignored  the  questions.  There  is  no  doubt 
the  poor  fellows  felt  their  early  capture  very  sorely, 
and  had  accordingly  sunk  into  the  depths  of  despair. 
Sulky  and  morose  they  glared  fiercely  upon  any 


OUR    "LUXURIOUS    HOTEL'  103 

approach,  and  when  they  did  anything  it  was  with  an 
ill-grace  impossible  to  describe.  Indeed,  they  were  so 
downcast  that  they  refused  to  pay  the  slightest  atten- 
tion to  their  personal  appearance,  which  accentuated 
their  forbidding  aspect. 

Killing  time  as  best  we  could,  doing  nothing  soon 
began  to  reveal  its  ill-effects  upon  those  who,  like  myself, 
had  always  led  an  active  life.  I  approached  Dr. 
Ascher,  explained  that  idleness  would  drive  me  mad, 
and  petitioned  him  to  permit  me  to  work  in  the  hospital. 
I  did  not  care  what  the  job  was  so  long  as  it  effectively 
kept  me  employed.  He  sympathised  with  my  sugges- 
tion and  hurried  off  to  the  Commanding  Officer.  But 
he  came  back  shaking  his  head  negatively.  The 
authorities  would  not  entertain  the  proposal  for  an 
instant. 

Suddenly  we  were  paraded.  Rakes  and  brooms 
were  served  out  to  every  man  and  we  were  curtly 
ordered  to  sweep  the  roads.  We  buckled  into  this 
task.  But  the  dust  was  thick  and  the  day  was  hot. 
Soon  we  were  all  perspiring  freely.  But  we  were  not 
permitted  to  rest.  Over  us  was  placed  a  bull-headed, 
fierce-looking  Prussian  soldier  armed  with  a  murderous 
looking  whip.  I  should  think  he  had  been  an  animal 
trainer  before  being  mobilised  from  the  manner  in 
which  he  cracked  that  whip.  When  he  saw  any  one 
taking  a  breather  up  he  came,  glaring  menacingly  and 
cracking  the  whip  with  the  ferocity  of  a  lion-tamer. 
We  evinced  a  quaint  respect  for  that  whip,  and  I 
firmly  believe  that  our  guardian  inwardly  fretted  and 
fumed  because  he  was  denied  the  opportunity  to  lay 
it  across  our  backs.  Several  of  us  nearly  got  it, 
however. 

We  were  sweeping  away  merrily  when,  suddenly, 
we  gave  way  to  a  wild  outburst  of  mirth.  One 
couldn't  sweep  for  laughing.  The  guards  around 
us  looked  on  in  wonder. 

"  Christopher  1  boys!"  I  at  last  blurted  out, 
"  We  were  talking  just  now  about  recreation,  and  were 


104  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

emphatic  about  what  we  were,  and  were  not,  going 
to  do.  I  reckon  this  wants  a  lot  of  beating  for  recrea- 
tion !  "  The  oddity  of  the  situation  so  tickled  us 
that  we  had  to  collapse  from  laughter. 

But  a  warning  shout  brought  us  to  our  feet.  Mr. 
Mobilised  Lion  Tamer  was  bearing  down  upon  us 
waving  his  whip.  He  lashed  out.  We  saw  it  coming 
and  dodged.  By  the  time  the  thong  struck  the 
road  we  were  brushing  up  dense  clouds  of  dust,  singing, 
whistling,  and  roaring  the  words,  "  Britons  never 
shall  be  slaves  !  " 

The  dust  screen  saved  us.  It  was  so  efficient  that 
the  furious  guardian  with  the  whip  had  to  beat  a 
hurried  retreat. 

One  morning  we  were  paraded  at  six  o'clock  as  usual. 
The  adjutant,  another  fierce-visaged  Prussian,  astride 
his  horse,  faced  us.  With  assumed  majesty  he  roared 
out  an  order.  The  guards  closed  in.  What  was  going 
to  happen  now  ? 

Amid  a  tense  silence  he  shouted  spluttering  with 
rage  :— 

'  You  damned  English  swine  !  Yes  !  You  English 
dogs  !  You  are  the  cause  of  this  war,  and  you  will 
have  to  suffer  for  it.  We  could  punish  you  severely. 
But  that  is  not  the  German  way.  We  could  make 
you  work.  But  the  traditions  of  German  honour 
forbid.  Your  Government  has  gouged  out  the  eyes 
of  German  prisoners  who  have  had  the  misfortune 
to  fall  into  their  hands.  We  don't  propose  to  take 
those  measures.  While  your  Government  has  stopped 
at  nothing  we  are  going  to  show  you  how  Germany 
fulfils  the  traditions  of  her  honour,  and  respects  the 
laws  to  which  all  civilised  nations  have  subscribed. 
But  remember  !  We  are  going  to  bring  England  to 
her  knees.  Aren't  we,  men  ?  " 

"  Ja  !  Ja  !  "  (Yes  !  Yes  !)  came  the  wild  singing 
reply  from  the  excited  guards. 


CHAPTER   VII 

BREAKING  US  IN  AT  SENNELAGER 

No  doubt  the  pompous  adjutant  plumed  himself  upon 
his  tirade  and  the  impression  it  had  created  among 
the  guards.  But  at  the  time  it  was  as  so  much  Greek 
to  us.  We  wondered  what  it  all  meant  and  what  had 
prompted  his  strange  speech. 

It  was  not  until  my  return  home  that  I  was  able 
to  appreciate  the  reason.  But  the  bitterness  with 
which  he  delivered  his  harangue  certainly  proved  that 
he  believed  the  stories  which  had  evidently  been 
sedulously  circulated  throughout  Germany  relative 
to  the  alleged  mal-treatment  and  torture  of  German 
military  prisoners  by  the  British.  Unfortunately, 
no  steps  apparently  were  taken  to  disprove  these 
deliberate  lying  statements  for  which  we  had  to  pay 
the  penalty. 

But  I  was  not  reassured  by  the  Adjutant's  honeyed 
words  concerning  the  example  which  Germany  pro- 
posed to  set  to  the  British.  I  guessed  that  something 
which  would  not  redound  to  our  welfare  and  comfort 
was  in  the  air.  It  is  the  German  method  to  preach 
one  thing  and  to  practise  something  diametrically 
opposite.  I  had  already  learned  this.  Nor  was  I 
destined  to  be  mistaken  in  my  surmise. 

A  little  later  there  was  another  parade.  The  officer 
roared. 

"  All  those  who  are  engineers  step  out !  " 

A  number,  including  myself,  although  absolutely 
ignorant  of  the  craft,  stepped  out,  because  here  was 
the  opportunity  to  secure  some  form  of  active  employ- 
ment. 

105 


io6  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

"  You  are  engineers  ?  "  he  shouted. 

We  nodded  assent. 

"  Can  you  build  a  drain  ?  " 

Again  we  nodded  affirmatively. 

We  were  marshalled,  and  one  of  us,  Mr.  C ,  who 

was  a  civil  engineer,  was  selected  as  leader.  We  were 
marched  off  and  set  to  work  to  dig  a  drain  for  the 
camp. 

We  built  that  drain,  but  it  was  necessity's  labour  lost. 
We  were  not  provided  with  proper  drain  pipes  but 
made  an  open  conduit.  We  had  to  go  to  the  quarry 
to  get  the  stone,  which  we  broke  into  small  pieces,  and 
these  were  set  out  in  concave  form  at  the  bottom  of 
the  trench  we  had  excavated  after  the  manner  in  which 
cobble  stones  are  laid.  I  believe  it  was  considered  to 
be  an  excellent  piece  of  work,  but  unfortunately  it 
was  of  little  use.  The  first  wind  and  rain  that  came 
along  dumped  the  sand  into  it  with  the  result  that 
it  became  filled  up. 

A  day  or  two  later  there  was  another  parade.  Once 
more  the  officer  stood  before  us  with  a  long  sheet  of 
paper  in  his  hand. 

"  All  those  who  can  do  wire-pulling  stand  out !  " 

Those  who  knew  about  what  he  was  talking  advanced 
to  form  a  little  group. 

"  All  those  who  are  gardeners  stand  out !  " 

More  men  advanced  and  another  group  resulted. 

The  officer  went  right  through  his  list  calling  out 
a  long  string  of  trades  and  callings.  The  result  was 
our  sub-division  into  a  number  of  small  units,  each 
capable  of  fulfilling  some  task.  A  sentry  was  appointed 
to  each  group  and  we  were  hurried  off  to  the  particular 
toil  for  which  we  considered  ourselves  to  be  fitted,  and 
about  which  I  will  say  more  later. 

If  the  accommodation  at  the  "  luxurious  hotel " 
was  wretched  the  routine  and  cuisine  were  worse.  We 
were  under  military  discipline  as  it  is  practised  in 
Prussia,  and  it  was  enforced  with  the  utmost  rigour. 
We  were  not  permitted  to  speak  to  an  officer  under  any 


BREAKING   US   IN   AT   SENNELAGER  107 

pretext  whatever.  Any  complaints  or  requests  had 
to  be  carried  to  the  authorities  through  our  "  Captain"," 
who  was  also  the  officially  recognised  interpreter.  If 
we  met  an  officer  we  were  commanded  to  raise  our  hats. 

The  day  started  at  6.0  a.m.,  with  parade.  If  we 
desired  to  have  a  wash  and  shave  we  had  to  be  astir 
an  hour  earlier  because  otherwise  we  were  not  allowed  to 
perform  those  essential  duties  until  late  in  the  evening. 
After  parade  we  had  breakfast — a  basin  of  lukewarm 
"  coffee "  made  from  acorns  roasted  and  ground, 
which  we  had  to  fetch,  and  with  which  neither  milk 
nor  sugar  was  served. 

At  seven  o'clock  we  started  the  day's  work,  which 
was  continued  without  respite  until  mid-day.  At 
least  that  was  the  official  order,  but  one  or  two  of 
the  guards  were  far  from  being  harsh  towards  us. 
In  the  middle  of  the  morning,  as  in  our  case,  the  warder, 
after  a  wary  look  round,  would  ask  if  we  would  like 
to  rest  for  ten  minutes  to  snatch  something  to  eat 
if  we  had  it.  Needless  to  say  the  slight  respite  was 
greatly  appreciated.  But  it  was  by  no  means  the 
general  practice.  One  or  two  of  the  sentries  were  so 
deeply  incensed  against  England  that  they  took  the 
opportunity  to  bait  and  badger  the  men  in  their  charge 
without  mercy.  They  kept  the  prisoners  under  them 
going  hard  without  a  break  or  pause. 

At  noon  we  returned  to  barracks  for  dinner.  Arming 
ourselves  with  our  basins  we  scrambled  down  to  the 
cook-house  for  our  rations.  It  was  red-cabbage  soup, 
and  it  was  never  varied.  But  it  was  the  strangest 
soup  I  have  ever  seen  made  or  tasted,  more  particu- 
larly during  the  early  days. 

There  was  a  big  cauldron  with  boiling  water.  Along- 
side was  a  table  on  which  the  cabbages  were  cut  up. 
A  handful  of  cabbage  was  picked  up  and  dumped  into 
the  cauldron.  Directly  it  hit  the  water  the  cabbage 
was  considered  to  be  cooked  and  was  served  out. 
Consequently  the  meal  comprised  merely  a  basin  of 


io8  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

sloshy  boiling  water  in  which  floated  some  shreds  of 
uncooked  red  cabbage.  Sometimes  the  first  batch  of 
men  succeeded  in  finding  the  cabbage  warmed  through : 
it  had  been  left  in  the  water  for  a  few  seconds.  But 
the  last  batch  invariably  fared  badly.  The  cooks 
realising  that  there  would  be  insufficient  to  go  round 
forthwith  dumped  in  two  or  three  buckets  of  cold 
water  to  eke  it  out.  Sometimes,  but  on  very  rare 
occasions,  a  little  potato,  and  perhaps  a  bone  which 
had  once  been  associated  with  meat,  would  be  found 
in  the  basin  lurking  under  a  piece  of  cabbage  leaf. 
Ultimately  some  French  and  Belgians  were  put  in 
charge  of  the  kitchen.  Then  there  was  a  slight  im- 
provement. The  cabbage  was  generally  well-cooked 
and  the  soup  was  hot.  But  although  these  cooks  did 
their  best,  it  did  not  amount  to  much,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  the  authorities  would  not  permit  any  further 
ingredients  whatever. 

At  2.0  p.m.,  there  was  another  parade,  followed  by 
a  return  to  work  which  was  continued  without  inter- 
misson  for  another  four  hours.  At  six  in  the  evening 
we  returned  to  barracks  for  a  third  parade  after  which 
we  were  dismissed  for  tea.  This  was  another  far  from 
appetising  meal,  merely  constituting  a  repetition  of 
the  breakfast  ration — a  basin  of  lukewarm  acorn  coffee 
without  milk  or  sugar.  In  addition  to  the  foregoing 
we  were  served  with  a  portion  of  a  loaf  of  black  bread 
on  alternate  mornings.  This  supply,  if  you  got  it, 
had  to  last  six  meals. 

It  will  be  realised  that  our  wardens  were  far  from 
being  disposed  to  feed  us  up.  We  grumbled  against 
the  rations,  their  monotony  and  insufficiency,  but  we 
received  no  amelioration  of  our  condition.  In  fact, 
our  petitions  were  ignored.  We  were  told  that  if 
we  wanted  more  or  greater  variety  of  food  we  must 
buy  it  from  the  canteen.  We  had  to  act  upon  this 
recommendation  just  to  keep  ourselves  alive. 

The  canteen  was  run  by  the  most  unprincipled 
scoundrel  I  have  ever  met.  He  was  a  civilian  specula- 


BREAKING   US    IN   AT   SENNELAGER  109 

tor  who  saw  the  chance  to  fatten  on  the  British  pris- 
oners. He  fleeced  us  in  two  ways.  Not  only  were  his 
prices  extortionate,  but  he  gave  a  ridiculous  exchange 
for  British  currency,  especially  gold.  After  consider- 
able persuasion  and  deliberation  he  would  change  a 
half  sovereign  for  7^  marks — 75.  6d.  We  complained 
but  could  get  no  redress  for  such  a  depreciation. 
Other  coins  were  in  proportion. 

Brodchen  in  limited  quantities  were  brought  in 
every  day.  We  could  buy  these  at  5  pfennigs — one 
halfpenny — apiece,  or  in  the  early  days  three  for  10 
pfennigs.  The  latter  practice  was  abandoned  when 
the  pinch  of  flour  shortage  commenced  to  be  felt. 
The  brodchen  came  in  during  the  night,  and  owing  to 
the  totally  inadequate  quantity  purchased  to  meet 
our  needs,  one  had  to  be  about  early  to  secure  a  supply. 
I,  witli  others,  have  often  been  up  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  lounging  around  the  canteen,  so  as  to 
be  among  the  first  to  be  served  when  it  opened  at  five 
o'clock.  The  scenes  which  were  enacted  around  the 
canteen  in  the  early  morning  are  indescribable.  Civilians 
strangely  clad,  and  later  badly  wounded,  limping 
soldiers,  sickly  and  white,  waited  patiently,  no  matter 
what  the  weather,  to  buy  a  little  bread. 

The  necessity  to  depend  upon  the  canteen  for  a 
sufficiency  of  food  to  keep  us  alive  hit  those  who  were 
blessed  with  little  money  extremely  hard.  There  was 
one  man — he  said  he  was  an  Englishman,  although 
I  have  my  doubts  about  it — who  was  brought  to  the 
camp.  He  had  not  a  farthing  in  his  pocket.  He  said 
his  home  was  near  the  frontier,  and  that  he  often 
slipped  across  it  for  a  ride  on  his  bicycle.  He  related 
that  he  had  been  caught  during  one  of  these  excursions, 
to  find  himself  ultimately  at  Sennelager.  That  man 
was  a  mystery.  He  was  kept  alive  by  the  others 
more  or  less,  and  he  accompanied  us  to  various  prisons. 
But  subsequently  he  obtained  his  papers  in  a  mysterious 
manner,  and  was  seen  no  more.  He  vanished  in  the 
darkness  as  it  were,  and  the  German  guards  were  not 


no  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

disposed  to  talk  about  him.  It  has  always  been  our 
suspicion  that  he  was  sent  among  us  with  an  ulterior 
motive  which  it  is  impossible  to  divine. 

Those  who  could  not  purchase  supplies  from  the 
canteen  were  assisted  by  their  more  fortunate  comrades. 
The  lucky  ones  divided  their  purchases  so  that  the 
unfortunate  individuals  might  not  feel  their  position 
or  suffer  want.  This  practice  was  tangibly  assisted 
by  one  or  two  prisoners  who  were  well  supplied  with 

money,  especially  Prince  L ,  who  became  the 

general  favourite  of  the  camp  from  his  fellow-feeling, 
camaraderie,  sympathy,  and  sportsmanship. 

One  morning  he  came  across  a  poor  prisoner  who 
looked  very  ill.  He  appeared  to  be  half  starved,  as 
indeed  he  was  from  his  inability  to  buy  any  food. 
After  a  short  conversation  the  Prince  slipped  five 
sovereigns  into  the  man's  hand  and  bolted  before  he 
could  be  thanked.  Unfortunately  this  poor  fellow  is 
still  in  prison,  but  he  has  never  forgotten  the  Prince's 
kindness. 

The  day  after  our  arrival  at  Sennelager  the  Prince 
came  to  me  and  drew  my  attention  to  my  shirtless 
condition.  I  explained  the  reason  for  its  disappearance 
and  that  I  could  not  get  another  as  the  authorities 
were  still  holding  my  heavy  baggage  containing  further 
supplies.  He  said  nothing  as  he  went  away,  but  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  later  he  returned  with  a  new  gar- 
ment from  his  own  kit  which  he  forced  me  to  accept. 
Another  day,  the  party  with  which  I  was  working 
were  coming  in  to  the  evening  meal.  He  hailed  us 
and  invited  one  and  all  to  accompany  him  to  the 
canteen  to  have  a  chop  with  him.  That  was  the  finest 
meal  I  had  tasted  since  my  feast  in  Wesel  prison. 
Some  time  later  Prince  L —  -  succeeded  in  getting 
home.  Although  he  was  heartily  congratulated  upon 
his  good  fortune,  his  absence  was  sorely  felt  by  those 
whom  he  was  in  the  habit  of  befriending. 

At  nine  o'clock  we  had  to  be  in  bed.  Some  of  the 
more  untameable  spirits  rebelled  at  the  order  to 


BREAKING  US  IN  AT  SENNELAGER  in 

extinguish  lights  at  this  hour,  but  in  our  barrack  Captain 

K rigidly  insisted  that  the  regulation  should  be 

observed.  He  feared  the  antagonism  of  the  officers 
might  be  aroused,  in  which  event  we  should  be  made  to 
suffer  for  our  fractiousness.  The  disputes  between 
the  prisoners  and  the  sentries  over  the  lights  were 
interminable.  The  men  would  be  ordered  to  extinguish 
their  oil  lamp.  If  they  did  not  respond  with  sufficient 
alacrity  the  sentry  cluttered  up  and  put  it  out  himself. 
At  a  later  date,  however,  the  hour  for  "  lights  out  " 
was  extended  to  10  p.m. 

The  German  nation  is  ever  held  up  as  the  world's 
apostle  of  hygiene  and  sanitary  science.  However 
true  this  may  be  in  regard  to  civic  and  rural  life  it 
certainly  does  not  apply  to  prison  and  military  exist- 
ence. We  were  occupying  the  quarters  normally 
assigned  to  recruits.  Yet  Sennelager  was  absolutely 
devoid  of  the  most  primitive  features  of  a  safe  sanitary 
system.  There  was  an  open  cesspool  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  the  barracks,  the  stench  from  which,  during 
the  heat  of  the  summer,  may  be  better  imagined  than 
described.  No  disinfectants  whatever  were  used, 
and  at  intervals  of  three  days  it  was  emptied  by  the 
crudest  means  imaginable,  on  which  occasions  the 
barracks  were  not  only  untenantable  but  absolutely 
unapproachable.  In  fact,  the  conditions  were  so 
primitive  and  revolting  that  the  outbreak  of  an  epidemic 
was  momentarily  expected,  not  only  by  ourselves  but 
by  the  authorities  as  well. 

This  danger  was  brought  home  to  us  when  we  were 
compelled  to  submit  to  the  ordeal  of  vaccination. 
Even  this  task  was  carried  out  under  conditions  which 
no  other  civilised  country  would  permit  for  a  moment, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  antiseptic  precautions  were 
conspicuous  by  their  complete  absence.  The  order 
arrived  that  we  were  to  be  vaccinated  on  such  and 
such  a  morning  "  in  the  interests  of  the  camp — both 
prisoners  and  soldiers."  We  were  ordered  to  line  up 
in  a  queue  outside  a  small  building  which  we  were  tp 


H2  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

enter  singly  in  succession.  We  were  commanded  to 
have  our  arms  bared  to  the  shoulder  in  readiness. 
Vaccination  was  not  carried  out  by  Dr.  Ascher,  the 
official  medical  attendant  to  the  camp,  but  by  a  young 
military  doctor  who  came  especially  for  the  purpose. 

Whether  it  was  because  the  temperature  within  the 
small  building  was  too  sultry  or  not  I  cannot  say,  but 
the  vaccinator  decided  to  complete  his  work  in  the 
open  air,  the  fact  that  a  dust-storm  was  raging  not- 
withstanding. The  military  doctor  was  accompanied 
by  a  colleague  carrying  a  small  pot  or  basin  which 
evidently  contained  the  serum.  The  operation  was 
performed  quickly  if  crudely.  The  vaccinator  stopped 
before  a  man,  dipped  his  lance  or  whatever  the  instru- 
ment was  into  the  jar,  and  gripping  the  arm  tightly 
just  above  the  elbow,  made  four  big  slashes  on  the 
muscle.  The  incisions  were  large,  deep,  and  brutal- 
looking.  Then  he  passed  to  the  next  man,  repeating 
the  process,  and  so  on  all  along  the  line.  He  took  no 
notice  of  the  dust  which  was  driving  hither  and  thither 
in  clouds. 

Whether  by  misfortune  or  mishap  I  received  four 
striking  gashes,  and  the  shape  of  the  incisions  made  me 
wonder  whether  the  vaccinator  thought  he  was  playing 
a  game  of  noughts  and  crosses  with  a  scalpel  upon  my 
arm.  After  we  had  been  wounded  in  this  manner  we 
were  in  a  quandary.  Our  arms  were  thickly  covered 
with  the  drifting  sand.  Our  shirt  sleeves  were  equally 
soiled.  Consequently  infection  of  the  wound  appeared 
to  be  inevitable  whatever  we  did.  In  this  unhappy 
frame  of  mind  and  dirty  condition  we  were  dismissed. 
Unfortunately  for  me  I  proved  resistant  to  the  serum, 
and  had  to  submit  to  the  operation  a  second  time  with 
equally  abortive  results.  One  or  two  of  the  prisoners 
suffered  untold  agonies,  blood-poisoning  evidently 
setting  in  to  aggravate  the  action  of  the  serum. 

The  primitive  sanitary  arrangements  which  prevailed 
brought  one  plague  upon  us.  We  suffered  from  a 
pestilence  of  flies  which  under  the  circumstances  was 


BREAKING   US    IN   AT   SENNELAGER  113 

not  surprising,  everything  being  conducive  to  their 
propagation.  They  swarmed  around  us  in  thick 
black  clouds.  They  recalled  the  British  housefly, 
only  they  were  much  larger,  and  extremely  pugnacious. 
Life  within  the  barracks  became  almost  impossible 
owing  to  their  attacks  and  the  severity  of  their  stings, 
which  set  up  maddening  irritation.  We  petitioned 
the  authorities  to  allow  us  a  supply  of  fly-papers. 
After  considerable  demur  they  acquiesced,  but  we  could 
not  use  them,  or  rather  they  were  used  up  too  rapidly. 
The  evening  we  received  them  we  decided  to  attach  a 
few  to  the  ceiling,  but  before  we  could  fix  them  in 
position  their  fly-catching  capacities  were  exhausted. 
They  were  covered  with  a  heaving,  buzzing  black 
mass  of  insects  within  a  minute.  So  we  abandoned 
fly-catching  tactics. 

---This  pestilence  harassed  us  sorely  during  our  meals. 
They  settled  everywhere  and  upon  everything.  While 
butter  or  margarine  were  unobtainable  at  the  canteen 
we  were  able  to  purchase  a  substance  which  resembled 
honey  in  appearance,  colour,  and  taste.  Indeed  we 
were  told  that  it  was  an  artificial  product  of  the  beehive. 
When  we  spread  this  upon  our  bread  the  flies  swarmed 
to  the  attack,  and  before  the  food  could  be  raised  to 
our  mouths  the  bread  was  not  to  be  seen  for  flies.  At 
first  we  spent  considerable  effort  in  brushing  the  insects 
away,  but  their  numbers  were  too  overwhelming  to 
be  resisted,  so  we  were  compelled  to  run  the  risk  of  the 
flies,  and  I,  in  common  with  others,  have  eaten  bread, 
honey,  and  flies  as  well !  It  took  considerable  time  and 
effort  to  master  such  a  revolting  meal,  but  under  these 
conditions,  it  was  either  flies  or  nothing,  so  we  ran  the 
risk  of  the  insects,  although  it  cannot  be  said  that  they 
contributed  to  the  tastiness  of  an  already  indifferent 
food,  or  our  peace  of  mind,  because  we  could  not  dismiss 
thoughts  of  the  cesspool  which  the  flies  made  their 
happy  hunting-ground  during  the  periods  between 
meals. 

Infraction  of  the  rules  and  regulations  were  frequent, 


U4  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

for  the  simple  reason  that  they  were  never  explained  to 
us.  We  had  to  learn  them  as  best  we  could — invariably 
through  the  experience  of  punishment.  This  state 
of  affairs  placed  us  at  the  mercy  of  the  guards.  Those 
who  were  venomously  anti-British  expended  their 
savagery  upon  us  on  every  occasion.  For  the  slightest 
misdemeanour  we  were  consigned  to  the  cells  for  one, 
two,  three,  or  more  days.  The  cell  recalled  my  domicile 
in  Wesel,  and  I  must  confess  that  I  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  its  uninviting  interior  upon  several  occasions 
through  inadvertently  breaking  some  rule.  But  the 
others  fared  no  better  in  this  respect.  It  was  cells  for 
anything. 

This  prison  was  a  small  masonry  building,  fitted  with 
a  tiny  grating.  It  was  devoid  of  all  appointments, 
not  even  a  plank  bed  being  provided.  To  sleep  one 
had  to  stretch  one's  self  on  the  floor  and  secure  as  much 
comfort  as  the  cold  stone  would  afford.  Bread  and 
water  was  the  diet.  All  exercise  was  denied,  except 
possibly  for  the  brief  stretch  accompanied  by  the 
sentry  to  fetch  the  mid-day  meal  of  soup,  assuming 
the  offence  permitted  such  food  in  the  dietary,  from  the 
cook-house.  Conversation  with  a  fellow-creature  was 
rigidly  verboten.  It  was  solitary  confinement  in  its 
most  brutal  form. 

The  method  of  punishment  was  typically  Prussian. 
If  one  upset  the  guard  by  word  or  deed,  he  clapped  you 
in  the  cell  right-away  and  left  you  there.  Possibly 
he  went  off  to  his  superior  officer  to  report  your  offence. 
But  the  probability  was  that  he  did  not.  Indeed  it 
was  quite  likely  that  he  forgot  all  about  you  for  a  time, 
because  the  sentry  at  the  door  never  raised  the  slightest 
interrogation  concerning  a  prisoner  within.  More 
than  once  a  prisoner  was  forgotten  in  this  manner, 
and  accordingly  was  condemned  to  the  silence,  solitude, 
and  dismal  gloom  of  the  tiny  prison  until  the  guard 
chanced  to  recall  him  to  mind. 

During  my  period  of  incarceration  at  Sennelager 
the  number  of  civil  prisoners  brought  in  to  swell  our 


BREAKING    US    IN   AT   SENNELAGER  115 

party  was  somewhat  slender.  They  came  in  small 
batches  of  ten  or  twelve,  but  were  often  fewer  in  number. 
They  invariably  arrived  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Then  the  sentry  would  coma  thumping 
into  the  barrack,  his  heavy  boots  resounding  like 
horse's  hoofs  and  his  rifle  clanging  madly.  Reaching 
the  room  he  would  yell  out  with  all  the  power  of 
his  lungs,  thus  awaking  every  ^one,  "  Dolmetscher  ! 
Dolmetscher  !  "  (Interpreter  !  Interpreter  !)  "  Get 
up  !  "  That  luckless  individual  had  to  bestir  himself, 
tumble  into  his  clothes  and  hurry  to  the  office  to  assist 
the  authorities  in  the  official  interrogation  of  the  latest 
arrivals.  This  was  one  of  the  little  worries  which 
were  sent  to  try  us,  but  we  soon  became  inured  to  the 
rude  disturbance  of  our  rest,  in  which  the  average 
sentry  took  a  fiendish  delight. 

By  the  time  the  first  Sunday  came  round,  and  having 
nothing  to  do — all  labour  was  suspended,  although  no 
religious  service  was  held — I  decided  to  wash  my 
solitary  shirt.  I  purchased  a  small  cake  of  cheap 
rough  soap  from  the  canteen,  got  a  wooden  tub,  and 
stripping  myself  to  the  waist,  washed  out  the  article 
in  question  outside  the  barrack  door  to  the  amusement 
of  my  colleagues.  While  I  was  busily  engaged  in  this 
necessary  occupation  I  was  attracted  by  tittering  and 
chattering.  Looking  up  I  found  I  was  the  object  of 
curiosity  among  a  crowd  of  civilians  dressed  in  their 
Sunday  best.  Together  with  my  fellow-prisoners  I 
hurriedly  retired  to  the  sanctuary  of  our  barracks. 

Later  we  learned  that  on  Sundays  the  residents  of 
Paderborn  and  the  countryside  around  were  free  to 
enter  the  camp  to  have  a  look  at  the  British  prisoners. 
Indeed  they  were  invited.  They  stalked  and  wandered 
about  the  camp  in  much  the  same  manner  as  they  would 
have  strolled  through  the  Zoological  Gardens  in  Berlin, 
looking  at  us  as  if  we  were  strange  exotic  animals, 
chattering,  laughing,  and  joking  among  themselves 
at  our  expense.  We  considered  this  an  unwarrantable 
humiliation,  and  we  countered  it  by  the  only  means 


u6  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

within  our  power.  We  resolutely  stayed  indoors  until 
the  gaping  crowds  had  gone.  This  diversion  of  the 
German  public,  if  such  it  may  be  called,  speedily  fell 
into  desuetude,  not  because  the  novelty  wore  off,  but 
because  the  "  Englander  "  were  never  to  be  seen,  so 
that  the  six-mile  tramp  from  Paderborn  to  Sennelager 
and  back  was  merely  wasted.  It  was  a  bitter  dis- 
appointment to  the  curiosity-provoked  crowds,  but 
we  scored  a  distinct  success. 

The  first  Sunday  I  had  to  wander  about  shirtless, 
the  only  garment  of  this  character  which  I  possessed 
hanging  upon  the  line  to  dry.  But  the  sight  of  a  crowd 
of  us,  on  Sunday  mornings,  stripped  bare  to  our  waists, 
washing  and  scrubbing  the  only  shirts  to  our  backs., 
became  quite  a  common  sight  later,  and  I  must  confess 
that  we  made  merry  over  this  weekly  duty  for  a  time. 

We  had  not  been  in  Sennelager  many  days  before 
we  discovered  to  our  cost  that  we  were  all  suffering 
solitary  confinement.  We  were  completely  isolated 
from  the  outside  world.  We  were  not  permitted  to 
receive  any  letters  or  parcels.  Neither  were  we 
allowed  to  communicate  with  anyone  outside.  News- 
papers were  also  sternly  forbidden.  These  regulations 
were  enforced  with  the  utmost  rigour  during  my  stay 
at  this  camp.  Consequently  we  knew  nothing  what- 
ever about  the  outside  world,  and  the  outside  world 
knew  nothing  about  us.  Early  in  September  I  did 
succeed  in  getting  two  postcards  away,  but  I  ascer- 
tained afterwards  that  they  did  not  reach  their  des- 
tinations until  some  weeks  after  I  had  left  Sennelager. 
We  felt  this  isolation  very  keenly  because  one  and  all 
were  wondering  vaguely  what  our  wives,  families, 
friends,  or  relatives  were  doing. 

About  ten  days  after  our  arrival  at  this  hostelry 
there  was  a  parade.  The  adjutant  strutted  before  us 
with  the  pride  of  a  peacock,  and  in  his  pompous  voice 
cried : 

"  All  prisoners  who  reside  in  Germany  because  of 
their  business  connections,  or  who  are  married  to 


BREAKING    US    IN   AT   SENNELAGER  117 

German  wives,  will  be  permitted  to  return  to  their 
homes  !  " 

This  announcement  precipitated  wild  excitement 
because  it  affected  from  twenty  to  thirty  prisoners. 
Needless  to  say  they  packed  their  bags  with  frantic 
speed,  as  if  fearing  cancellation  of  the  welcome  news, 
and  emerging  from  the  barracks  hastened  to  receive 
their  passes  to  make  their  way  to  Paderborn.  Among 

them  was  the  head  of  our  barrack,  Captain  K . 

A  strong  friendship  had  sprung  up  between  him  and 
me,  and  we  shook  hands  vigorously  though  silently. 
He  invited  many  others  and  myself,  in  the  event  of 
our  being  given  permission  to  move  about  the  country, 
to  come  and  stay  at  his  house  near  C . 

While  every  man  Jack  of  us  who  was  left  behind 
was  heavy  in  his  heart  and  became  sad  because  he  was 
not  numbered  among  the  privileged  few,  we  were  by 
no  means  cast  down.  As  the  small  party  of  free  men 
walked  towards  the  entrance  we  gave  them  a  frantic 
.and  wild  parting  cheer.  It  was  the  first  time  we  had 
let  ourselves  go  and  we  did  it  with  a  vengeance.  The 
German  officers  and  men  started  as  if  electrified,  and 
looked  at  us  in  amazement.  They  thought  we  had 
gone  mad.  Beside  us  stood  one  of  the  guards.  He 
turned  to  us,  his  eyes  and  mouth  wide  open,  to  mutter  : 

"  My  God  !     You  English  are  a  funny  race  !  " 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  we  returned. 

"  What  ?  You  cheer  those  fellows  who  are  going 
home  and  yet  you  are  being  left  here  !  " 

"  Why  not  ?  Good  luck  to  them  !  "  and  we  let  fly 
another  terrific  huzza  to  speed  them  on  then:  way. 

The  guard  shook  his  head,  thoroughly  puzzled.  He 
did  not  understand  the  psychology  of  the  British  race 
.any  more  than  his  superiors. 

"  But  why  do  you  cheer  ?  "  pursued  the  guard. 

"  Because  we  are  English/'  swiftly  retorted  one  of 
rour  party.  The  guard  said  no  more. 

A  day  or  two  after  the  departure  of  our  colleagues 
there  was  a  change  in  the  command  of  the  camp. 


n8  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

The  old  General  was  superseded  by  a  man  whose  name 
will  never  be  forgotten  by  the  British  prisoners  of 
Sennelager  Camp.  They  will  ever  couple  him  with  the 
infamous  instigator  of  the  "  Black  Hole  of  Calcutta." 

This  was  Major  Bach.  Upon  his  assumption  of  the 
command  he  inaugurated  what  can  only  be  truthfully 
described  as  a  Reign  of  Terror.  Tall,  of  decided  mili- 
tary bearing,  he  had  the  face  of  a  ferret  and  was  as 
repulsive.  With  his  sardonic  grin  he  recalled  no  one 
so  vividly  as  the  "  Villain  of  the  Vic  !  " 

The  morning  after  his  arrival  he  paraded  us  all,  and 
in  a  quiet  suave  voice  which  he  could  command  at  times 
stated : 

"  English  prisoners  !  Arrangements  are  being  made 
for  your  instant  return  to  England.  A  day  or  two 
must  pass  before  you  can  go,  to  enable  the  necessary 
papers  to  be  completed  and  put  in  order.  But  you  will 
not  have  to  do  any  more  work." 

We  were  dismissed  and  I  can  assure  you  that  we  were 
a  merry,  excited  crowd.  We  jumped  for  joy  at  the 
thought  that  our  imprisonment  had  come  to  an  end. 
Like  schoolboys  we  hastened  to  the  barracks  and  fever- 
ishly set  to  work  packing  our  bags,  whistling  and  singing 
joyously  meanwhile. 

Suddenly  the  bugle  rang  out  summoning  us  to  parade 
again.  We  rushed  out,  all  agog  with  excitement,  and 
half  hoping  that  our  release  would  be  immediate. 
The  Adjutant  confronted  us  and  in  a  loud  voice  roared : 

"  English  prisoners  !  You've  been  told  that  you 
are  going  back  to  England.  That  was  a  mistake. 
You  will  get  to  work  at  once  !  " 


CHAPTER    VIII 

BADGERING    THE    BRITISH    HEROES    FROM    MONS 

IT  was  about  a  fortnight  after  my  arrival  at  Senne- 
lager.  Our  rest  had  been  rudely  disturbed  about  the 
usual  hour  of  2  a.m.  by  the  sentry  who  came  clattering 
into  the  barrack  roaring  excitedly,  "  Dolmetscher  ! 
Dolmetscher  !  " 

C who,  after  the  departure  of  K ,  had  been 

elected  Captain  of  our  barrack  and  who  was  also  the 
official  interpreter,  answered  the  summons.  He  was 
required  to  accompany  the  guards  to  the  station.  A 
further  batch  of  British  prisoners  had  arrived.  By 
this  time  we  had  grown  accustomed  to  this  kind  of 

nocturnal  disturbance,  so  after  C had  passed  out 

the  rest  of  the  barrack  re-settled  down  to  sleep. 

I  was  astir  just  after  four  o'clock.  It  was  my  turn 
to  serve  as  barrack-room  orderly  for  the  day,  and  I 
started  in  early  to  complete  my  task  before  5.30  so  as 
to  secure  the  opportunity  to  shave  and  wash  before 
parade. 

I  was  outside  the  barrack  when  my  attention  was 
aroused  by  the  sound  of  tramping  feet.  Looking  down 
the  road  I  was  surprised  to  see  a  huge  column  of  dust, 
and  what  appeared  to  be  a  never-ending  crowd  of 
soldiers,  marching  in  column.  It  was  such  an  unusual 
sight,  we  never  having  witnessed  the  arrival  of  more 
than  a  dozen  prisoners  at  a  time,  that,  especially  the 
moment  I  descried  the  uniforms,  my  curiosity  was 
aroused.  Many  of  my  comrades  were  astir  and  partly 
dressed  when  I  gave  a  hail,  so  they  hurried  out  to  join 
me. 

The  army,  for  such  it  seemed,  advanced  amidst  clouds 

119 


120  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

of  dust.  As  they  drew  nearer  we  identified  those  at 
the  head  as  Belgian  soldiers.  They  swung  by  without 
faltering.  Behind  them  came  a  small  army  of  French 
prisoners.  We  could  not  help  noticing  the  compara- 
tively small  number  of  wounded  among  both  the 
Belgians  and  the  French,  and  although  they  were 
undoubtedly  dejected  at  their  unfortunate  capture 
they  were  apparently  in  fine  fettle. 

But  it  was  the  men  who  formed  the  rear  of  this 
depressing  cavalcade,  and  who  also  numbered  several 
hundreds,  which  aroused  our  keenest  interest  and 
pity.  From  their  khaki  uniforms  it  was  easy  to  deter- 
mine their  nationality.  They  were  British  military 
prisoners. 

It  was  a  sad  and  pitiful  procession,  and  it  was  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  we  could  suppress  our  emotion. 
The  tears  welled  to  our  eyes  as  we  looked  on  in  silent 
sympathy.  We  would  have  given  those  hardened  war- 
riors a  rousing  cheer  but  we  dared  not.  The  guards 
would  have  resented  such  an  outburst,  which  would 
have  rendered  the  lot  of  the  British,  both  civilian  and 
military,  a  hundred  times  worse. 

The  soldiers,  battle-stained,  blood-stained,  weary  of 
foot,  body  and  mind  walked  more  like  mechanical 
toys  than  men  in  the  prime  of  life.  Their  clothes  were 
stained  almost  beyond  recognition  ;  their  faces  were 
ragged  with  hair  and  smeared  with  dirt.  But  though 
oppressed,  tired,  hungry  and  thirsty  they  were  far  from 
being  cast  down,  although  many  could  scarcely  move 
one  foot  before  the  other. 

The  most  touching  sight  was  the  tenderness  with 
which  the  unwounded  and  less  injured  assisted  their 
weaker  comrades.  Some  of  the  worst  cases  must 
have  been  suffering  excruciating  agony,  but  they 
bore  their  pain  with  the  stoicism  of  a  Red  Indian.  The 
proportion  of  wounded  was  terrifying  :  every  man 
appeared  to  be  carrying  one  scar  or  another.  As 
they  swung  by  us  they  gave  us  a  silent  greeting  which 
we  returned,  but  there  was  far  more  significance  in  that 


BRITISH    HEROES   FROM   MONS        121 

mute  conversation  with  eyes  and  slight  movements  of 
the  hands  than  in  volumes  of  words  and  frantic  cheering. 

The  brutal  reception  they  had  received  from  their 
captors  was  only  too  apparent.  Those  who  were  so 
terribly  wounded  as  to  be  beyond  helping  themselves 
received  neither  stretcher  nor  ambulance.  They  had 
to  hobble,  limp  and  drag  themselves  along  as  best 
they  could,  profiting  from  the  helping  hand  extended 
by  a  comrade.  Those  who  were  absolutely  unable  to 
walk  had  to  be  carried  by  their  chums,  and  it  was 
pathetic  to  observe  the  tender  care,  solicitude  and 
effort  which  were  displayed  so  as  to  spare  the  luckless 
ones  the  slightest  jolt  or  pain  while  being  carried  in 
uncomfortable  positions  and  attitudes  over  the  thickly 
dust-strewn  and  uneven  road.  The  fortitude  of  the 
badly  battered  was  wonderful.  They  forgot  their 
sufferings,  and  were  even  bandying  jest  and  joke. 
Their  cheerkiess  under  the  most  terrible  conditions 
was  soul-moving.  No  one  can  testify  more  truthfully 
to  the  Tapley  cheeriness  of  the  British  soldier  under  the 
most  adverse  conditions  than  the  little  knot  of  civilian 
prisoners  at  Sennelager  when  brought  face  to  face 
for  the  first  time  with  the  fearful  toll  of  war. 

The  unhappy  plight  of  our  heroic  fighting  men,  as  we 
watched  them  march  towards  what  was  called  the 
"  field,"  which  was  nearly  a  mile  beyond  our  barracks, 
provoked  an  immediate  council  of  war  among  our- 
selves. It  was  only  too  apparent  that  we  must  exert 
ourselves  on  their  behalf.  Unfortunately,  however, 
we  were  not  in  a  position  to  extend  them  pronounced 
assistance  :  our  captors  saw  to  that.  But  we  divided 
up  into  small  parties  and  succeeded  in  giving  all  the  aid 
that  was  in  our  power. 

The  soldiers  were  accommodated  in  tents.  We  had 
observed  the  raising  of  a  canvas  town  upon  the  "  field, " 
and  had  been  vaguely  wondering  for  what  it  was 
required.  Were  German  recruits  coming  to  Senne- 
lager to  undergo  their  training,  or  were  we  to  be  trans- 
ferred from  the  barracks  to  tents  ?  At  first  we  thought 


122  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

the  latter  the  more  probable,  but  as  we  reflected  upon 
the  size  of  canvas-town  we  concluded  that  provision 
was  being  made  for  something  of  far  greater  import- 
ance. 

The  Belgian  prisoners  were  sent  into  the  stables. 
These,  however,  were  scrupulously  clean  and  empty 
of  all  the  incidentals  generally  associated  with  such 
buildings,  because  the  civilian  prisoners  had  been 
compelled  to  scour  them  out  a  few  days  before.  Con- 
sequently the  Belgians  had  no  room  for  protest  against 
the  character  of  their  quarters,  except  perhaps  upon 
the  ground  of  being  somewhat  over-crowded.  A 
number  of  the  French  soldiers  were  also  distributed 
among  the  stables,  but  the  surplus  shared  tents  near 
their  British  comrades. 

Upon  reaching  the  field  the  prisoners  were  paraded. 
Each  man  was  subjected  to  a  searching  cross-examina- 
tion, and  had  to  supply  his  name  and  particulars  of  the 
regiment  to  which  he  belonged.  All  these  details  were 
carefully  recorded.  In  the  preparation  of  this  register 
the  German  inquisitors  betrayed  extraordinary  anxiety 
to  ascertain  the  disposition  of  the  British  troops  and 
the  regiments  engaged  in  the  battle-line.  Evidently 
they  were  in  a  state  of  complete  ignorance  upon  this 
point.  Nearly  every  soldier  was  requested  to  give 
the  name  of  the  place  where  he  had  been  fighting, 
wounded,  and  captured.  But  the  British  soldiers  did 
not  lose  their  presence  of  mind.  They  saw  through 
the  object  of  these  interrogations  and  their  replies 
for  the  most  part  were  extremely  unsatisfactory. 
The  man  either  did  not  know,  could  not  recall,  or 
had  forgotten  where  he  had  been  fighting,  and  was 
exceedingly  hazy  about  what  regiments  were  forming 
the  British  army.  In  some  instances,  however,  the 
desired  data  was  forthcoming  from  those  who  were 
most  severely  wounded,  the  poor  fellows  in  their  misery 
failing  to  ^rasp  the  real  significance  of  the  interpella- 
tions. It  was  easy  to  realise  the  extreme  value  of  the 
details  which  were  given  in  this  manner  because  the 


BRITISH    HEROES    FROM   MONS        123 

Germans  chuckled,  chattered,  and  cackled  like  a  flock 
of  magpies.  As  may  be  supposed,  owing  to  the  exact- 
ing nature  of  the  search  for  information,  the  registra- 
tion of  the  prisoners  occupied  a  considerable  time. 


Later,  during  the  day  of  their  arrival,  we  civilian 
prisoners  had  the  opportunity  to  fraternise  with  our 
fighting  compatriots.  Then  we  ascertained  that  they 
had  been  wounded  and  captured  during  the  retreat 
from  Mons.  But  they  had  been  subjected  to  the  most 
barbarous  treatment  conceivable.  They  had  received 
no  skilled  or  any  other  attention  upon  the  battlefield. 


124  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

They  had  merely  bound  up  one  another's  wounds 
as  best  they  could  with  materials  which  happened  to  be 
at  hand,  or  had  been  forced  to  allow  the  wounds  to 
remain  open  and  exposed  to  the  ah*.  Bleeding  and 
torn  they  had  been  bundled  unceremoniously  into  a 
train,  herded  like  cattle,  and  had  been  four  days  and 
nights  travelling  from  the  battlefield  to  Sennelager. 

During  these  96  hours  they  had  tasted  neither  food 
nor  water  !  The  train  was  absolutely  deficient  in  any 
commissariat,  and  the  soldiers  had  not  been  permitted 
to  satisfy  their  cravings,  even  to  the  slightest  degree, 
and  even  if  they  were  in  the  possession  of  the  where- 
withal, by  the  purchase  of  food  at  stations  at  which 
the  train  had  happened  to  stop.  What  with  the 
fatigue  of  battle  and  this  prolonged  enforced  abstinence 
from  the  bare  necessaries  of  life,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  they  reached  Sennelager  in  a  precarious  and 
pitiful  condition. 

Among  our  heroes  were  five  commissioned  officers, 
including  a  major.  These  were  accommodated  at 
Sennelager  for  about  a  fortnight  but  then  they  were 
sent  away,  whither  we  never  knew  beyond  the  fact 
that  they  had  been  condemned  to  safer  imprisonment 
in  a  fortress.  Among  the  prisoners  were  also  about 
200  men  belonging  to  the  R.A.M.C.,  taken  in  direct 
contravention  of  the  generally  accepted  rules  of  war. 
They  were  treated  in  precisely  the  same  manner  as  the 
captured  fighting  men.  There  were  also  a  few  non- 
commissioned officers  who  were  permitted  to  retain 
their  authority  within  certain  limits. 

One  of  the  prisoners  gave  me  a  voluminous  diary 
which  he  had  kept,  and  in  which  were  chronicled  the 
whole  of  his  movements  and  impressions  from  the 
moment  he  landed  in  France  until  his  capture,  including 
the  Battle  of  Mons.  It  was  a  remarkable  human  docu- 
ment, and  I  placed  it  in  safe  keeping,  intending  to 
get  it  out  of  the  camp  and  to  send  it  to  my  friend  at 
home  upon  the  first  opportunity.  But  ill-luck  dogged 
this  enterprise.  The  existence  of  the  diary  got  to 


BRITISH   HEROES    FROM   MONS        125 

the  ears  of  our  wardens  and  I  was  compelled  to 
surrender  it. 

The  next  morning  the  wounded  received  attention. 
The  medical  attendant  attached  to  the  camp  for  the 
civilian  prisoners,  Dr.  Ascher,  was  not  placed  in 
command  of  this  duty,  although  he  extended  assistance. 
A  German  military  surgeon  was  given  the  responsibi- 
lity. The  medical  arrangements  provided  by  this 
official,  who  became  unduly  inflated  with  the  eminence 
of  his  position,  were  of  the  most  arbitrary  character. 
He  attended  the  camp  at  certain  hours  and  he  adhered 
to  his  time-table  in  the  most  rigorous  manner.  If 
you  were  not  there  to  time,  no  matter  the  nature  of 
your  injury,  you  received  no  attention.  Similarly, 
if  the  number  of  patients  lined  up  outside  the  diminu- 
tive hospital  were  in  excess  of  those  to  whom  he  could 
give  attention  during  the  hours  he  had  set  forth,  he 
would  turn  the  surplus  away  with  the  intimation  that 
they  could  present  themselves  the  next  day  at  the  same 
hour  when  perhaps  he  would  be  able  to  see  to  them. 
It  did  not  matter  to  him  how  serious  was  the  injury 
or  the  urgency  for  attention.  His  hours  were  laid 
down,  and  he  would  not  stay  a  minute  later  for  any- 
thing. Fortunately,  Dr.  Ascher,  who  resented  this 
inflexible  system,  would  attend  the  most  pressing 
cases  upon  his  own  initiative,  for  which,  it  is  needless 
to  say,  he  received  the  most  heartfelt  thanks. 

Before  the  duty  of  examining  the  wounded  soldiers 
commenced  there  was  a  breeze  between  Dr.  Ascher  and 
the  military  surgeon.  The  former  insisted  that  the 
patients  should  receive  attention  as  they  lined  up — 
first  come  to  be  first  served,  and  irrespective  of  nation- 
ality. But  the  military  doctor  would  have  none  of 
this.  His  hatred  of  the  British  was  so  intense  that  he 
could  not  resist  any  opportunity  to  reveal  his  feelings. 
I  really  think  that  he  would  willingly  have  refused  to 
attend  to  the  British  soldiers  at  all  if  his  superior 
orders  had  not  charged  him  with  this  duty.  So  he 
did  the  next  worse  thing  to  harass  our  heroes.  He 


126  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

expressed  his  intention  to  attend  first  to  the  Belgians, 
then  to  the  French,  and  to  the  British  last.  They 
could  wait,  notwithstanding  that  their  injuries  were 
more  severe  and  the  patients  more  numerous  than  those 
of  the  other  two  Allies  put  together.  This  decision, 
however,  was  only  in  consonance  with  the  general 
practice  of  the  camp — the  British  were  always  placed 
last  in  everything.  If  the  military  surgeon  thought 
that  his  arbitrary  attitude  would  provoke  protests 
and  complaints  among  the  British  soldiers  he  was 
grievously  mistaken,  because  they  accepted  his  decision 
without  a  murmur. 

The  queue  outside  the  hospital  was  exceedingly 
lengthy.  The  heat  was  intense  and  grew  intolerable 
as  the  day  advanced  and  the  sun  climbed  higher  into 
the  heavens.  To  aggravate  matters  a  dust-storm 
blew  up.  The  British  wounded  at  the  end  of  the  line 
had  a  dreary,  long,  and  agonising  wait.  Half -dead 
from  fatigue,  hunger,  and  racked  with  pain  it  is  not 
surprising  that  many  collapsed  into  the  dust,  more 
particularly  as  they  could  not  secure  the  slightest 
shelter  or  relief  from  the  broiling  sun.  As  the  hours 
wore  on  they  dropped  like  flies,  to  receive  no  attention 
whatever, — except  from  their  less-wounded  comrades, 
who  strove  might  and  main  to  render  the  plight  of 
the  worst  afflicted  as  tolerable  as  the  circumstances 
would  permit.  Dr.  Ascher  toiled  in  the  hospital  like 
a  Trojan,  but  the  military  doctor  was  not  disposed 
to  exert  himself  unduly. 

To  make  matters  worse  this  despicable  disciple  of 
^Esculapius  came  out,  and,  notwithstanding  the  drifting 
and  blowing  sand,  ordered  all  the  British  prisoners  to 
remove  their  bandages  so  that  there  might  be  no  delay 
when  the  hospital  was  reached.  The  men  obeyed  as 
best  as  they  could,  but  in  many  instances  the  bandages 
refused  to  release  themselves  from  the  wound.  The 
military  doctor  speedily  solved  this  problem.  He  caught 
hold  of  the  untied  end  of  the  bandage  and  roughly 
tore  it  away.  The  wounded  man  winced  but  not  a 


BRITISH    HEROES    FROM    MONS        127 

sound  came  from  his  lips,  although  the  wrench  must 
have  provoked  a  terrible  throb  of  pain,  and  in  some 
instances  induced  the  injury  to  resume  bleeding. 
Finding  this  brutal  treatment  incapable  of  drawing 
the  anticipated  protest  he  relented  with  the  later  prison- 
ers, submitting  the  refractory  bandages  to  preliminary 
damping  with  water  to  coax  the  dressings  free. 

With  their  bandages  removed  the  soldiers  presented 
a  ghastly  sight.  Their  clothes  were  tattered  and  torn, 
bloodstained  and  mudstained,  while  the  raw  wounds 
seemed  to  glare  wickedly  against  the  sun,  air,  and  dust. 
It  was  pitiable  to  see  the  men  striving  to  protect  their 
injuries  from  the  driving  sand,  in  vain,  because  the 
sand  penetrated  everywhere.  Consequently  the  gaping 
wounds  soon  became  clogged  with  dust,  and  it  is  not 
surprising  that  blood-poisoning  set  in,  gangrene  super- 
vening in  many  instances.  Under  these  conditions 
many  injuries  and  wounds  which  would  have  healed 
speedily  under  proper  attention  and  which  would  have 
left  little  or  no  permanent  traces,  developed  into  serious 
cases,  some  of  which  resisted  all  treatment,  finally 
demanding  amputations.  The  mutilation  which  ensued 
was  terrible,  and  there  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  many 
a  limb  was  lost,  condemning  the  wounded  man  to  be 
a  cripple  for  life,  just  because  he  happened  to  be 
British,  incurred  the  hostility  of  the  military  surgeon, 
and  was  intentionally  neglected.  Matters  were  aggra- 
vated by  the  military  surgeon  coming  out  of  the  hospital 
finally,  after  the  men  had  been  standing  uncomplain- 
ingly for  several  hours  in  the  baking  heat,  going  a 
certain  distance  along  the  line,  and  then  brutally  telling 
all  those  beyond  that  point  that  they  could  re-bind 
up  their  wounds  and  come  to  see  him  the  next  morning. 
He  had  no  time  to  attend  to  them  that  day,  he 
remarked. 

I  do  not  know  how  our  wounded  heroes  from  Mons 
would  have  got  on  had  it  not  been  for  Dr.  Ascher,  the 
R.A.M.C.  prisoners,  ourselves,  and  a  British  military 
doctor  who  happened  to  be  among  those  captured  on 


128  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

the  battlefield.  The  latter  was  not  discovered  for 
some  time  because  he  refused  to  reveal  his  identity. 
Subsequently,  realising  the  serious  turn  which  matters 
were  taking,  and  observing  the  intentional  and 
systematic  neglect  which  was  being  meted  out  to  his 
unfortunate  fellow-countrymen,  he  buckled  in  and  did 

wonderful  work.  Prince  L and  K also  toiled 

incessantly  in  the  attempt  to  ameliorate  the  plight 
of  our  wounded.  Many  of  the  soldiers  were  absolutely 
without  funds,  but  these  two  civilians  extended  them 
the  assistance  so  sorely  needed  out  of  their  own  pockets, 
purchasing  foodstuffs  from  the  canteen,  which  they 
distributed  together  with  other  articles  which  were 
in  urgent  request,  with  every  liberality. 

The  lack  of  funds  hit  our  wounded  exceedingly 
hard.  Although  they  were  on  the  sick  list  they  received 
no  special  treatment.  They  were  in  dire  need  of  nour- 
ishing food  suitable  for  invalids,  but  they  never 
received  it.  They  were  compelled,  in  common  with 
ourselves  who  were  in  tolerably  good  health,  to  sub- 
sist on  milkless  and  sugarless  acorn  coffee,  cabbage- 
soup,  and  black  bread,  which  cannot  possibly  be 
interpreted  as  an  invalid  body-restoring  dietary. 
As  a  result  of  this  insufficient  feeding  the  soldiers 
commenced  to  fall  away. 

This  systematic  starvation,  for  it  was  nothing  more 
nor  less,  rendered  the  soldiers  well-nigh  desperate. 
In  order  to  secure  the  money  wherewith  to  supplement 
their  meagre  and  uninviting  non-nutritious  food  with 
articles  from  the  canteen,  they  were  prepared  to  sell 
anything  and  everything  which  could  be  turned  into 
a  few  pence.  Khaki  overcoats  were  freely  sold  for 
six  shillings  apiece.  For  sixpence  you  could  buy  a 
pair  of  puttees.  Even  buttons  were  torn  off  and  sold 
for  what  they  would  fetch.  One  morning,  on  parade, 
a  soldier  whose  face  testified  to  the  ravages  of  hunger 
tore  off  his  cardigan  jacket  and  offered  it  to  any  one 
for  sixpence  in  order  to  buy  bread.  Little  souvenirs 
which  the  soldiers  had  picked  up  on  the  battlefield, 


BRITISH    HEROES    FROM    MONS        129 

and  which  they  treasured  highly,  hoping  to  take  them 
home  as  mementoes  of  their  battles,  were  sold  to  any 
one  who  would  buy.  As  a  matter  of  fact  some  of  the 
soldiers  were  prepared  to  part  with  anything  and  every- 
thing in  which  they  were  standing  in  order  to  get  food. 

While  we  fraternised  with  the  soldiers  at  the  very 
first  opportunity  to  secure  details  of  their  experiences 
which  were  freely  given  and  to  learn  items  of  news, 
the  German  guards  interfered.  We  had  been  kept 
in  complete  ignorance  of  the  progress  of  the  war,  and 
now  we  were  learning  too  much  for  our  captors.  I 
may  say  that  all  we  heard  about  the  war  was  the 
occasional  intelligence  given  when  we  were  on  parade. 
Major  Bach  would  stroll  up  with  German  newspapers 
in  his  hands  and  with  fiendish  delight  would  give  us 
items  of  news  which  he  thought  would  interest  us. 
Needless  to  say  the  fragments  always  referred  to 
brilliant  German  victories  and  he  used  to  watch  our  faces 
with  grim  pleasure  to  ascertain  the  effect  they  produced 
upon  us.  At  first  we  were  somewhat  impressed, 
especially  when  he  told  us  that  Paris  had  been  captured. 
But  when  he  related  ten  days  later  that  it  had  fallen 
again,  and  that  London  was  in  German  hands,  we  smiled 
in  spite  of  ourselves  because  we  had  trapped  him  in 
his  lying. 

We  were  now  separated  from  our  soldier  friends, 
from  whom  we  had  gained  a  more  reliable  insight 
concerning  the  state  of  affairs.  The  German  guards 
also  gave  themselves  away  by  relating  that  they  were 
embittered  against  the  British  soldiers  because  they 
had  fought  like  devils  and  had  wrought  terrible  havoc 
among  the  ranks  of  the  German  army.  Consequently 
the  only  opportunity  which  arose  for  conversation 
was  during  the  evenings  around  the  canteen.  Even 
then  we  had  to  be  extremely  cautious.  If  the  guard 
saw  one  or  two  civilians  associated  with  a  group  of 
Tommies,  he  would  come  up,  force  us  apart  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet,  and  make  us  proceed  different 
ways. 
I 


130  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

Our  practice  was  to  mingle  singly  and  discreetly 
with  the  soldiers,  and  then  upon  return  to  barracks 
exchange  news  we  had  gleaned.  I  may  say  it  became 
an  unwritten  law  of  the  camp  that,  if  a  civilian  took 
a  soldier  into  the  canteen  and  asked  him  any  questions, 
he  was  to  reciprocate  by  treating  the  Tommy  to 
some  little  dainty  which  was  obtainable.  If  we 
asked  nothing  the  soldier  got  nothing.  This  latter 
attitude  was  not  due  to  our  resenting  the  idea  of 
treating  the  soldier,  but  because  many  of  us  were 
poor,  or  empty,  in  pocket  ourselves.  Although  we 
did  a  considerable  amount  of  forced  labour  we  never 
received  a  penny  for  it. 

I  had  a  tilt  at  my  guard  one  day  over  the  payment 
of  prisoners  of  war.  Although  I  knew  nothing  about 
the  International  law  upon  the  subject  I  made  a  ven- 
ture. 

"  Do  you  know  ?  "  I  asked,  "  that  as  prisoners  of 
war  we  are  entitled  to  60  pfennigs — sixpence — a  day 
for  what  work  we  do  ?  " 

"  Ja  !  Ja  !  "  he  grinned.  "  But  as  it  costs  us  90 
pfennigs  a  day  to  keep  you,  after  deducting  the  60 
pfennigs,  you  still  owe  us  30  pfennigs  a  day  !  " 

The  idea  of  us  being  in  Germany's  debt  for  our  board 
and  lodging  was  certainly  humorous.  If  any  one  asked 
me  how  much  it  cost  the  Teutonic  Government  in  this 
direction  I  should  consider  a  halfpenny  a  day  a  very 
liberal  figure. 

The  efforts  of  the  prisoners  to  supplement  their 
meagre  and  monotonous  official  allowance  of  food  by 
purchases  at  the  canteen  were  handicapped  by  the 
avariciousness  and  unprecedented  rascality  of  the 
unprincipled  rogue  who  was  in  charge  of  this 
indispensable  establishment. 

When  a  soldier  had  secured  a  few  pence,  say  a  shilling, 
by  the  sale  of  this  or  that  personal  belonging,  and  prof- 
fered the  coin  to  the  canteen  proprietor,  this  worthy 
would  pick  it  up,  shrug  his  shoulders,  and  disdainfully 
push  the  shilling  back  with  the  remark, 


BRITISH   HEROES    FROM   MONS        131 

"  English  money  ?  No  good  here  !  I  can  get  very 
little  for  it !  " 

At  this  pronouncement  the  soldier's  face  would 
fall.  But  dreading  denial  of  a  "  brotchen  "  of  which 
he  was  in  urgent  need  he  would  grow  desperate.  He 
would  push  the  coin  across  the  counter  again. 

"  It  must  be  worth  something  !  Now  how  much 
will  you  give  for  it  ?  "  he  would  ask  pleadingly. 

With  further  demur,  elevation  of  eyebrows,  pucker- 
ing of  brows  and  hesitancy  the  canteen  proprietor 
would  complete  a  mental  arithmetical  sum  in  currency 
exchange.  At  last  he  would  reluctantly  quote  a 
figure,  and  as  a  rule  it  was  about  fifty  per  cent, 
below  the  face  value  of  the  coin.  Thus  the  soldier's 
shilling  would  only  be  valued  at  sixpence  in  German 
money. 

The  soldier,  satisfied  at  being  able  to  get  a  "  brot- 
chen "  even  at  such  a  sacrifice,  would  submit.  But 
although  the  unwarranted  depreciation  was  robbery 
it  was  not  the  worst  feature  of  the  methods  of 
this  greedy  money-changer. 

The  soldier  would  receive,  not  five  English  pennies 
or  50  German  pfennigs  as  his  change  but  a  French  half- 
franc.  Then  the  next  time  he  visited  the  canteen  for 
another  "  brotchen  "  or  something  else,  he  would  put 
down  the  half -franc  he  had  previously  received. 
Again  the  soldier  received  a  rude  surprise.  The  canteen 
proprietor  would  reluctantly  say  that  the  French  money 
was  useless  to  him.  There  would  be  a  repetition  of 
the  previous  bickering  over  the  British  shilling,  and 
at  last  the  astonished  soldier  would  learn  that  he  could 
only  change  the  French  half-franc  at  a  discount  of 
forty  per  cent.  In  this  instance  the  change  would  be 
the  equivalent  of  twopence  in  English  money,  but  it 
would  be  given  in  Belgian  coins.  Upon  the  third 
occasion  when  the  British  soldier  visited  the  canteen 
to  buy  a  "  brotchen  "  and  proffered  the  Belgian  coinage 
he  would  learn  that  this  had  also  undergone  a  sudden 
depreciation  of  fifty  per  cent.  So  that  by  the  time 


132  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

the  soldier  had  expended  his  shilling  he  had  really 
received  goods  to  the  value  of  about  threepence. 

It  was  a  cunning  method  of  conducting  business  and 
the  canteen  proprietor  was  a  master  in  keeping  the 
hated  currency  of  the  three  nations  in  circulation 
among  themselves,  and  always  exacted  a  heavy  charge 
for  its  acceptance. 

With  such  a  novel  means  of  ringing  the  changes  upon 
soldiers  of  the  three  nationalities  it  is  not  surprising 
that  the  canteen  proprietor  waxed  rich  within  a  very 
short  time. 

Such  a  state  of  affairs  not  only  adversely  affected 
the  soldiers  but  the  poor  civilian  prisoners  as  well. 
At  last  things  came  to  such  a  pass  that  one  of  our  inter- 
preters, F.  K ,  the  fellow-prisoner  whom  I  had  met 

in  Wesel  prison,  tackled  the  canteen  proprietor  upon  his 
unfair  method  of  conducting  business,  and  emphasised 
how  harsh  it  was  upon  the  prisoners  who  were  not 
flush  in  funds.  For  this  attempt  to  improve  our 
position  F.  K—  —  had  to  pay  the  penalty.  The  canteen 
proprietor  promptly  reported  the  interpreter  to  the 
Commanding  Officer  of  the  camp,  who  forthwith 
sentenced  our  comrade  to  three  days'  cells  for  daring 
to  interfere  with  German  organisation  ! 

The  Germans,  in  their  determined  intention  to  pre- 
vent the  British  civilian  and  military  prisoners  from 
mingling,  adopted  the  most  drastic  measures.  Guards 
were  posted  everywhere  and  we  were  sternly  forbidden 
to  enter  the  soldiers'  reservation.  If  we  were  detected 
the  guards  were  instructed  to  let  drive  with  their 
rifles  without  giving  any  previous  warning.  The 
anti-British  sentiment  was  so  acute  that  any  one  of 
our  guards  would  have  only  been  too  delighted  to  have 
had  the  chance  to  put  this  order  into  effect,  and  that 
upon  the  slightest  pretext.  As  he  would  have  been 
upheld  in  his  action  we  decided  to  give  these  amiable 
wardens  no  opportunity  to  turn  us  into  targets. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  we  were  regarded  as  little 
less  than  desperadoes  of  the  worst  type.  Our  troops 


BRITISH    HEROES    FROM   MONS        133 

had  given  the  Germans  such  a  severe  shaking  up  as  to 
throw  our  guards  into  a  state  of  wild  panic.  This  was 
proved  only  too  conclusively  by  an  incident  which 
occurred  one  night.  After  we  had  retired  we  were  not 
permitted  to  put  our  heads  out  of  the  windows.  To  do 
so  was  to  court  a  bullet,  also  according  to  instructions. 
On  this  particular  night,  after  we  had  turned  in,  one  of 
the  prisoners,  unable  to  sleep  owing  to  mental  worry  and 
the  heat,  strolled  to  the  door  to  get  a  breath  of  fresh 
air.  As  he  stepped  out  into  the  dusty  footway  a 
terrifying  fusillade  rang  out  and  continued  for  several 
minutes.  We  all  sprang  up  wondering  what  was  the 
matter. 

The  poor  fellow  had  been  spotted  coming  out  of  the 
door  by  the  sentry  who,  too  excited  to  recognise  the 
man,  had  fired  his  rifle  at  the  prisoner  for  all  he  was 
worth.  Instantly  the  guard  turned  out.  The  prisoner 
brought  abruptly  to  his  senses  had  darted  back  into  the 
barrack  safe  and  sound  but  fearfully  scared.  Only 
the  wild  shooting  of  the  sentry  had  saved  him  from 
being  riddled.  The  guard  itself,  upon  turning  out, 
evidently  thought  that  a  rebellion  had  broken  out 
or  at  least  that  a  prisoner  had  escaped.  Seizing  their 
rifles  they  blazed  away  for  dear  life.  They  did  not 
aim  at  anything  in  particular  but  shot  haphazardly 
at  the  stars,  haystacks,  and  trees  in  the  most  frantic 
manner  imaginable  and  as  rapidly  as  their  magazine 
arms  would  let  them.  Undoubtedly  the  Germans 
were  half-mad  with  fear.  It  rained  bullets  around  the 
barracks  and  every  man  within  crouched  down  on 
his  bed,  away  from  the  windows  through  which  we 
momentarily  expected  the  bullets  to  crash.  None  of 
us  dared  to  move  for  fear  that  there  might  be  a  collision 
with  one  or  more  of  the  missiles  which  pattered  around 
us. 

The  next  morning  we  were  paraded  hurriedly.  The 
guard  ran  about  among  us,  searching  every  corner  of 
the  barracks,  as  if  bereft.  The  roll  was  called  with  wild 
excitement.  A  prisoner  had  escaped  !  Had  he  not 


134  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

been  seen  by  every  imaginative  member  of  the  guard  ? 
But  when  they  discovered  that  we  were  all  safe  and 
sound,  and  that  we  were  perfectly  composed,  they 
presented  a  sorry  array  of  stalwart  warders.  Their 
sheepishness  provoked  us  to  laughter  when  we  learned 
the  true  reason  for  all  the  bother.  But  it  brought 
home  to  us  the  extreme  danger  of  falling  foul  of  such 
a  panicky  mob. 

The  military  reservation  was  fenced  off  from  our 
quarters  by  barbed  wire.  The  rule  ran  that  no  prisoner 
on  either  side  of  the  barrier  was  to  advance  within 
a  metre's  distance — about  one  yard — of  the  fence. 
Guards  were  on  duty  to  see  that  this  regulation  was 
obeyed.  One  day  a  British  Tommy,  in  a  moment 
of  forgetfulness,  ventured  within  the  forbidden  dis- 
tance. With  a  flash  the  excited  guard  standing  near 
by  raised  his  rifle  and  jabbed  fiercely  at  the  soldier. 
The  bayonet  got  home  in  the  luckless  Tommy's  shoulder 
and  passed  clean  through  from  front  to  back,  the  ugly 
point  of  the  bayonet  protruding  about  three  inches. 

This  incident  and  unwarranted  savagery,  although 
born  of  "  nerves,"  sickened  and  also  roused  those  of  us 
who  had  seen  it.  Seeing  that  the  soldier  was  quite 
unarmed  the  sentry  might  have  used  the  butt  end  of 
his  weapon  just  as  satisfactorily.  But  no  !  It  was  a 
swine  of  an  Englander  who  had  infringed  the  rule  and 
the  bayonet  was  the  instrument  for  correction,  to  be 
plied  with  the  utmost  effect. 

Seeing  the  desperate  condition  of  the  British  wounded 
and  the  inhuman  manner  in  which  they  were  treated 
one  might  naturally  conclude  that  they  would  have 
died  off  like  flies.  Sennelager  has  the  most  evil 
reputation  among  the  German  prison  camps  for  system- 
atic brutality  and  unprecedented  ferocity.  But  to  levy 
such  an  accusation  is  to  bring  an  immediate  German 
denial.  In  reply  they  turn  to  the  official  reports  and 
retort  that  conditions  could  not  possibly  be  so  terrible 
as  they  are  painted,  otherwise  the  camp  would  be 
certain  to  reveal  a  high  mortality.  On  the  other  hand 


BRITISH    HEROES    FROM   MONS         135 

the  death-rate  at  Sennelager  is  strikingly  low,  and  the 
German  officials  smile  contentedly  while  the  Press 
comforts  itself  smugly. 

The  presentation  of  the  low  death-rate  is  even  likely 
to  arouse  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  unsophisticated 
British  at  home.  They  are  not  versed  in  German 
cunning.  Sennelager  camp  carries  a  low  death-rate 
for  the  simple  reason  that  a  prisoner  is  not  permitted 
to  die  there.  When  a  man  has  been  reduced  to  a 
hopeless  condition  and  his  demise  appears  imminent 
he  is  hurriedly  sent  off  to  some  other  place,  preferably 
a  hospital,  to  die.  By  a  slice  of  luck  he  might  cheat 
Death,  in  which  event,  upon  his  recovery,  he  is  bundled 
off  to  another  prison.  But  he  seldom,  if  ever,  comes 
back  to  Sennelager  !  During  my  period  of  incarceration 
only  one  man,  B ,  who  was  sent  to  Paderborn  hos- 
pital to  die  as  the  Germans  thought,  but  who  recovered, 
returned  to  Sennelager.  When  a  man  was  hastened 
out  of  the  camp  in  this  manner  we  never  knew  his  fate. 
It  became  a  by-word  that  few  men  went  from  Sennelager 
but  none  returned.  Consequently,  whenever  we  saw  a 
sick  case  leave  the  camp  we  surmised  that  the  poor 
wretch  was  making  his  final  journey  to  the  Great 
Beyond.  We  assumed  his  speedy  death  from  natural 
causes — as  the  German  authorities  would  relate — to 
be  inevitable. 


CHAPTER    IX 

THE   PERSECUTION   OF   THE   PRIESTS 

ALTHOUGH  we  British  prisoners,  both  civilian  and 
military,  constituted  the  principal  butt  for  the  spleen  of 
Major  Bach,  we  never  raised  the  slightest  audible  com- 
plaint or  protest,  although  inwardly  and  in  the  seclusion 
of  our  barracks  we  chafed  at  the  unrelenting  tyranny 
to  which  we  were  exposed  and  against  which  we  were 
completely  helpless.  In  strict  accordance  with  the 
instructions  of  the  Commandant  we  were  always  the 
last  to  receive  attention.  It  we  ever  had  to  go  to  the 
hospital  to  receive  any  treatment  and  were  the  first  to 
arrive  at  its  doors,  we  had  to  kick  our  heels  outside 
and  possess  ourselves  in  patience  as  best  we  could  until 
all  the  prisoners  of  other  nationalities  had  seen  the 
surgeon.  As  a  rule  we  had  a  lost  journey.  The  surgeon 
in  his  haste  to  get  away  either  would  notify  us  that  our 
cases  could  not  receive  enquiry  until  the  morrow,  or  he 
would  treat  us  in  a  perfunctory  manner. 

As  at  the  hospital  so  at  the  cook-house  at  meal  times. 
We  were  never  given  our  rations  until  all  the  others  had 
been  satisfied.  The  consequence  was  that  we  generally 
went  short  of  food.  The  first  to  be  treated  received 
liberal  quantities  of  the  cabbage  soup.  What  was  left 
had  to  be  eked  out  amongst  us. 

"  The  damned  English  swine  can  wait !  "  This  was 
the  dictum  of  those  in  authority  and  the  underlings  were 
only  too  eager  to  fulfil  it  to  the  letter.  If  there  were  the 
slightest  opportunity  to  deprive  us  of  our  food,  on  the 
flimsy  pretext  that  we  had  not  answered  the  summons 
with  sufficient  alacrity,  it  was  eagerly  grasped.  Under 
these  conditions  we  had  to  go  supperless  to  bed,  unless 

136 


THE  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  PRIESTS   137 

we  could  procure  something  at  the  canteen  or  our  more 
fortunate  comrades  came  to  our  assistance  by  sharing 
with  us  the  comestibles  they  had  purchased. 

Some  ten  days  after  the  appearance  of  Major  Bach  a 
new  target  for  his  savagery  and  venom  appeared.  This 
was  a  party  of  Belgian  priests.  I  shall  never  forget  their 
entrance  to  the  camp.  We  were  performing  necessary 
daily  duties  outside  our  barracks  when  our  attention 
was  drawn  to  an  approaching  party  surrounded 
by  an  abnormally  imposing  force  of  soldiers.  Such  a 
military  display  was  decidedly  unusual  and  we  naturally 
concluded  that  a  prisoner  of  extreme  significance,  and 
possibly  rank,  had  been  secured  and  was  to  be  interned 
at  Sennelager. 

When  the  procession  drew  nearer  and  we  saw  that 
the  prisoners  were  priests  our  curiosity  gave  way  to 
feelings  of  intense  disgust.  They  were  twenty-two 
in  number  and  were  garbed  just  as  they  had  been  torn 
from  prayer  by  the  ruthless  soldiers.  Some  were 
venerable  men  bordering  on  seventy.  Subsequently  I 
discovered  that  the  youngest  among  them  was  fifty- 
four  years  of  age,  but  the  average  was  between  sixty 
and  seventy. 

The  reverend  fathers  with  clasped  hands  moved 
precisely  as  if  they  were  conducting  some  religious 
ceremonial  among  their  flocks  in  their  beloved  churches. 
But  the  pace  was  too  funereal  for  the  advocates  of  the 
goose-step.  They  hustled  the  priests  into  quicker  move- 
ment, not  in  the  rough  manner  usually  practised  with 
us,  but  by  clubbing  the  unfortunate  religionists  across 
the  shoulders  with  the  stocks  of  their  rifles,  lowering 
their  bayonets  to  them  and  giving  vent  to  blood- 
freezing  curses,  fierce  oaths,  coarse  jeers,  and  rewarding 
the  desperate  endeavours  of  the  priests  to  fulfil  the 
desires  of  their  captors  with  mocking  laughter  and 
ribaldry. 

The  brutal  manner  in  which  they  were  driven  into 
the  camp  as  if  they  were  sheep  going  to  the  slaughter, 
made  our  blood  boil.  More  than  one  of  us  clenched  our 


138  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

fists  and  made  a  half-movement  forward  as  if  to  inter- 
fere. But  we  could  do  nothing  and  so  had  to  control 
our  furious  indignation. 

However,  the  moment  the  priests  entered  Senne- 
lager  we  received  a  respite.  Officers  and  guards  turned 
their  savagery  and  spite  from  us  to  visit  it  upon  these 
unhappy  victims  by  night  and  by  day  and  at  every 
trick  and  turn.  Clubbing  with  the  rifle  was  the  most 
popular  means  of  compelling  them  to  obey  this,  or  to  do 
that.  More  than  once  I  have  seen  one  of  the  aged 
religionists  fall  to  the  ground  beneath  a  rifle  blow  which 
struck  him  across  the  back.  No  indignity  conceivable, 
besides  a  great  many  indescribable,  was  spared  those 
venerable  men,  and  they  bowed  to  their  revolting  treat- 
ment with  a  meekness  which  seemed  strangely  out  of 
place. 

After  one  more  than  usually  ferocious  manifestation 
of  attack  I  questioned  our  guard  to  ascertain  the  reason 
for  this  unprecedented  treatment  and  why  the  priests 
had  been  especially  singled  out  for  such  infamous 
ferocity. 

"  Ach  !  "  he  hissed  with  a  violent  expectoration, 
'  They  fired  upon  our  brave  comrades  in  Belgium. 
They  rang  the  bells  of  their  churches  to  summon  the 
women  to  the  windows  to  fire  upon  our  brothers  as  they 
passed.  The  dogs  !  Well  show  them  !  We'll  break 
them  before  we  have  finished.  They  won't  want  to 
murder  our  brave  troops  again  !  " 

The  words  were  jerked  out  with  such  fearful  fury  that 
I  refrained  from  pursuing  the  subject.  Later  I  had  a 
chat  with  one  of  the  oldest  priests.  It  was  only  with 
difficulty  we  could  understand  one  another,  but  it  was 
easy  to  discover  that  the  charges  were  absolutely  un- 
founded, and  were  merely  the  imagination  of  the  dis- 
torted and  savage  Prussian  mind  when  slipped  from  the 
leash  to  loot,  assault  and  kill  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life. 

A  night  or  two  later  a  few  of  us  were  purchasing  food 
at  the  canteen.  Suddenly  four  soldiers  came  tumbling 


THE  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  PRIESTS  139 

in,  dragging  with  them  one  of  the  most  aged  of  the 
Fathers.  He  must  have  been  on  the  verge  of  three- 
score and  ten,  and  with  his  long  white  beard  he  presented 
an  impressive,  proud,  and  stately  figure.  But  the 
inflamed  Prussian  has  no  respect  for  age.  The  old  man 
was  bludgeoned  against  the  counter  and  at  his  abortive 
attempts  to  protect  himself  the  soldiers  jeered  and 
laughed  boisterously. 

One  of  the  soldiers  called  for  a  suit  of  clothes  which 
was  served  out  to  prisoners,  and  for  which  we  were 
supposed  to  pay  six  marks — six  shillings.  The  leader 
of  the  party  of  soldiers  grabbed  the  suit  and,  pushing 
the  priest  roughly,  shouted, 

"  Here  !  You  can't  work  in  the  fields  with  that 
garb  you  are  wearing.  You've  got  to  buy  these.  Six 
marks  !  Hurry  up  !  You've  got  to  put  them  on  !  " 

The  priest,  who  did  not  understand  a  word  of 
German,  naturally  failed  to  grasp  the  meaning  of  the 
command.  He  promptly  received  a  clout  to  knock 
some  sense  into  him,  the  soldier  meanwhile  shaking 
the  prison-like  suit  to  emphasise  what  he  meant. 

In  mute  protest  the  priest  shook  his  robes  to  indicate 
that  he  was  quite  content  with  what  he  was  wearing. 

"  Come  on  !  If  you  don't  change  well  do  it  for 
you  !  " 

At  this  threat  there  was  a  wild  outburst  of  demoniacal 
mirth,  in  which  the  girl  behind  the  counter,  a  brazen 
jade,  joined  uproariously  as  if  in  anticipation  of  some 
unusual  amusement.  She  reached  over  the  counter, 
craning  her  neck  to  secure  a  better  view  of  an  unex- 
pected spectacle. 

As  the  Reverend  Father  did  not  respond  to  the  com- 
mand, the  guard  gathered  round  him.  Before  we  could 
realise  what  was  happening,  his  crucifix  and  rosary 
had  been  roughly  torn  off,  and  with  his  watch  and 
chain  had  been  thrown  upon  a  table  standing  alongside. 
His  robe  was  roughly  whisked  away  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye.  But  the  prisoner  did  not  move  or  raise  a 
hand  in  protest,  even  when  he  was  bared  to  his  under- 


140  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

clothing  in  front  of  fraulein,  who  signalled  her  appre- 
ciation of  the  sight  by  wildly  clapping  her  hands, 
laughing  merrily,  and  giving  expression  to  ribald  jokes. 

The  proud  manner  in  which  the  victim  surveyed  his 
tormentors  only  exasperated  them  still  further.  By 
the  threat  of  the  bayonet  he  was  compelled  to  stand 
up  in  front  of  these  degenerate  members  of  the  human 
race  and  the  girl  behind  the  counter,  whose  laughter 
could  now  be  heard  ringing  above  the  frantic  shrieks 
of  the  soldiers. 

We,  who  were  unwilling  witnesses  of  this  revolting 
spectacle,  were  grinding  our  teeth  in  ill-suppressed 
rage.  Never  during  my  sojourn  in  Sennelager,  even 
when  submitted  to  the  greatest  torment,  have  I  seen 
the  British  prisoners  roused  to  such  a  pitch  of  fury. 
As  a  rule  we  effectively  maintained  a  quiet,  if  not 
indifferent,  and  tractable  attitude,  but  this  was  more 
than  flesh  and  blood  could  stand. 

But  the  priest  never  relaxed  his  proud  composure 
and  self-possession.  He  looked  so  penetratingly  at 
the  laughing  jade  that  I  think  it  must  have  penetrated 
into  her  very  soul.  Her  wild  mirth  ended  abruptly 
in  a  strange  semi-hysterical  shriek  as  her  eyes  met  his 
look  of  intense  scorn.  She  winced  and  was  effectively 
cowed  into  silence. 

I  may  say  that  the  floor  of  the  canteen  was  of 
concrete,  but  upon  this  was  a  layer  of  mud,  slime, 
grease,  and  other  filth  brought  in  from  outside  upon 
the  boots  of  those  who  frequented  the  establishment. 
This  was  now  a  noisome  muddy  carpet  some  two 
inches  in  thickness.  The  Germans,  one  may  happen 
to  recollect,  have  ever  paraded  their  love  of  cleanliness 
before  the  world,  but  this  floor  was  the  lie  direct  to 
their  vain  boastings. 

At  the  sight  of  the  old  man  standing  there  erect 
before  them,  the  victim  of  unparalleled  humiliation, 
but  his  spirit  as  strong  and  as  unyielding  as  ever,  the 
fury  of  the  soldiers  knew  no  bounds.  One,  giving  vent 
to  a  fearful  curse,  placed  his  hand  on  the  table  upon 


THE  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  PRIESTS  141 

which  the  crucifix,  rosary,  and  watch  were  lying. 
He  gave  a  swift,  fiendish  glance  at  the  priest  towering 
above  him,  and  with  a  vile  oath  swept  the  articles  to 
the  floor,  where  they  ploughed  through  the  greasy 
revolting  slime. 

It  was  then  that  the  badgered  and  baited  Father 
broke  down.  As  he  watched  his  beloved  and  revered 
crucifix  and  rosary  suffering  defilement  and  serving 
as  the  rude  sport  for  the  iron  heels  of  the  uncivilised 
Huns,  the  tears  coursed  down  his  face  copiously.  He 
gave  a  slight  start  as  he  saw  the  articles  flash  through 
the  air,  but  suppressed  the  cry  of  horror  which  sprang 
inadvertently  to  his  lips. 

But  the  soldiers  were  not  yet  satisfied  with  the 
agony  which  they  had  created  in  the  Father's  heart. 
One  grabbed  his  rifle  and  lowering  the  bayonet  in  a 
threatening  manner  ordered  the  priest  to  pick  up  his 
sacred  treasures.  The  priest  stooped  down  to  obey 
the  instructions,  but  this  was  not  sufficient  for  his 
persecutors.  He  was  driven  to  his  knees  and  forced 
to  grope  among  the  repulsive  mud  for  his  revered 
religious  tokens.  With  great  difficulty  he  recovered 
them,  battered,  crushed,  and  covered  with  the  filthy 
accumulation  upon  the  floor.  As  the  Reverend  Father 
drew  himself  once  more  to  his  full  height,  clasping  his 
treasures  desperately,  he  brought  his  hands  together, 
and  closing  his  eyes,  we  saw  his  lips  moving  in  prayer. 

This  was  the  last  straw.  Grating  our  teeth,  our 
faces  white  with  passion,  and  our  fingers  itching  to 
seize  those  barbarians  round  their  throats  to  choke 
their  lives  out  of  them,  we  nearly  threw  discretion  to 
the  winds.  Had  one  of  us  made  a  forward  movement 
we  should  have  sprung  upon  them  with  the  ferocity 
of  bull-dogs.  Those  four  soldiers  never  knew  how 
near  they  were  to  meeting  their  deserts  upon  that 
day.  As  it  was  we  merely  scraped  our  feet  in  impotent 
rage.  It  was  this  fidgeting  which  aroused  their 
attention.  They  turned  and  must  have  read  our 
innermost  intentions  written  in  our  faces,  for  they 


142  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

instantly  grabbed  their  rifles  and  rounded  upon  us. 
With  a  motion  which  could  not  be  misunderstood, 
and  uttering  fierce  curses,  they  ordered  us  to  get  outside. 
We  refused  to  move,  although  confronted  by  ugly 
pointed  bayonets.  It  was  a  tense  and  critical  moment. 
The  soldiers  undoubtedly  saw  that  we  were  now 
thoroughly  roused,  and,  strange  to  say,  they  appeared 
to  lose  their  heads,  for  they  stood  stock  still,  apparently 
frightened  by  our  determined  appearance. 

One  of  our  party,  although  as  enraged  as  any  of 
us,  yet  had  maintained  more  complete  control  over 
his  feelings.  He  saw  the  utter  uselessness  of  our 
making  a  display  of  physical  protest.  With  a  quiet 
"  Come  on,  boys  !  "  he  stepped  towards  the  door. 
It  saved  an  ugly  situation  ;  the  movement  to  the  door 
and  the  crisis  had  passed.  Fiercely  glaring  at  the 
soldiers,  with  our  jaws  ominously  set,  and  our  fists 
clenched  we  retreated.  Our  action  revived  the  courage 
of  the  guards.  They  at  once  sprang  forward  to  jostle 
us  out,  prodding  and  attempting  to  club  us  right  and 
left. 

As  we  hurried  through  the  open  door  we  gave  a  final 
glance  at  the  priest.  He  had  turned  his  head  and  was 
looking  steadily  at  us,  and  if  ever  conversation  were 
carried  out  by  looks  there  were  volumes  in  his  gaze. 
His  eyes  told  us  how  impotent  we  were  in  the  hands 
of  these  brutes  who  were  brave  because  they  had  their 
loaded  rifles.  They  told  us  of  his  appreciation  of  our 
S3?mpathy  in  his  hour  of  humiliation  and  torment. 
They  extended  us  heartfelt  thanks  for  our  willingness 
to  come  to  his  assistance,  combined  with  a  mute 
instruction  not  to  lift  a  finger  on  his  behalf  since  the 
plight  of  one  and  all  would  become  infinitely  worse. 
We  passed  into  the  street  and  the  door  was  slammed 
upon  us. 

Once  outside  we  allowed  our  feelings  to  have  full 
rein.  We  point-blank  refused  to  go  away  and  fell  to 
discussing  the  situation  somewhat  fiercely.  Evidently 
the  tones  of  our  voices  persuaded  the  soldiers  within 


THE  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  PRIESTS  143 

that  they  had  gone  far  enough,  because  shortly  after- 
wards the  priest  reappeared,  and  under  escort  was 
hurried  away  to  his  quarters. 

When  we  next  saw  him  we  endeavoured  by  diplomatic 
questions  to  ascertain  the  reason  why  he  had  been 
subjected  to  such  torture  and  indignity.  To  him  the 
greatest  humiliation  was  that  his  torment  had  occurred 
before  a  woman.  But  otherwise  he  refused  to  refer 
to  the  episode.  His  retort,  in  a  placid,  resigned  voice, 
was,  "  I  only  trust  that  God  will  have  mercy  upon 
them  !  " 

The  priests  were  denied  all  opportunity  to  move 
about  the  camp.  There  were  scores  of  co-religionists 
among  us,  but  they  were  stedfastly  refused  the  comfort 
which  the  Fathers  could  have  given  them.  The  priests 
were  not  permitted  to  minister  to  the  spiritual  welfare 
of  their  flocks.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  by  the  strict 
instruction  of  Major  Bach,  no  religious  services  of  any 
description  were  permitted  in  the  camp,  at  least  not 
while  I  was  under  his  sway. 

To  the  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  persuasion 
the  brow-beating,  badgering,  baiting  and  buffeting 
of  the  helpless  priests  acted  as  a  red  rag  to  a  bull. 
But  what  could  they  do  ?  Protest  was  merely  so 
much  wasted  energy.  Communication  with  anyone 
outside  the  camp  was  absolutely  impossible.  To  have 
reviled  Major  Bach  for  his  cruelty  and  carefully  planned 
barbarity  would  only  have  brought  down  upon  us 
further  and  more  terrible  punishment  of  such  ferocity 
as  would  have  made  everyone  long  for  the  respite  of 
the  grave. 

But  the  priests  could  not  be  broken,  no  matter  to 
what  physical  and  mental  suffering  they  were  subjected. 
Even  Major  Bach  discovered  to  his  chagrin  that  his 
devilish  ingenuity  had  encountered  an  insuperable 
obstacle.  To  wreak  his  revenge  he  now  compelled  the 
Fathers  to  carry  out  all  the  dirtiest  and  most  revolting 
work  in  the  camp — duties  so  repulsive  as  to  be  beyond 
description.  But  the  good  men  never  murmured. 


144  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

They  did  exactly  as  they  were  bidden,  and  even  the 
guards  at  last  appeared  to  realise  the  fact  that  their 
fertility  in  torment  was  of  no  avail  in  attempting  to 
infuriate  their  meek  charges. 

Major  Bach,  however,  was  by  no  means  cast  down  at 
his  failures.  One  morning  he  ordered  the  twenty- 
two  priests  to  be  paraded.  They  were  then  loaded 
up  with  a  variety  of  cumbersome  and  heavy  imple- 
ments— spades,  picks,  shovels,  and  such  like.  Each 
load  would  have  taxed  the  strength  of  a  young  man  in 
the  pink  of  condition  and  strength  to  carry,  and  yet 
here  were  old  men,  ranging  between  sixty  and  seventy 
years,  compelled  to  shoulder  such  burdens.  But  they 
did  it. 

An  order  was  rapped  out,  the  guard  wheeled,  and  the 
tiny  party  moved  off.  We  discovered  afterwards 
that  they  were  marched  three  miles  along  the  sandy 
road  in  the  blazing  sun  to  a  point  where  they  were 
roughly  bidden  to  dig  a  huge  pit. 

Throughout  the  morning,  and  without  a  moment's 
respite,  they  were  forced  to  ply  their  tools,  their  task- 
masters standing  over  them  and  smartly  prodding  and 
threatening  them  with  their  rifles  if  they  showed  signs 
of  falling  from  fatigue,  or  if  they  failed  to  maintain  the 
expected  rate  of  progress.  To  such  old  men,  who 
probably  had  never  lifted  the  smallest  and  lightest 
tool  for  many  years,  if  ever,  it  was  a  back-breaking 
task.  However,  they  clung  dutifully  to  their  work 
until  the  hour  of  twelve  rang  out. 

Now  they  were  re-marshalled,  their  tools  were 
re-shouldered,  and  they  were  marched  back  to  camp 
for  the  mid-day  meal.  By  the  time  they  reached  the 
barracks  all  the  other  prisoners  had  consumed  the 
whole  of  the  available  soup.  There  was  nothing  for 
the  priests.  It  was  explained  that  they  should  have 
hurried  so  as  to  have  arrived  at  an  earlier  moment. 
Then  they  would  have  received  their  due  proportion. 
Meals  could  not  be  kept  waiting  for  dawdlers,  was  the 
brutal  explanation  of  the  authorities.  The  priests 


THE  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  PRIESTS  145 

must  be  made  to  realise  the  circumstance  that  they 
were  not  staying  at  an  hotel.  This,  by  the  way,  was 
a  favourite  joke  among  our  wardens. 

The  priests  bore  visible  signs  of  their  six  miles' 
tramp  through  crumbling  scorching  sand  and  under  a 
pitiless  sun,  as  well  as  of  their  laborious  toil  excavating 
the  large  pit.  But  their  distressed  appearance  did 
not  arouse  the  slightest  feeling  of  pity  among  their 
tormentors.  Being  too  late  for  the  meal  they  were, 
re-lined  up,  and  under  a  changed  guard  were  marched 
back  again  to  the  scene  of  their  morning's  labour. 

Naturally,  upon  reaching  the  pit,  they  concluded 
that  they  would  have  to  continue  the  excavation. 
But  to  their  intense  astonishment  the  officer  in  charge 
ordered  them  to  throw  all  the  excavated  soil  back 
again  into  the  hole  !  This  was  one  of  the  most  glaring 
examples  of  performing  a  useless  task,  merely  to 
satisfy  feelings  of  savagery  and  revenge,  that  I 
encountered  in  Sennelager,  although  it  was  typical  of 
Major  Bach  and  his  methods.  He  took  a  strange 
delight  in  devising  such  senseless  labours.  Doubtless 
the  authorities  anticipated  that  the  priests  would 
make  some  demur  at  being  compelled  to  undo  the 
work  which  they  had  done  previously  with  so  much 
effort  and  pain.  But  if  this  was  the  thought  governing 
the  whole  incident  the  officials  were  doomed  to  suffer 
bitter  disappointment.  The  priests,  whatever  they 
may  have  thought,  silently  accepted  the  inevitable, 
and  displayed  as  much  diligence  in  filling  the  pit  as 
they  had  shown  a  few  hours  before  in  digging  it. 

Still  the  afternoon's  shovelling  caused  them  greater 
physical  hardship  than  the  plying  of  the  pick  in  the 
morning.  They  had  been  denied  a  mid-day  meal, 
and  their  age-enfeebled  physique  proved  barely  equal 
to  the  toil.  A  basin  of  black  acorn  coffee  and  a  small 
fragment  of  hard  brown  bread  cannot  by  any  manner 
of  means  be  construed  into  strong  sustenance  for  such 
a  full  day's  work.  During  the  afternoon  one  or  two 
were  on  the  verge  of  collapse  from  hunger  and  fatigue. 


146  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

But  their  indomitable  spirit  kept  them  up  and  the  pit 
was  duly  filled. 

By  the  time  the  labour  had  been  completed  the 
evening  was  advancing.  For  the  fourth  time  that  day 
they  shouldered  their  burden  of  tools  and  set  out  on 
the  three  miles  tramp  to  camp. 

We  saw  them  come  in  and  our  hearts  went  out  in 
pity  to  them.  They  tottered  rather  than  walked, 
their  heads  bowed  as  if  in  prayer,  and  their  crosses 
of  tools  sinking  them  nearer  to  the  ground.  Seeing 
that  they  had  walked  twelve  miles  and  had  put  in 
some  eight  hours  gruelling  work  it  was  a  marvel  that 
the  older  members  of  the  party  had  not  fallen  by  the 
wayside.  Yet,  although  footsore,  weary,  worn,  and 
hungry  they  retained  their  characteristic  composure. 
In  silence  they  discussed  their  frugal  evening  meal 
of  lukewarm  black  acorn  coffee  and  black  bread.  Some 
of  us,  out  of  sheer  sympathy,  secured  some  "  brot- 
chen  "  for  them,  but  they  accepted  our  expressions 
of  fellow-feeling  very  sparingly,  although  with  extreme 
thankfulness. 

They  refused  to  say  a  word  about  their  sufferings 
or  the  agonies  they  had  experienced  during  their  labour 
and  long  walk.  I  got  the  story  from  one  of  the  guards 
who  had  accompanied  them.  But  even  these  thick- 
skinned  disciples  of  "  kultur  "  and  brutality  were  not 
disposed  to  be  communicative.  The  stoicism,  grim 
determination  and  placidity  of  the  Reverend  Fathers 
constituted  something  which  their  square  heads  and 
addled  brains  failed  to  understand.  They  had  never 
experienced  the  like. 

While  Major  Bach  never  repeated  the  senseless 
pit-digging  and  refilling  programme  for  the  priests,  his 
invention  was  by  no  means  exhausted.  Direct  incen- 
tive to  rebellion  proving  completely  abortive  he  now 
resorted  to  indirect  pettifogging  and  pin-pricking 
tactics,  harassing  the  unfortunate  priests  at  every  turn, 
depriving  them  of  food  or  something  else,  reducing 
their  rations,  giving  them  the  most  repulsive  work 


THE  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  PRIESTS  147 

he  could  discover,  and  so  forth.  But  it  was  all  to  no 
purpose.  Those  twenty-two  priests  beat  him  at  every 
turn.  For  Major  Bach  to  try  to  break  their  proud 
spirit  was  like  asking  a  baby  to  bend  a  bar  of  steel ! 

What  ultimately  became  of  these  prisoners  I  cannot 
say.  In  fact,  I  do  not  think  there  is  any  one  who  can 
definitely  relate  their  fate.  Other  prisoners  now 
commenced  to  arrive  in  increasing  numbers  and  the 
breaking-in  of  these  crowds  to  the  tyranny  and  brutal 
existence  of  Sennelager  Camp  appeared  to  demand 
the  complete  attention  of  the  authorities.  Certainly 
the  new  arrivals  provided  Major  Bach  with  all  the 
entertainment  he  desired. 

Some  say  that  the  priests  were  distributed  among 
other  camps  ;  others  that  one  or  two  succumbed  to 
the  persistent  ill-treatment  meted  out  to  them  ;  and 
still  more  that  they  are  yet  at  Sennelager.  No  one 
can  say  precisely.  Only  one  fact  remains.  For  a 
time  they  occupied  the  sole  attention  of  every  one  in 
the  camp  because  they  constituted  the  most  prominent 
target  for  the  fiendish  devilry  of  Major  Bach.  Then 
they  suddenly  appeared  to  slip  into  oblivion.  The 
probability  is  that  they  were  swallowed  up  among  the 
hundreds  of  French,  British,  Russians,  Poles,  Serbians, 
and  various  other  races  who  were  now  pouring  in. 
Being  somewhat  retiring  in  their  nature  the  probability 
is  that  the  priests  were  overlooked  and  forgotten  in 
that  troublous  maelstrom  of  outraged  humanity  known 
far  and  wide  as  Sennelager  Camp. 


CHAPTER   X 

TYING   PRISONERS  TO  THE   STAKE — THE   FAVOURITE 
PUNISHMENT 

UNTIL  the  coming  of  Major  Bach  at  Sennelager  con- 
finement to  cells  constituted  the  general  punishment 
for  misdemeanours,  the  sentence  varying  according 
to  the  gravity  of  the  offence.  But  mere  solitary  confine- 
ment in  a  hole  in  which  perpetual  twilight  prevailed 
during  the  day  did  not  coincide  with  Major  Bach's 
principles  of  ruling  with  a  rod  of  iron.  It  was  too 
humane  ;  even  the  most  savage  sentence  of  "  cells  " 
did  not  inflict  any'  physical^ pain  upon  the  luckless 
prisoner. 

Major  Bach  was  a  past-master  in  the  grim  art  of 
conceiving  new  and  novel  methods  to  worry  and  punish 
those  who  were  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  under  his 
thumb.  He  was  devilishly  ingenious  and  fertile  in 
the  evolution  of  ways  and  means  to  make  us  feel  our 
position  as  acutely  as  possible.  I  really  think  that  he 
must  have  lain  awake  for  hours  at  night  thinking  out 
new  schemes  for  inflicting  punishment  upon  us,  or 
else  must  have  been  possessed  of  an  excellent  and 
comprehensive  encyclopaedic  dictionary  dealing  with 
the  uncanny  and  fiendish  atrocities  devised  by  the 
Chinese.  I  do  not  doubt  for  a  moment  that,  if  he 
dared,  he  would  have  introduced  some  of  the  most 
ferocious  tortures  which  for  centuries  have  been 
characteristic  of  the  Land  of  the  Dragon.  We  were 
absolutely  helpless  and  completely  in  his  hands.  He 
knew  this  full  well  and  consequently,  being  a  despot,  he 
wielded  autocratic  power  according  to  his  peculiar 
lights  as  only  a  full-blooded  Prussian  can. 

148 


TYING   PRISONERS    TO    THE   STAKE  149 

One  evening  the  French  military  prisoners  were 
being  marched  into  camp  at  the  conclusion  of  the  day's 
work.  Among  them  was  a  Zouave.  Half-starved 
from  an  insufficiency  of  food  he  could  scarcely  drag 
one  foot  before  the  other.  At  last  he  dropped  out 
from  sheer  fatigue.  The  guard  struck  him  with  the 
butt  end  of  his  rifle  and  roughly  ordered  him  to  get 
up  and  keep  step  and  pace  with  his  comrades.  The 
Zouave  pleaded  that  he  really  could  not  walk  another 
step  because  he  felt  so  weak  and  ill.  The  guard  there- 
upon pulled  the  wretched  prisoner  to  his  feet  and  gave 
him  a  heavy  blow  across  his  back. 

This  unwarranted  action  stung  the  Zouave  to  frenzy. 
Clenching  his  teeth  he  sprung  towards  his  tormentor 
with  his  fist  raised  in  the  air.  But  second  thoughts 
prevailing  he  refrained  from  delivering  the  blow  which 
he  had  premeditated.  The  menace,  however,  did  not 
fail  to  exercise  its  effect  upon  the  bullying  guard  who 
instantly  became  an  arrant  coward.  The  Zouave's 
action  was  so  unexpected  that  the  soldier  was  taken 
completely  by  surprise.  He  commenced  to  yell  as 
if  he  had  been  actually  struck,  and  his  vociferous 
curses,  reaching  the  ears  of  his  comrades,  brought 
speedy  assistance.  They  rushed  up,  secured  the  Zouave 
who  was  glaring  fiercely  at  his  tormentor,  pinioned  his 
arms  behind  him,  and  then  marched  him  off  to  the 
Commanding  Officer  with  all  the  speed  they  could 
command. 

The  grave  charge  of  insubordination  and  attempting 
to  strike  the  guard  was  proffered.  Major  Bach  listened 
closely  and  when  he  had  heard  the  story,  which  need- 
less to  say  was  somewhat  freely  embroidered,  curtly 
sentenced  the  Zouave  to  "  four  hours  at  the  post  1  " 
This  was  the  first  occasion  upon  which  we  had  heard 
of  this  punishment  and  naturally  we  were  somewhat 
agog  with  curiosity  to  discover  the  character  of  this 
latest  means  of  dealing  out  correction. 

Escorted  by  four  guards  with  loaded  rifles  and  fixed 
bayonets,  the  unhappy  Zouave  was  led  to  a  post  just 


150  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

outside  our  barrack.  One  of  the  soldiers  stood  on 
either  side  of  the  prisoner  ready  to  run  him  through 
should  he  make  an  attempt  to  escape  or  to  resist. 
The  other  two  guards,  discarding  their  rifles,  uncoiled 
a  length  of  rope  which  they  were  carrying. 

The  prisoner's  hands  were  forced  behind  his  back 
and  his  wrists  were  tied  tightly  together,  the  rope 
being  drawn  so  taut  as  to  cut  deeply  into  the  flesh  and 
to  cause  the  unhappy  wretch  to  shriek.  He  was  now 
backed  against  the  post  round  which  the  rope  was 
passed.  His  ankles  were  then  tied  as  tightly  as  his 
wrists  and  also  strapped  to  the  post,  which  action  drew 
another  yell  of  pain  from  the  victim.  Finally  another 
length  of  the  rope  was  passed  round  the  upper  part  of 
his  body,  lashing  him  firmly  to  the  support  to  prevent 
him  falling  forward. 

Trussed  and  tied  the  unhappy  prisoner  was  left  to 
undergo  his  four  hours'  sentence  of  this  ordeal.  The 
soldiers  returned  to  their  quarters,  but  as  a  preliminary 
precaution,  as  we  were  undeniably  showing  signs  of 
resentment  against  such  torturing  treatment,  we  were 
bustled  into  our  barracks.  But  we  could  not  rest  or 
sleep.  The  hapless  man  at  the  stake  was  being  racked 
and  torn  with  pain.  His  shrieks,  moans,  and  groans, 
echoing  and  re-echoing  through  the  still  hours  of  the 
summer  evening,  sounded  so  weird,  uncanny,  and 
nerve-racking  as  to  make  our  blood  run  cold.  At 
each  outburst  we  shivered  and  strove  hard,  though 
vainly,  to  shut  out  the  terrible  sounds  from  our  ears. 

After  the  Zouave  had  been  strung  up  for  some  time 
I  decided  to  creep  out  and  up  to  him  to  ascertain 
from  direct  close  observation  the  effects  of  this  treat- 
ment upon  the  victim.  Stealing  out  of  the  barracks, 
thereby  running  the  risk  of  encountering  a  bullet  from 
the  sentry's  rifle,  I  stealthily  made  my  way  to  the  post. 
By  the  time  I  gained  the  spot  the  weak  wretch  was  in 
a  fearful  plight.  The  ropes  had  been  drawn  so  tightly 
round  his  wrists  and  ankles  as  to  cause  the  circulation 
of  the  blood  through  the  hands  and  feet  to  cease,  while 


TYING    PRISONERS   TO   THE   STAKE  151 

the  flesh  immediately  above  the  knots  was  swelling 
up  in  a  fearful  manner.  All  sense  of  feeling  in  the  hands 
and  feet  having  gone,  the  man  was  hanging  limply, 
instead  of  standing  against  the  post.  He  writhed  and 
twisted  in  frenzied  efforts  to  secure  some  relief  while 
in  this  uncomfortable  position,  but  each  movement 
only  caused  further  pain  and  the  unintentional  utter- 
ance of  piercing  shrieks.  Upon  the  exhaustion  of 
this  spasm  the  upper  part  of  his  body  dropped  forward 
slightly  so  that  his  head  fell  down  upon  his  chest. 

For  a  few  seconds  he  would  stand  or  rather  hang, 
perfectly  still  and  quiet.  Then  as  he  made  another 
attempt  to  secure  a  change  of  position  shafts  of  pain 
would  shoot  through  him,  causing  him  to  shriek  again 
for  a  few  seconds  in  the  most  agonising  manner,  which 
made  me  start  and  shiver.  While  his  shrieks  were 
terrifying  it  was  the  long-drawn  out  wail  and  moan 
in  which  they  ended  which  were  more  unnerving. 
They  sounded  like  the  agonised  howls  of  an  animal 
caught  in  a  trap  and  suffering  untold  torment. 

But  each  successive  outburst  grew  weaker.  The  body 
dropped  more  and  more  forward  until  it  could  fall  no 
farther  owing  to  the  retaining  rope.  His  head  dropped 
lower  and  lower  upon  his  chest,  which  had  the  effect 
of  interfering  with  respiration.  The  man  would  throw 
his  head  wildly  about  in  frantic  efforts  to  breathe,  but 
to  little  purpose.  His  face  commenced  to  assume  a 
ghastly  bluish  colour  ;  his  distended  eyes  almost  started 
from  his  head ;  while  his  mouth,  now  wide  open,  allowed 
his  tongue  to  loll  and  roll  in  a  manner  vividly  reminis- 
cent of  a  maniac  restrained  in  a  strait  jacket.  The 
struggles  and  cries  grew  fainter  until  at  last  his  head 
gave  a  final  jerk  to  hang  limply  to  one  side.  He 
shrieked  no  more.  Insensibility  had  come  to  his 
relief. 

During  this  period  the  guard  never  ventured  to 
come  to  look  at  him.  His  piercing  shrieks,  howls, 
and  long-drawn  out  moans  told  them  that  he  was  feeling 
the  pinch  of  his  confinement  to  the  post.  But  when 


152  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

these  cries  of  agony  ceased  two  of  the  guards  came  up. 
Seen  to  be  unconscious,  he  was  immediately  released  to 
fall  like  a  log  to  the  ground.  Buckets  of  water  were 
hurriedly  fetched  and  the  contents  were  dashed  over  the 
prone  figure  until  consciousness  returned.  When  he 
had  somewhat  recovered,  although  still  inert  and  groan- 
ing piteously,  he  was  propped  up  against  the  post 
and  re -tied  into  position. 

Every  time  the  man  relapsed  into  insensibility  he 
was  released  to  undergo  drastic  reviving  by  the  aid 
of  buckets  of  water,  and  directly  he  came  to  he  was 
again  strapped  up.  The  sentence  was  "  four  hours/' 
and  it  was  fulfilled  strictly  to  the  letter,  but  only 
the  actual  periods  of  being  tied  to  the  post  were  taken 
into  consideration.  It  did  not  matter  whether  the 
man  fainted  three  or  thirty  times  during  his  sentence. 
It  was  only  the  instalments  of  time  against  the  post 
which  in  the  aggregate  were  taken  to  represent  the 
full  term  of  the  punishment. 

As  may  be  supposed,  owing  to  the  recurring  periods 
of  insensibility,  the  duration  of  the  sentence  became 
prolonged.  In  about  two  hours  after  being  strung 
up  for  the  first  time  the  initial  spasm  of  unconsciousness 
would  occur,  although  the  intervention  of  insensibility 
obviously  varied  according  to  the  strength  and  physical 
endurance  of  the  prisoner.  But  after  the  first  revival, 
and  owing  to  the  man  being  deprived  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  regain  his  normal  condition,  the  lapses  into 
unconsciousness  occurred  at  steadily  decreasing 
intervals  of  time  until  at  last  the  man  was  absolutely 
unable  to  battle  against  his  torment  and  Nature  for 
more  than  a  very  short  period. 

The  first  demonstration  of  this  punishment  did  not 
fail  to  exercise  a  far-reaching  influence  upon  the  other 
prisoners.  Major  Bach  was  beside  himself  with  delight. 
Even  he,  steeped  although  he  was  in  brutality,  was 
evidently  somewhat  surprised  by  the  effectiveness  of 
this  penalty,  and  he  laughed  loud  and  long  at  the  shrieks 
and  misery  of  the  unhappy  Zouave.  Henceforth 


TYING    PRISONERS   TO   THE   STAKE  153 

committal  to  the  cells  was  no  longer  to  constitute  a 
punishment  at  Sennelager.  Tying  to  the  stake  was 
the  most  complete  means  of  subjugating  and  cowing 
the  prisoners. 

As  might  be  expected,  one  and  all  of  us  dreaded 
such  a  sentence,  and  we  were  exceedingly  diligent 
and  painstaking  in  our  efforts  to  keep  in  the  good 
graces  of  the  Commanding  Officer.  The  dread  of  being 
sentenced  to  a  spell  at  the  post,  and  submission  to 
the  untold  agony  which  it  precipitated,  broke  us  in 
to  all  intents  and  purposes  to  a  degree  which  must 
have  exceeded  even  Major  Bach's  most  sanguine 
expectations.  But  now  we  were  faced  with  another 
and  far  more  formidable  danger.  Most  of  the  guards 
enjoyed  as  enthusiastically  as  their  lord  and  master 
the  agony  of  a  luckless  wretch  who  was  condemned 
to  this  punishment.  To  them  it  afforded  amusement 
of  the  most  exhilarating  character.  But  the  prisoners, 
now  thoroughly  intimidated,  took  every  precaution 
to  deny  the  guards  an  opportunity  for  which  they  were 
so  much  on  the  alert.  Consequently,  being  deprived 
of  the  chance  to  have  any  of  us  strung  up  on  legitimate 
grounds,  they  commenced  to  harass  and  exasperate 
us  in  the  hope  of  provoking  some  action  which  would 
bring  us  before  the  Commanding  Officer  to  receive 
a  sentence  to  the  stake.  Then,  being  completely  foiled 
in  this  nefarious  practice  they  did  not  hesitate  to  have 
us  arraigned  upon  the  most  flimsy  charges.  As  the 
prisoner  was  denied  all  opportunity  to  rebut  any 
charge  preferred  against  him,  and  as  his  word  was 
never  accepted  before  the  studiously  prepared  com- 
plaint of  the  guard,  who  was  always  careful  to  secure 
corroborative  evidence,  the  chances  of  escaping  the 
sentence  were  extremely  slender. 

The  second  victim  of  this  brutal  treatment  was  a 
Russian  Pole,  and  no  man  ever  deserved  it  less.  The 
Pole  was  entering  his  barrack  and  the  Russian  orderly 
who  had  just  washed  and  cleaned  the  floor,  upbraided 
his  compatriot  for  entering  the  building  with  muddy 


154  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

boots.  There  was  a  breezy  altercation  between  the 
two  men  for  a  few  minutes,  but  they  were  separated 
on  perfectly  friendly  terms  by  one  of  the  soldiers.  The 
incident  was  closed  and  dismissed  from  the  thoughts 
of  one  and  all.  At  least  so  thought  all  those  who  had 
witnessed  it. 

But  one  of  the  soldiers  who  had  been  a  spectator 
saw  the  opportunity  for  which  he  had  long  been 
searching.  He  hurried  to  the  non-commissioned  officer 
in  charge  of  the  guard  to  report,  exaggeratedly,  that 
two  Russian  prisoners  had  been  fighting.  The  non- 
commissioned officer,  one  of  the  most  brutal  and 
despicable  Prussians  in  the  camp,  seized  his  rifle  and 
hurried  to  the  Russian  barrack.  Here  the  two  sup- 
positious  delinquents  were  pointed  out.  He  went  <up 
to  the  Pole,  and  grabbing  him  by  the  shoulder,  roared  : 

"  You've  been  fighting  !  " 

The  Pole  protested  that  he  had  not  been  fighting  with 
anyone.  He  had  forgotten  all  about  the  spirited 
argument  with  the  orderly.  Certainly  the  altercation 
was  no  more  serious  than  thousands  of  other  such  out- 
breaks which  were  incidental  to  the  camp.  Incidents 
of  this  character  occurred  every  few  minutes  in  every 
barrack,  which  was  not  surprising  seeing  that  we  were 
all  keyed  to  a  high  pitch  of  fretfulness  while  tempers 
were  hasty. 

"  Don't  lie  to  me,"  shouted  the  non-commissioned 
officer,  who  was  decidedly  infuriated  by  the  Pole's 
complacent  attitude.  "  I  say  you've  been  fighting  !  " 

Again  the  Pole  meekly  explained  that  no  such 
encounter  had  taken  place.  At  this  protest  the  officer 
grabbed  the  inoffensive  prisoner  and  marched  him  off 
to  the  office  of  the  Commandant.  While  hurrying 
along  the  main  road  through  the  camp  the  Prussian, 
for  no  reason  whatever,  raised  his  rifle  by  the  muzzle, 
swung  it  over  his  head  and  brought  the  stock  down 
with  fearful  force  upon  the  Pole's  back.  The  man 
himself  fell  like  an  ox  before  the  poleaxe,  but  the  rifle 
flew  into  two  pieces.  Seeing  that  a  rifle  is  exceedingly 


TYING    PRISONERS    TO    THE    STAKE  155 

strongly  made  and  of  hard  wood,  the  fact  that  it 
snapped  in  twain  testifies  abundantly  to  the  force  of 
the  blow. 

The  attack  was  witnessed,  not  only  by  several  of 
us,  but  also  by  two  or  three  officers  as  well.  The 
latter  expostulated  with  the  non-commissioned  officer 
upon  his  action.  As  for  ourselves  our  gorge  rose  at 
this  savage  onslaught,  and  we  hurried  to  the  Com- 
mandant with  the  object  of  being  first  to  narrate  the 
incident.  He  listened  to  our  story  of  the  outrage  but 
refused  to  be  convinced.  We  persisted  and  mentioned 
that  the  officers  had  been  present  and  could  support 
our  statements.  But  the  latter,  naturally  perhaps, 
declined  to  confirm  our  story.  They  denied  having 
seen  the  blow  struck.  Still,  we  were  so  emphatic  and 
persevering  that  Major  Bach,  in  order  to  settle  the 
matter,  sent  for  the  non-commissioned  officer  to  whom 
he  referred  the  accusation  we  had  made. 

This  worthy  listened  with  a  smile  lurking  round  his 
mouth.  When  Major  Bach  had  completed  his  state- 
ment, the  non-commissioned  officer,  with  a  mocking 
laugh,  denied  the  charge,  and  presented  his  rifle  for 
Major  Bach's  inspection.  The  rifle  was  perfectly 
sound !  At  the  production  of  this  rebutting  evidence 
Major  Bach  gave  us  a  queer  look,  insisted  that  we  had 
trumped  up  the  charge,  and  refused  to  listen  to  us  any 
further.  So  we  were  compelled  to  go  away  crestfallen 
and  yet  amazed  as  to  how  the  guilty  officer  had 
surmounted  his  difficulty. 

Subsequently  we  discovered  that  the  non-com- 
missioned officer,  thoroughly  alarmed  at  his  rifle 
snapping  in  twain,  not  knowing  how  he  would  be  able 
to  explain  the  circumstance  of  his  weapon  being  broken, 
and  having  heard  that  we  had  hastened  to  the  Com- 
mandant to  lodge  our  complaint,  darted  into  the 
guard-room,  concealed  the  conclusive  evidence  of  his 
guilt,  and  appropriated  the  sound  rifle  of  a  comrade. 
This  was  the  weapon  he  had  produced  before  Major 
Bach  so  triumphantly.  We  never  heard  how  the  non- 


156  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

commissioned  officer  ultimately  explained  away  his 
broken  rifle  upon  parade  when  the  trick  was  certain 
to  be  discovered,  but  bearing  in  mind  the  iron  method 
which  prevails  in  the  German  army  he  must  have  been 
hard  put  to  it  to  have  advanced  a  plausible  excuse 
when  arraigned.  Doubtless  there  was  considerable 
trouble  over  the  episode  but  we  never  heard  anything 
more  about  it,  although  we  would  have  dearly  loved 
to  have  been  acquainted  with  the  sequel. 

Foiled  in  our  attempt  to  secure  reolress  for  an  out- 
raged prisoner  we  considered  the  episode  closed.  But 
it  was  not.  Directly  we  had  left  the  office  Major 
Bach  sent  for  the  Pole  who  had  been  attacked.  He 
related  his  story  which  was  naturally  a  confirmation 
of  our  charge.  But  he  was  set  down  as  an  unprincipled 
liar,  and  one  of  whom  an  example  must  be  made. 
Forthwith  he  was  condemned  to  four  hours  at  the 
post  on  the  charge  of  fighting  and  endeavouring  to 
impugn  the  probity  of  the  German  guard,  who  can 
do  no  wrong. 

The  misery  endured  by  this  poor  wretch  is  indes- 
cribable. In  this  instance,  in  order  to  secure  enhanced 
effect,  according  to  the  lights  of  Major  Bach,  the 
prisoner  was  forced  to  stand  on  tip-toe  against  the 
post,  while  the  upper  rope  was  passed  around  his  neck. 
This  rope  was  left  somewhat  loose,  and  as  nearly  as  I 
can  describe,  was  looped  in  the  form  of  a  double  knot. 
Being  on  tip-toe  the  hapless  wretch  was  speedily 
transferred,  by  his  toes  giving  way,  to  a  hanging 
position.  His  head  fell  forward,  as  he  gradually 
lapsed  into  unconsciousness,  until  it  pressed  against 
the  restraining  slip-knot.  The  consequence  was  that 
he  suffered  the  agonies  of  slow  strangulation  in  addition 
to  the  searing  of  his  hands  and  ankles,  while  the  weight 
of  his  body  dragged  his  neck  more  tightly  than  other- 
wise would  have  been  the  case,  against  the  upper  rope. 
His  face  presented  a  terrifying  sight,  being  quite  blue, 
from  his  inability  to  breathe,  except  with  the  greatest 
difficulty.  His  mouth  was  wide  open  and  his  tongue, 


TYING   PRISONERS   TO    THE   STAKE  157 

which  protruded,  was  exceedingly  swollen.  His  eyes 
were  half  out  of  their  sockets.  But  he  had  to  serve 
the  sentence  of  four  hours,  and  although  he  became 
unconscious  time  after  time  and  had  to  be  released, 
water  always  brought  him  to  his  senses  to  undergo  a 
further  spell  upon  the  fiendish  rack  until  the  sentence 
had  been  well  and  truly  served. 

On  one  occasion  a  poor  wretch  condemned  to  this 
torture,  after  having  become  unconscious,  was  taken 
down,  revived,  and  incarcerated  for  the  night  in  the 
guard-room.  The  next  morning  he  was  marched  out 
again  and  re-tied  up  to  complete  his  sentence. 

Major  Bach,  as  if  suddenly  inspired,  conceived  a 
fiendish  means  of  accentuating  the  agony  of  a  prisoner 
condemned  to  this  punishment.  The  man  would  be 
tied  to  the  post  about  the  middle  of  the  morning. 
The  summer  sun  beat  fiercely  upon  the  post  and  the 
man's  hat  was  removed.  Consequently,  as  the  poor 
wretch's  head  dropped  forward  on  his  chest,  its  crown 
became  exposed  to  the  fierce  heat  of  the  sun.  Thus 
to  the  pain  of  the  torture  inflicted  by  the  tightly  tied 
ropes,  and  the  strangling  sensation  produced  by  the 
throat  pressing  against  the  restraining  rope,  was  added 
the  racking  torment  of  intolerable  heat  playing  upon 
a  sensitive  part  of  the  human  body.  The  astonishing 
wonder  is  that  none  of  the  unhappy  wretches  suffered 
sun-stroke  or  went  crazy  while  bound  up  in  this  manner, 
because  the  sun's  heat  intensely  aggravated  the 
agonies  of  thirst.  But  the  sun-bath  consummated 
Major  Bach's  greatest  ambition.  It  caused  the  victim 
to  writhe  and  twist  more  frantically,  which  in  turn 
forced  him  to  shriek  and  howl  more  vociferously  and 
continuously. 

When  a  prisoner  was  in  the  height  of  his  torment 
the  eminent  Commandant  would  stroll  up,  and  from 
a  couple  of  paces  away  would  stand,  legs  wide  apart 
and  hands  clasped  behind  his  back,  surveying  the 
results  of  his  devilry  with  the  greatest  self-satisfaction. 
As  the  prisoner  groaned  and  moaned  he  would  fling 


158  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

coarse  joke,  badinage,  and  gibe  at  the  helpless  wretch, 
and  when  the  latter  struggled  and  writhed  in  order  to 
seek  some  relief,  though  in  vain,  he  would  laugh 
uproariously,  urge  the  unhappy  man  to  kick  more 
energetically,  and  then  shriek  with  delight  as  his 
advice  was  apparently  taken  to  heart  only  to  accentu- 
ate the  torture. 

Sunday  was  the  day  of  days  which  the  tyrant 
preferred  for  meting  out  this  punishment.  In  the 
first  place  it  was  a  day  of  rest,  and  so  a  prisoner's  time 
and  labour  were  not  lost.  Even  if  he  were  strung  up 
to  the  post  all  day  he  could  be  turned  out  to  work  on 
the  Monday  morning  as  usual.  But  the  governing 
reason  for  the  selection  of  this  day  was  because  it 
offered  such  a  novel  entertainment  for  the  gaping 
German  crowds.  The  public,  as  already  mentioned, 
were  invited  to  the  camp  on  Sunday  mornings  to  see 
the  prisoners.  Young  girls  and  raw  recruits  considered 
a  trip  to  Sennelager  on  the  chance  of  seeing  a  writhing, 
tortured  prisoner  as  one  of  the  delights  of  the  times, 
and  a  sight  which  should  not  be  missed  on  any  account. 

They  clustered  on  the  path  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  road  facing  the  stake,  laughing  and  joking  among 
themselves.  The  recruits,  who  openly  manifested 
their  intense  amusement,  cheered  frantically  when  the 
trussed  wretch  gave  an  abnormally  wild  and  ear- 
piercing  shriek  of  pain.  At  his  moans,  groans,  and 
desperate  abortive  attempts  to  release  himself,  the 
girls  would  laugh  as  gaily  as  if  witnessing  the  antics 
of  a  clown  at  a  circus,  and  were  quite  unrestrained 
in  their  jubilant  applause.  This  was  the  feature  of 
the  punishment  which  grated  upon  the  nerves  of  the 
prisoners  who  were  unable  to  lift  a  finger  or  voice  a 
word  in  protest.  That  a  fellow-prisoner  should  be 
condemned  to  suffer  such  hellish  torture  as  was  inflicted 
was  bad  enough,  but  that  it  should  offer  a  sideshow 
to  exuberant  Sunday  German  holiday  crowds  we 
considered  to  be  the  height  of  our  humiliation  and  a 
crown  to  our  sufferings. 


TYING    PRISONERS    TO    THE    STAKE   159 

I  shall  never  forget  one  prisoner.  He  was  one  of 
our  loyal  dusky  Colonials  from  the  Gold  Coast,  who 
had  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  into  German  hands 
and  to  be  consigned  to  imprisonment  at  Sennelager. 
He  was  a  massive  and  imposing  specimen  of  his  race. 
He  fell  foul  of  authority  and  incurred  Major  Bach's 
displeasure  to  such  a  degree  as  to  receive  a  sentence 
of  eight  hours  bound  to  a  tree.  He  was  tied  up,  and 
his  pleadings  for  mercy,  prompted  by  madness  produced 
by  the  excruciating  pain  and  semi-consciousness, 
alternated  with  loud  outbreaks  of  long-drawn-out, 
blood-freezing  groans,  frenzied  shrieks,  and  nerve- 
racking  wails. 

As  the  torture  increased  with  the  passing  of  the 
hours  he  gave  expression  to  one  solitary  cry — "  For 
God's  sake  shoot  me  !  "  The  wail,  uttered  with  parrot- 
like  repetition  and  in  a  tone  which  bored  into  the  soul, 
stirred  the  prisoners  within  earshot  in  a  strange  manner. 
They  clapped  their  hands  over  their  ears  to  shut  out 
the  awful  sound,  and  shut  their  eyes  to  prevent  the 
revolting  spectacle  burning  into  their  brains.  The 
man's  face  was  livid  :  terror  such  as  it  is  impossible 
to  describe  was  in  his  face  ;  the  unrelenting  clutch  of 
the  rope  wearing  into  his  throat  caused  the  veins  of 
his  neck  to  stand  out  like  ropes  ;  while  streams  of 
perspiration  poured  down  his  face.  As  he  became 
weaker  and  weaker  and  the  rope  ground  deeper  and 
deeper  into  his  throat  his  fights  for  breath  became 
maniacal  in  their  fury.  Indeed,  the  revolting  sight 
so  moved  some  of  the  prisoners  that  the  tears  welled 
to  their  eyes,  and  it  was  only  by  digging  their  teeth 
into  their  lips  that  they  refrained  from  succumbing 
to  their  emotion. 

Subsequently,  whenever  I  mentioned  a  word  about 
the  tying-post  or  tree,  this  Colonial  would  look  round, 
with  the  unfathomable  fear  of  a  hunted  animal,  his 
nerves  would  jump  and  twitch,  and  the  saliva  would 
form  like  foam  around  his  mouth.  He  remarked  that 
he  was  willing  to  face  any  punishment.  But  the  tying 


i6o  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

post !  An  hour  in  the  bonds  of  those  ropes  !  He  shud- 
dered and  entreatingly  prayed  that  if  ever  again  he 
should  be  threatened  with  this  punishment  one  of  the 
guards  would  shoot  him,  or  run  him  through  with  the 
bayonet.  I  really  believe  that,  if  this  penalty  had  been 
pronounced  on  this  man  a  second  time,  he  would  have 
done  something  so  desperate  as  would  have  compelled 
summary  and  drastic  retaliation  by  force  of  arms. 

Major  Bach  was  methodical  in  his  sentences  to  the 
tying-post.  He  drew  up  a  regular  code  and  the  offender 
was  always  given  a  sentence  in  accordance  with  this 
schedule.  The  slightest  offence  brought  a  sentence  of 
two  hours.  Then  in  stages  of  two  hours  it  rose  to  the 
maximum  of  eight  hours.  I  heard  that  one  man  had 
been  tied  up  for  twelve  hours,  but  as  I  did  not  actually 
witness  the  case  I  cannot  vouch  for  its  particulars. 
The  instances  I  have  mentioned  came  before  my  notice 
and  can  be  corroborated  by  anyone  who  had  the  misfor- 
tune to  be  incarcerated  at  Sennelager  after  the  coming 
of  Major  Bach.  But  knowing  as  I  do  Major  Bach  and 
his  inhuman  and  ferocious  ways,  I  am  quite  ready  to 
believe  that  he  did  sentence  a  man  to  twelve  hours  at 
the  post.  Certainly  he  would  never  have  hesitated  for 
a  moment  to  exact  such  a  penalty  if  he  had  felt  so 
disposed. 

After  a  time  the  single  post  failed  to  satisfy  the 
implacable  Commandant.  Trees  were  requisitioned  for 
the  punishment,  and  I  have  seen  as  many  as  three  men 
undergoing  the  sentence  simultaneously.  Their  com- 
bined shrieks  and  agonised  cries  penetrated  to  every 
corner  of  the  camp.  One  could  not  escape  them.  On 
one  occasion  when  Major  Bach  was  standing  as  usual 
before  one  of  his  victims,  laughing  and  jeering  at  his 
futile  writhings  and  agonised  appeals  for  mercy,  a 
number  of  British  prisoners  who  were  standing  around 
in  mute  sympathy  for  the  hapless  comrade  could  not 
control  their  feelings.  Suddenly  they  gave  expression 
to  fierce  hissing  of  disapproval.  Major  Bach  turned, 
but  not  with  the  mocking  triumph  that  one  would  have 


TYING    PRISONERS   TO   THE   STAKE  161 

expected.  His  face  wore  the  look  of  the  characteristic 
bully  who  is  suddenly  confronted  with  one  who  is  more 
than  his  match.  He  was  taken  completely  off  his  guard, 
so  unexpected  and  vigorous  was  our  outburst.  But 
when  he  saw  that  he  was  merely  threatened  by  a  few 
unarmed  and  helpless  Britishers  his  sang  froid  returned, 
although  it  was  with  a  palpable  effort.  He  glared  at  us. 
There  was  no  disguising  or  possibility  of  misconstruing 
the  expressions  of  loathsome  disgust  and  rage  upon 
our  faces.  One  and  all  wondered  afterwards  why  he 
did  not  sentence  every  man  of  us  to  a  spell  at  the  post. 
Possibly  anticipating  that  things  might  become  ugly 
unless  he  manifested  some  semblance  of  authority, 
he  assumed  an  anger  which  we  could  easily  see  was  far 
from  being  real,  and  ordered  us  to  barracks.  We  moved 
away  slowly  and  sullenly,  but  the  guard  coming  up 
we  were  unceremoniously  hurried  into  our  domiciles, 
although  it  demanded  energetic  rifle  proddings  and 
clubbings  from  the  soldiers  who  swarmed  around  us  in 
overwhelming  numbers,  to  enforce  the  order. 

This  punishment  was  by  no  means  confined  to  the 
civilian  prisoners.  It  was  meted  out  whenever  the 
opportunity  arose  to  the  British  soldiers  with  equal 
impartiality.  But  for  some  reason  which  we  could 
never  fathom,  unless  it  was  to  cause  further  pain, 
torture  and  humiliation,  mentally  as  well  as  physically, 
the  revolting  task  of  tying  up  an  unfortunate  Tommy 
was  entrusted  to  one  of  his  own  sergeants.  He  had  to 
perform  the  repugnant  work  against  his  will,  but  the 
sergeants  eased  the  poor  fellow's  plight  as  much  as 
they  dared  by  tying  them  up  as  leniently  as  possible, 
while  they  maintained  an  ever-watchful,  although 
unostentatious  vigilance,  over  them  while  suffering 
the  penalty. 

By  the  introduction  of  this  fiendish  punishment  Major 
Bach  completely  subdued  the  camp  into  a  colony  of 
crushedymen.  jWe  all 'went  in  dire  dread  of  him,  the 
fear  of .^being  the  victim  of  such  brutality  cowing  us 
far  more  effectively  than  any  other  punishment  we  had 


i62  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

encountered.  Those  who  had  undergone  the  torture 
recited  such  harrowing  stories  of  their  sufferings  that 
we  were  extremely  anxious  not  to  incur  the  wrath  of 
the  devilish  Commandant  in  any  way  whatever. 

One  day  three  of  us  experienced  a  narrow  escape, 
which  serves  to  illustrate  how  keen  were  our  captors  to 
submit  us  to  this  crucial  test.  We  three  had  been  ordered 
to  the  field.  We  packed  our  few  belongings,  including 
our  tin  pails  and  other  indispensable  utensils  upon  our 
backs.  We  were  marching  abreast  and  a  few  paces 
behind  a  young  German  officer,  chatting  merrily  among 
ourselves,  when  we  met  a  French  soldier  approaching. 
He  was  unusually  gay  and  as  he  passed  he  yelled  out 
the  popular  enquiry  which  he  had  evidently  acquired 
while  fraternising  with  our  Tommies  in  the  camp. 

"  Air  ve  do'n  harted  ?  "  he  hailed,  and  he  laughed  gaily 
at  the  loads  with  which  we  were  struggling.  To  this 
we  returned  an  emphatic  negative  to  which  one  of  the 

party,  S ,  a  schoolmaster  who  was  fluent  in  French 

and  German,  added  a  joke.  Evidently  the  Frenchman 
saw  the  point  of  the  jest  because  he  burst  out  in  a  fit 
of  unrestrained  merriment  which  was  so  infectious  as 
to  compel  us  to  participate. 

The  officer  who  was  ahead  of  us,  whipped  round 
and  vehemently  declared  that  we  were  laughing  at  him. 
S—  -  protested  and  explained  that  such  would  be  the 
very  last  thing  we  should  ever  think  of  doing.  The 
officer  went  on  ahead  quite  unconvinced  and  in  high 
dudgeon.  That  we  should  select  one  of  the  myrmidons 
of  the  All-Highest  as  a  target  for  our  banter  was  the 
offence  of  offences  in  his  estimable  conceit.  When  we 
reached  the  entrance  to  the  field  we  had  to  pass  a  small 
office  in  which  we  were  registered  and  we  discovered  the 
immature  upstart  loudly  and  excitedly  dwelling  upon 
the  enormous  indignity  to  which  he  had  been  submitted 
by  us. 

The  officer  in  charge  stopped  us  and  repeated  the 

accusation  which  had  been  made.  S gave  a  full 

explanation  of  the  whole  incident,  but  the  upstart  who 


TYING    PRISONERS    TO   THE   STAKE  163 

considered  that  his  pride  had  been  vilely  outraged  would 
not  listen  to  it.  Then  and  there  he  ordered  that  we 
should  be  tied  up  to  the  trees  for  four  hours  to  give  us 
something  to  laugh  about.  I  can  assure  you  that  we 
trembled  in  our  shoes  :  our  fate  hung  in  the  balance. 
The  officer-in-charge  of  the  field,  however,  was  more 
level-headed  and  broader-minded,  although  he  could 
not  calm  his  excited  colleague.  At  last  he  point  blank 
refused  to  mete  out  the  desired  punishment  He  turned 
to  us. 

"  I  accept  your  explanation.  I  don't  think  you  would 
be  guilty  of  such  an  offence  to  German  honour  and 
dignity  !  " 

We  were  more  profuse  than  ever  in  our  humble 
apologies  to  the  young  cock-of-the-walk  for  any  offence 
we  might  have  committed  unwittingly  but  we  assured 
him  that  our  mirth  had  been  entirely  provoked  by  the 
gay  French  soldier's  joke. 

"  I  believe  you/'  was  the  officer's  reply,  "  but  be 
very  careful.  Don't  do  it  again.  As  you  see  it  is  likely 
to  be  misunderstood  !  " 

With  that  he  dismissed  us.  We  scurried  off  like 
startled  rabbits,  thankful  for  our  narrow  escape,  but  our 
last  glimpse  of  the  affair  was  the  two  officers  who  had 
resumed  wrangling.  It  was  an  extremely  fortunate 
circumstance  for  us  that  the  officer-in-charge  of  the 
field  was  one  of  the  few  reasonable  Germans  attached 
to  the  camp. 

The  wretches  who  had  to  suffer  this  punishment 
carried  traces  of  their  experiences  for  weeks.  I 
examined  the  wrists  and  ankles  of  the  Russian  Pole 
some  hours  after  his  final  release.  The  limbs  were  highly 
inflamed,  the  flesh  being  puffed  out  on  either  side  of  the 
deep  blue  indents  which  had  been  cut  by  the  tightened 
ropes.  The  slightest  movement  of  the  affected  limbs 
produced  a  sharp  spasm  of  pain  and  it  was  only  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  that  the  poor  wretch  was  able 
to  use  his  hands  and  feet  for  some  hours  after  removal 
from  the  post.  In  the  case  of  the  Russian  Pole  many 


164  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

weeks  elapsed  before  all  traces  of  the  terrible  weals 
inflicted  by  the  ropes  had  disappeared. 

When  we  grasped  the  depths  to  which  Prussian 
brutality  was  *  ready  and  willing  to  descend,  we  could 
not  refrain  from  dwelling  upon  probable  future  tortures 
which  were  likely  to  be  in  store  for  us.  We  were  positive 
in  our  own  minds  that  Major  Bach  would  seek  other 
novel  and  more  revolting  and  agonising  methods  to 
wreak  his  vengeance  upon  the  British.  We  were  not 
left  for  very  long  in  this  maddening  uncertainty.  Tying- 
to-the-stake  was  but  a  mild  prelude  to  the  "  Reign  of 
Terror "  which  the  ferocious  Commandant  shortly 
afterwards  inaugurated. 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE   REIGN   OF  TERROR 

MAJOR  BACH,  in  common  with  the  average  Prussian 
officer,  who  has  suddenly  become  invested  with  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  authority,  evinced  a  weird  delight  in 
emphasising  his  power  at  every  opportunity.  He  was 
an  unbending  apostle  of  steel-bound  discipline,  such  as 
is  practised  in  Germany. 

Until  his  arrival  we  were  in  the  habit  of  parading  once 
a  day — at  6  a.m. — with  evening  parades,  twelve  hours 
later,  upon  occasion.  But  Major  Bach  introduced  the 
third  midday  parade.  A  little  later  he  suddenly 
thought  that  a  fourth  parade  was  necessary,  the 
respective  hours  being  six,  twelve,  two,  and  six.  Even 
this  programme  did  not  satisfy  his  love  of  power  and 
arrogance,  because  at  frequent  intervals  he  would  sud- 
denly summon  two  additional  parades  and  for  no 
ostensible  reason,  except  to  harass  us. 

Parade  was  probably  the  most  irksome  duty  we  had 
to  fulfil  inasmuch  as  we  were  then  treated  to  insults 
of  every  description.  The  Commandant  was  a  mar- 
tinet of  the  worst  type.  We  were  supposed  to  trim 
ourselves  up  and  to  look  as  spick  and  span  as  we  could 
under  the  circumstances.  This  was  more  particularly 
demanded  when  a  notable  visitor — visitors  were  few 
and  far  between — came  to  the  camp  to  perform  a  per- 
functory inspection  to  satisfy  the  authorities  in  Berlin 
that  the  prisoners  of  war  were  being  well  and  kindly 
tended.  But  some  of  us  were  not  disposed  to  bow 
meekly  to  the  tyrant's  despotic  orders.  Instead  of 
parading  upon  such  occasions  in  the  white  convict- 
like  suits,  which  by  the  way  we  were  supposed  and 

165 


i66  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

indeed  asked  to  purchase,  so  that  we  might  present  a 
smart  uniform  appearance,  we  preferred  to  don  our 
own  clothes,  although  they  were  now  showing  sad 
signs  of  wear  and  tear.  Naturally  the  immaculate 
Major  resented  our  refusal  to  fulfil  his  bidding,  thus 
producing  vivid  blemishes  upon  the  prim  appearance 
of  the  lines,  but  we  always  succeeded  in  producing  an 
excuse  which  was  so  ostensibly  reasonable  as  to  escape 
his  wrath  and  consignment  to  some  punishment. 

The  most  irritating  feature  of  these  parades  was  the 
length  of  time  we  were  kept  waiting  in  the  scorching 
sun  upon  the  convenience  of  his  "  Excellency/'  To 
him  it  was  nothing  that  we  should  be  kept  standing 
at  attention  for  an  hour  or  more,  while  the  guards, 
steeped  in  discipline  as  they  were,  took  a  fiendish 
pleasure  in  keeping  us  up  to  the  mark.  I  recall  one 
parade  very  vividly.  The  heat  was  intense  :  the  ther- 
mometer must  have  been  at  least  no  degrees  in  the 
sun.  We  paraded  at  two  o'clock  as  usual  and  were 
brought  to  attention.  Major  Bach  was  momentarily 
expected,  but  he  did  not  come  upon  the  scene  until 
4.45.  For  2|-  hours  we  were  kept  in  the  broiling  sun, 
and  none  of  us  being  in  the  pink  of  condition  owing  to 
the  wretched  and  inadequate  food,  we  soon  commenced 
to  betray  signs  of  fatigue.  On  this  occasion,  even  the 
German  guards  could  not  adhere  to  the  disciplinary 
rule.  When  we  abandoned  the  rigid  attention  attitude 
for  others  more  or  less  comfortable  they  followed  our 
example,  although  they  maintained  a  discreet  alertness 
for  the  coming  of  the  Commandant  so  that  we  might 
be  brought  to  attention  before  he  appeared  upon  the 
scene. 

One  of  the  prisoners  had  been  a  Japanese  trapezist 
and  juggler.  He  was  very  old.  He  said,  and  we  agreed, 
he  was  about  75  years  of  age.  But  the  German  authori- 
ties arbitrarily  assessed  his  age  at  54  years,  and  such 
it  had  to  be  so  long  as  it  suited  their  purpose.  He  had 
toured  the  vaudeville  theatres  and  music  halls  in 
Germany  for  over  20  years,  but  he  was  rounded  up, 


THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR  167 

and  despite  all  his  protestations  concerning  his  age 
was  interned  at  Sennelager. 

The  age  of  the  poor  old  fellow  was  perfectly  obvious. 
He  was  very  weak,  and  indeed,  quite  incapable  of 
performing  the  most  simple  duties  set  by  our  Lord  and 

Master.     K ,  the  captain  of  our  barrack — the  Jap 

formed  one  of  our  party — recognising  the  old  man's 
incapacity  and  infirmities,  eased  his  unfortunate  position 
as  much  as  he  dared.  One  man  had  to  be  detached  from 
each  party  when  it  went  out  to  work,  to  serve  as  orderly 
for  the  day,  and  his  responsibility  was  to  keep  the 
barrack  clean  and  tidy  during  our  absence.  At  every 
available  opportunity,  especially  when  confronted  with 

a  severe  day's  work,  K told  off  the  old  man  as 

orderly,  the  light  work  pertaining  to  which  was  within 
his  capacity. 

Upon  the  day  of  this  particular  parade  the  old  man, 
enfeebled  with  age,  weak  from  want  of  food,  and 
debilitated,  could  not  resist  the  merciless  blazing  sun. 
From  sheer  fatigue  he  sank  to  the  ground.  We  in 
our  pity  left  him  there,  although  we  closed  around  him 
to  shield  him  from  the  eagle  eyes  of  the  vigilant  guard. 
When  Major  Bach  appeared  suddenly  we  all  sprang 
hurriedly  to  attention.  But  our  aged  Japanese  friend 
was  not  so  quick.  The  Commandant  saw  him  sitting 
on  the  ground  at  the  same  moment  as  the  guard,  also 
catching  sight  of  him,  rushed  forward.  The  old  fellow 
was  unmercifully  hustled  to  his  feet,  although  it  was 
with  only  an  extreme  effort  that  he  could  rise.  Then  he 
was  treated  to  an  outburst  of  bullying  and  cursing 
from  the  Commandant  such  as  we  had  never  heard 
before.  He  was  threatened  with  this,  that,  and  some 
other  frightful  punishment  if  he  dared  to  disobey  any 
order  in  future.  The  old  man,  his  legs  bent  and  quaking 
beneath  him,  listened  with  a  pathetically  helpless 
demeanour.  The  tears  coursed  down  his  face  as  he 
shivered  beneath  the  string  of  oaths,  curses,  and  impre- 
cations that  were  rained  upon  him.  Many  of  us  feared 
that  he  would  be  condemned  for  four  hours  to  the  tying 


168  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

post,  so  infuriated  was  the  despot  of  the  camp,  but  he 
escaped  this  terrible  ordeal. 

About  four  weeks  after  we  had  entered  Sennelager 
permission  was  extended  to  those  who  felt  so  disposed 
to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  an  open-air  bath.  Seeing  that 
we  never  had  the  chance  of  more  than  a  wash  in  the 
bucket  at  the  pump,  and  were  in  urgent  need  of  a  dip, 
we  accepted  the  offer  with  alacrity.  We  were  escorted 
under  strong  guard  to  a  stream  some  distance  from 
the  barracks  and  were  given  a  quarter  of  an  hour  for 
our  pleasure.  We  hurriedly  tore  off  our  clothes  and 
took  advantage  of  every  minute  to  have  a  roaring 
joyous  time  in  the  water.  Thoroughly  refreshed 
we  were  marched  back  to  camp  and  told  off  to  our 
various  duties. 

By  this  time  every  man  in  the  camp  had  been  assigned 
to  some  particular  task.  Major  Bach  did  not  encourage 
idleness  ;  it  only  fomented  brooding  and  moping  over 
our  position,  was  his  argument.  But  he  was  also  a 
staunch  believer  in  forced  labour,  which  was  quite 
a  different  thing.  Consequently  we  found  ourselves 
condemned  to  some  of  the  most  filthy  tasks  conceiv- 
able. Incidentally,  however,  these  duties  only  served 
to  reveal  still  more  convincingly  the  hollowness  of 
Germany's  preachings  concerning  the  principles  of 
health  and  hygiene  to  the  whole  world  while  herself 
practising  the  diametrically  opposite.  We  were 
commanded  to  clean  out  the  military  hospital. 

Now,  if  there  is  one  building  among  others  in  which 
one  would  expect  to  discover  scrupulous  cleanliness 
it  is  a  hospital,  but  this  accommodation  provided  for 
the  German  recruits  was  in  an  indescribably  filthy 
condition.  The  conveniences  for  the  patients  were  in 
a  deplorable  state.  They  had  neither  been  disin- 
fected nor  cleaned  for  months.  Faecal  matter  and  other 
filth  had  been  left  to  dry,  harden  and  adhere  with  the 
tenacity  of  glue  to  the  surfaces.  Its  removal  not 
only  taxed  our  strength  to  the  supreme  degree,  but 
our  endurance  as  well.  The  stench  was  suffocating 


THE   REIGN    OF   TERROR  169 

and  nauseating.  Even  the  foul  aroma  of  the  strong 
cheap  German  tobacco  which  we  were  able  to  purchase 
at  the  canteen  and  to  smoke  while  at  this  task,  if 
our  sentry  were  genial,  failed  to  smother  the  more 
powerful  and  penetrating  foul  vapours  which  arose 
directly  water  was  applied. 

We  were  also  assigned  to  the  repugnant  duty  of 
cleaning  out  the  latrines,  which  were  of  the  most  primi- 
tive character,  and  which  coincided  with  the  facilities 
which  one  might  anticipate  among  savages  but  not 
in  such  a  boasting  civilised  country  as  Germany. 
Both  these  duties  were  loathsome,  but  I  am  afraid 
no  one  engaged  on  the  tasks  would  be  able  to  express 
a  conclusive  opinion  as  to  which  was  the  worse. 

The  duties  being  so  varied,  operations  often  took  us 
a  little  way  from  the  camp.  The  chance  to  get  away 
even  for  a  brief  period  from  our  depressing  and  mono- 
tonous surroundings  was  seized  with  avidity.  Un- 
fortunately, we  feared  that  this  system  of  forced  labour 
would  culminate  in  our  being  assigned  to  the  work 
of  tending  the  crops.  But  we  made  up  our  minds 
irrevocably  to  do  no  such  thing  no  matter  how  we  might 
be  punished.  The  Germans  had  failed  to  nourish  us 
in  an  adequate  manner,  and  we  were  certainly  not 
going  to  enable  them  to  secure  a  sufficiency  of  food 
at  our  expense.  Indeed,  the  one  or  two  attempts 
which  were  made  to  impress  us  to  toil  on  the  land, 
proved  highly  disastrous  because  considerable  damage 
was  inflicted  from  our  ignorance  of  agriculture  and 
gardening. 

Some  of  us  were  given  the  garden  which  belonged 
to  the  old  General  who  had  been  in  charge  at  Senne- 
lager  when  we  first  arrived,  to  keep  in  condition. 
This  official  was  an  enthusiastic  amateur  gardener  and 
cherished  a  great  love  for  flowers.  Seeing  that  during 
his  regime  we  had  received  considerate  treatment 
within  limitations,  we  cherished  no  grudge  against 
him.  Again,  the  fact  that  his  garden  was  to  be  kept 
going  led  us  to  hope  that  the  duration  of  Major  Bach's 


170  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

reign  over  us  was  merely  temporary  and  that  our 
former  guardian  would  soon  be  returning.  We  knew 
that  in  such  an  event  our  lot  would  be  rendered  far 
easier,  so  we  nursed  his  little  plot  of  ground  with  every 
care  and  displayed  just  as  much  interest  in  its  welfare 
as  if  it  had  been  our  own.  But  the  old  General  never 
came  back  to  Sennelager,  at  least  not  during  my 
period  of  imprisonment  there. 

There  was  one  party  of  British  prisoners  whom  Major 
Bach  singled  out  for  especially  harsh  and  brutal 
treatment.  The  invincible  High  Seas  Fleet  upon 
one  of  its  sporadic  ventures  into  salt  water  during  the 
very  earliest  days  of  the  war,  stumbled  across  a  fleet 
of  Grimsby  trawlers  unconcernedly  pursuing  their 
usual  peaceful  occupation.  The  whole  of  the  fisher- 
men were  made  prisoners  and  were  dispatched  to 
Sennelager. 

But  Major  Bach  stedfastly  refused  to  believe  that 
they  were  simple  fishermen  pursuing  their  ordinary 
tasks.  To  his  narrow  and  distorted  mind  a  man  on 
a  trawler  was  only  toiling  in  the  sea  for  one  or  both 
of  two  purposes.  The  one  was  laying  mines  ;  the  other 
was  mine-sweeping.  Consequently  he  decided  to  mark 
these  unfortunate  hardened  sea-salts  in  a  distinguish- 
ing manner  which  was  peculiarly  his  own,  thereby 
rendering  them  conspicuous  and  possible  of  instant 
recognition,  while  in  the  event  of  an  escape  being 
attempted,  no  difficulty  would  be  experienced  in 
identifying  and  catching  the  runaways.  Each  man 
was  submitted  to  the  indignity  of  having  one  half  of 
his  head  shaved  clean,  one  half  of  his  moustache 
removed,  or  one  half  of  his  beard  cut  away.  The  men 
branded  in  this  manner  presented  a  strange  spectacle, 
and  one  which  afforded  Major  Bach  endless  amusement. 
In  addition  a  flaming  big  "  Z  "  was  printed  boldly 
upon  the  back  of  the  coat  of  each  man.  This  letter 
comprises  the  initial  of  the  German  word  "  zivil," 
and  means  that  the  wearer  is  neither  a  criminal  nor 
a  military  prisoner.  It  will  be  observed,  however,  that 


THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR  171 

the  Commandant  declined  to  recognise  these  fishermen 
as  being  naval  prisoners,  which  somewhat  contradicted 
his  assertion  concerning  their  alleged  crime.  At  a 
subsequent  date,  I  might  mention,  every  civilian 
prisoner  was  branded  with  the  "  Z "  in  a  similar 
manner. 

These  fishermen  were  watched  very  closely,  were 
hunted  and  harassed  at  every  turn  without  mercy, 
and  all  things  considered,  experienced  an  abnormally 
hard  time.  Up  to  the  day  of  my  release  from-  Rulile- 
ben  on  December  6,  1915,  but  one  of  those  old  salts 
had  been  released,  and  had  been  returned  to  his  country. 
We  were  informed  at  Sennelager  that  the  authorities 
were  determined,  at  all  hazards,  to  keep  these  "  diabolical 
fiends  "  as  they  were  termed,  in  durance  vile,  until 
the  termination  of  the  war.  However,  one  of  them 
fell  seriously  ill  after  his  transference  from  Sennelager 
to  Ruhleben.  His  condition  became  so  serious  as 
to  bring  about  his  hurried  exchange,  the  authorities 
dreading  that  he  would  die  while  in  their  charge,  and 
thus  adversely  affect  the  low  death-rate  reputation 
of  a  German  prison  camp  ! 

Our  hair  was  growing  long,  owing  to  the  absence  of 
cutting  facilities.  Mine  had  almost  reached  my 
shoulders,  but  I  was  extremely  careful  to  submit  it 
to  a  thorough  wash  every  morning  because  I  shared 
the  fear  of  many  of  my  companions  that,  owing  to 
the  congestion  of  the  camp,  we  should  be  overrun 
with  vermin.  Undoubtedly  Major  Bach  also  antici- 
pated such  a  state  of  affairs,  because  one  morning  he 
appeared  upon  parade  with  a  pair  of  clippers  which  he 
had  unearthed  from  somewhere  and  curtly  commanded 
every  man  to  submit  to  a  hair-cut. 

The  position  of  official  barber  to  the  camp  was 

assigned  to  an  Englishman  named  L ,  who  I  think 

might  be  accurately  described  as  our  official  humorist. 
Armed  with  this  weapon,  and  although  absolutely 
ignorant  of  the  new  calling  thrust  upon  him,  delighted 
to  secure  some  change  to  the  monotonous  round  of 


172  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

toil,  L entered  upon  his  work  with  commendable 

zest.  But  he  construed  the  duty  into  a  form  of 
amusement,  and  played  sorry  tricks  with  the  heads 
which  came  into  his  hands.  Some  he  shaved  so  clean 
as  to  present  the  appearance  of  a  billiard  ball,  but 
others  he  evidently  considered  to  be  worthy  of  French 
poodle  treatment.  He  took  a  humorous  delight  in 
executing  some  of  the  most  fantastic  and  weird  designs 
it  is  possible  to  imagine,  much  to  the  discomfort  and 
chagrin  of  his  unwilling  clients.  Still  his  quaint 
expression  of  craftmanship  and  artistry  contributed 
somewhat  to  the  restricted  hilarity  and  mirth  of  the 
camp. 

I,  myself,  sternly  refused  to  entrust  my  head   to 

L 's  hands.     I  naturally  thought  that   I  should 

receive  a  smart  punishment  for  thus  flying  in  the  face 
of  the  autocratic  order  which  had  gone  forth,  but  strange 
to  say  I  found  Major  Bach  somewhat  reasonable  on 
this  point.  This  is  about  the  only  redeeming  feature 
I  can  offer  concerning  Major  Bach's  rule  over  us.  I 
think,  however,  that  he  was  somewhat  more  closely 
observant  than  was  generally  supposed  to  be  the  case, 
because  those  of  us  who  escaped  the  hair-cutting  pre- 
caution happened  to  be  the  very  prisoners  who  were 
unremitting  in  their  efforts  to  preserve  unassailable 

personal  cleanliness.    No  doubt  L was  disappointed 

to  be  deprived  of  a  few  possible  heads  upon  which  to 
demonstrate  his  quaint  skill,  but  we  succeeded  in 
escaping  from  his  clutches. 

Although  vermin  did  overrun  the  camps,  not  only 
of  Sennelager,  but  of  other  prisons  of  whose  interiors 
I  made  the  acquaintance,  I  can  assert  truthfully  that 
I  was  never  troubled  with  the  unsolicited  company  of 
body  lice,  and  only  once  or  twice  discovered  one  or 
two  unwelcome  strangers  in  my  hair.  The  coarse 
and  harsh  German  soap  effectively  rendered  my  hair 
untenantable.  But  some  of  the  prisoners  were  over- 
whelmed and  presented  terrifying  spectacles.  It 
was  here  that  the  superiority  of  the  Britisher  in  matters 


THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR  173 

pertaining  to  personal  hygiene  towered  over  all  the 
varying  races  by  which  he  was  surrounded,  not  even 
excepting  the  Germans.  From  our  own  experience  and 
observation  it  was  only  too  palpable  that  the  Teuton 
soldiers  are  quite  as  careless  in  this  connection  as  the 
less  enlightened  peoples  of  south-eastern  Europe, 
because  they  were  as  severely  infested — if  not  more 
so — with  vermin. 

One  of  the  jobs  set  to  us-  was  making  hay  in  an 
adjoining  field  and  for  the  purpose  of  getting  away 
from  the  camp  for  a  few  hours  many  of  us  volunteered 
for  this  toil.  The  hay  had  to  be  laden  upon  huge 
waggons,  the  load  thus  easily  exceeding  that  incidental 
to  British  hay-making  operations,  and  this  had  to  be 
hauled  to  Paderborn  for  storage  in  lofts. 

Although  I  was  on  the  sick,  list  at  the  time  I  could 
not  resist  the  chance  to  secure  a  glimpse  of  new  sur- 
roundings and  a  few  strange  faces.  It  was  on  this 
occasion  that  I  made  my  first,  but  abortive,  attempt 
to  escape.  The  sentry  was  dozing  in  the  hot  afternoon 
sun,  having  found  a  soft  couch  on  a  haycock.  I  slunk 
off  towards  the  trees  which  surround  the  camp.  Pre- 
sently I  spotted  a  sentry.  I  passed  him  safely  and 
still  keeping  to  the  trees  pushed  forward,  only  to  be 
surprised  to  discover  another  sentry  standing  on  watch 
with  his  loaded  rifle.  Him,  too,  I  eluded,  and  was 
congratulating  myself  upon  my  success  when  I  was 
disturbed  by  the  clattering  of  approaching  horses. 
I  peered  through  the  trees  and  saw  a  squadron  of 
cavalry  trotting  towards  me.  I  slipped  into  the 
undergrowth  to  throw  myself  prone  under  a  sheltering 
bush.  The  soldiers  passed  within  twelve  feet  of  me. 
I  held  my  breath  half-dreading  that  perhaps  one  of 
the  horses,  scenting  something  unusual,  might  give 
a  warning.  I  kept  to  my  cover  until  the  soldiers  had 
disappeared  from  sight.  Then  I  stole  out  to  wander 
stealthily  forward.  But  I  speedily  discovered  that 
the  further  I  got  away  from  the  camp  the  greater  the 
number  of  cavalry  I  encountered.  Moreover  it  was 


174  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

easy  to  see  that  manoeuvres  and  training  were 
proceeding  upon  an  extensive  scale. 

I  realised  the  hopelessness  of  attempting  to  break 
through  such  a  cordon,  so  with  extreme  regret  I  decided 
to  make  my  way  back  to  the  hayfield.  But  the  return 
was  more  difficult  than  the  outward  journey.  I  had  to 
slip  the  guards,  who  seemed  to  be  uncannily  alert 
and  who,  if  they  had  caught  the  slightest  glimpse  of 
me,  would  have  blazed  away  with  their  rifles  without 
first  yelling  a  challenge.  But  I  dodged  them  all  and 
regaining  the  field  sauntered  up  towards  my  guard 
with  perfect  composure.  He  had  missed  me  and  had 
been  looking  round  to  see  if  I  were  at  a  remote  part 
of  the  field.  As  I  approached  he  eyed  me  quizzically 
and  subjected  me  to  a  searching  cross-examination 
to  discover  where  I  had  been.  But  he  secured  no 
satisfaction,  beyond  the  sly  hint  that  he  had  not 
noticed  me  for  the  simple  reason  that  he  had  been 
stealing  a  snooze.  I  know  he  did  not  believe  the 
answers  I  vouchsafed,  but  I  was  on  safe  ground.  Had 
he  hauled  me  before  the  Commandant  for  attempting 
to  escape  he  knew  very  well  that  I  should  have  retorted 
with  the  countercharge  that  he  had  been  sleeping  at 
his  post,  in  which  assertion  I  should  have  been  supported 
by  my  friends.  I  held  the  trump  card  and  he  was  wise 
enough  to  realise  the  fact.  Consequently,  beyond 
telling  me  to  get  on  with  my  work  he  never  ventured 
another  word,  nor  did  his  attitude  towards  me  change 
in  any  way. 

Afterwards  I  congratulated  myself  upon  having 
responded  to  second  thoughts  to  return  to  the  camp. 
I  learned  that  the  chances  of  escaping  from  Sennelager 
were  most  slender.  Not  only  were  we  interned  in 
the  centre  of  a  big  military  centre,  somewhat  com- 
parable to  our  Aldershot,  but  special  precautions  had 
been  observed  to  frustrate  escape.  Sentries  were 
thrown  out  at  distances  of  a  few  hundred  yards  while 
the  system  of  overlapping  these  guardians  was  of  the 
most  elaborate  character.  Such  a  gauntlet  was  far 


THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR  175 

too  precarious  and  tight  to  be  run  with  any  chances  of 
success.  The  hue  and  cry  would  have  been  raised, 
and  have  been  transmitted  to  the  outer  rings  of  sentries 
before  one  had  covered  a  fourth  of  the  danger  zone. 

We  had  to  bale  the  hay  on  the  waggon  and  when  a 
full  load  had  been  stowed  aboard  it  was  hauled  away 
to  the  lofts.  But  we  had  no  horses  or  traction  engines 
to  drag  the  vehicles  ;  every  available  beast  and  machine 
had  been  requisitioned  for  the  army.  Still  this  factor 
did  not  perturb  our  captors.  British  muscle  could 
be  used  as  a  substitute  for  animals  and  engines.  Ac- 
cordingly, about  30  of  the  imprisoned  British  tourists 
were  harnessed  up  to  tug  the  weighty  and  cumbersome 
load  over  the  heavy  three  miles  of  road,  badgered  and 
baited  by  the  guards.  When  we  slowed  down  under 
the  effort,  which  was  pretty  exhausting  upon  a  basin 
of  cabbage  soup,  we  were  spurred  into  the  normal 
pace  by  the  imprecations  of  the  soldiers. 

In  addition  to  the  men  tugging  at  the  shafts  two 
had  to  ride  on  top  of  the  load  to  keep  it  in  order.  The 
road  led  through  a  long  avenue,  the  lower  branches 
of  the  trees  lining  which  swept  the  top  of  the  hay. 
It  taxed  all  our  ingenuity  and  agility  to  avoid  a  mis- 
hap. Indeed,  my  companion  was  swept  off  and  thrown 
into  the  road  with  considerable  violence,  sustaining 
.severe  bruises.  It  was  rather  by  luck  than  judgment 
that  I  did  not  share  his  fate. 

When  we  reached  the  outskirts  of  Paderborn  the 
guards  called  a  halt,  in  order  to  secure  refreshment. 
We  were  also  permitted,  within  limits,  to  purchase 
eatables  from  the  shops,  for  which,  needless  to  say, 
we  had  to  pay  exorbitantly. 


we  were  able  to  secure  a  highly  appreciated  relief  to  our 
monotonous  and  insufficient  fare. 


176  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

While  the  guards  were  enjoying  themselves  my 
companion  and  I,  perched  on  the  top  of  the  load,  became 
the  target  for  the  jokes  and  gibes  of  the  curious  crowd 
which  had  collected  round  the  vehicle.  One  fellow 
in  the  crowd  was  particularly  impertinent  and  offensive 
with  the  result  that  we  soon  became  riled.  He  came 
close  to  the  side  of  the  wagon  to  shout  some  particularly 
insulting  epithet.  With  a  dexterous  movement  my 
friend  and  I,  who  had  been  watching  patiently,  severed 
the  band  holding  a  bale  and  as  it  flew  apart  we  gave  the 
bale  a  smart  push.  It  toppled  over  the  side  to  fall 
upon  the  head  of  our  tormentor  with  a  crash,  felling 
him  to  the  ground  and  burying  him  completely.  The 
guard,  whom  it  missed  narrowly,  gave  a  savage  curse, 
but  the  fall  appeared  to  be  so  obviously  accidental 
that  he  never  for  a  moment  considered  the  incident 
to  have  been  premeditated.  The  bullying,  raw-boned 
young  Prussian  was  extricated  with  great  difficulty 
and  somewhat  battered.  His  mouth,  eyes,  nostrils 
and  ears  were  choked  with  the  hayseeds  and  he  splut- 
tered, coughed  and  yelled  in  a  terrifying  manner. 
But  he  who  a  minute  before  had  been  so  ready  with 
gibes  at  our  expense  was  now  jeered  at  by  his  com- 
rades, in  which  our  guards  joined  boisterously.  We, 
on  the  top  had  to  give  way  to  mirth.  Although  we 
were  compelled  to  gather  the  hay,  remake  the  bale, 
and  reload  it  upon  the  vehicle  we  were  so  satisfied 
with  our  complete  revenge  as  to  perform  the  task  with 
a  light  heart. 

Whenever  we  visited  Paderborn,  or  the  village  of 
Sennelager,  we  never  omitted  to  load  ourselves  up 
with  whatever  food  we  could  purchase.  Those  who 
did  not  accompany  us  invariably  gave  us  the  where- 
withal to  secure  victuals  for  them. 


THE   REIGN    OF   TERROR  177 


At  first  the  shopkeepers  were  not  disposed  to  deal 
with  us,  no  doubt  fearing  that  they  would  be  charged 
with  complicity  in  these  transactions. 

As  our  visits  became  more  frequent 
all  hesitation  upon  the  part  of  the  tradesmen  vanished, 
and  they  accepted  our  money  without  the  slightest 
demur.  We  speedily  discovered  that  the  most  rabid 
anti-British  and  wildly  patriotic  German  shopkeeper 
always  succumbs  to  business.  When  patriotism  is 
pitted  against  pounds,  shillings  and  pence,  patriotism 
can  go  hang. 


One  of  Major  Bach's  most  diabolical  acts  of  savagery 
was  the  closing  of  the  canteens  in  the  camp  to  prisoners. 
This  was  the  last  straw,  because  now  we  were  compelled 
to  subsist  upon  the  slender  and  disgusting  fare  served 
from  the  official  cookhouse.  This  doubtless  was  the 
express  reason  which  influenced  the  Commandant  in 
his  action.  But  we  were  not  disposed  to  allow  him 
to  have  things  all  fiis  own  way.  He  promulgated  the 
order  but  it  had  to  be  enforced  by  his  myrmidons. 
We  found  that  the  canteen  was  still  available  to  the 
guards,  so  forthwith  we  resorted  to  corruption  to 
evade  Major  Bach's  decree.  The  guards  having  us 


178  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

in  their  mercy,  bled  us  unmercifully,  the  most  trivial 
articles  being  procurable  only  at  an  extravagant  price. 
I  paid  a  shilling  for  a  loaf  which  I  could  always  obtain 
before  the  closing  order  came  into  force  for  twopence  ! 
Other  articles  were  in  proportion. 

But  closing  the  canteens  drew  the  cordon  round 
our  stomachs  immeasurably  tighter.  It  was  not  long 
before  the  fiendish  decree  betrayed  its  fruits.  Gaunt 
figures  with  pinched  faces  and  staring  wolfish  eyes 
slunk  about  the  camp  ready  to  seize  anything  in  the 
form  of  food.  Our  physique  fell  away,  and  those 
already  reduced  to  weakness  suffered  still  further 
debilitation.  Many  failed  to  muster  the  strength 
necessary  to  fulfil  the  tasks  allotted  to  them.  Gradual, 
systematic  and  deliberate  starvation  of  the  prisoners 
was  prosecuted  in  grim  earnest. 

Yet  the  British  prisoners  accepted  the  inevitable 
with  a  far  more  cheerful  resignation  than  the  others. 
Undoubtedly  it  is  a  decided  trait  of  the  British  char- 
acter never  to  be  cast  down  when  brought  face  to  face 
with  disaster.  Our  boys  were  quite  as  resourceful 
as  Major  Bach,  although  in  the  opposite  direction — 
to  keep  ourselves  alive.  Whenever  any  of  us  went  out 
and  came  within  reach  of  a  field  growing  vegetable 
crops  we  did  not  hesitate  to  raid  it.  Supplies  of  raw 
carrots,  onions,  potatoes,  turnips  and  any  other  roots 
in  the  edible  line  were  smuggled  into  the  barracks. 
Late  at  night,  after  all  lights  had  been  extinguished 
and  we  were  supposed  to  be  asleep,  we  were  sitting  up 
munching  quietly  away  at  these  spoils  of  war  with  as 
much  gusto  and  enthusiasm  as  if  enjoying  a  table  d'hote 
dinner  in  the  luxury  of  a  crack  West  End  hotel. 

One  day  one  of  our  party  came  in  with  a  cucumber. 
Where  or  how  he  had  got  it  we  never  knew,  and  what 
is  more  we  did  not  trouble  to  enquire.  The  fact  that 
we  had  come  into  possession  of  a  dainty  sufficed.  We 
fell  upon  it  with  a  relish  which  it  is  impossible  to 
describe.  It  was  divided  among  us  in  accordance 
with  our  accepted  communal  practice,  and  I  do  not 


THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR  179 

think  any  article  which  we  secured  in  Sennelager  was 
ever  eaten  with  such  wholehearted  enjoyment  as  that 
cucumber.  But  the  incident  was  not  free  from  its 
touch  of  pathos.  When  we  sat  down  to  the  cucumber 
we  carefully  peeled  it  and  threw  the  rind  away.  Two 
days  later  two  others  and  myself  set  out  to  recover  that 
cucumber  rind  which  had  been  discarded,  the  pinch 
about  the  waistbelt  having  become  insistent.  We 
found  it,  soiled  and  shrivelled,  but  we  ate  it  ravenously. 
Major  Bach  may  have  wondered  why  the  British 
civil  prisoners  did  not  reveal  signs  of  semi-starvation 
so  readily  as  those  of  other  nationalities.  But  we 
had  long  since  discovered  that  it  was  useless  to  go 
about  the  camp  with  long  faces  and  the  bearing  of  the 
"  All-is-Lost  Brigade/'  We  were  almost  entirely 
dependent  upon  our  own  ingenuity  to  keep  ourselves 
alive,  and  we  succeeded.  The  methods  adopted  may 
be  criticised,  but  in  accordance  with  the  inexorable 
first  law  of  Nature  we  concluded  that  the  end  justified 
any  means. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  REIGN  OF  TERROR — CONTINUED 

WHILE  for  the  most  part  we  had  been  compelled  to 
labour  upon  sundry  duties,  we  were  not  hard  pushed, 
being  somewhat  in  the  position  of  the  workmen  toiling 
by  the  hour,  except  that  our  efforts  went  unrewarded 
in  a  financial  sense.  But  this  system  did  not  coincide 
with  the  ideas  of  Major  Bach. 

He  paraded  us  one  morning  and  assuming  his 
favourite  attitude  before  us  treated  us  to  a  little  homily. 
It  was  a  characteristic  tirade  delivered  in  the  con- 
ventional Teuton  gramophone  manner.  But  it  affected 
us  materially. 

Now  we  were  to  become  slaves  in  very  truth ! 

The  Commandant  informed  us  point-blank  that  he 
was  extremely  dissatisfied  with  our  manner  of  working. 
We  were  too  slow  :  we  nursed  our  tasks.  Did  we  think 
we  were  being  kept  at  Sennelager  for  the  benefit  of 
our  health  or  to  make  holiday  ?  If  so  that  was  a  fond 
delusion.  Henceforth  he  was  going  to  estimate  a 
certain  time  for  each  task  which  would  have  to  be 
completed  within  the  period  allowed,  even  if  we  had 
to  work  every  hour  God  gave  us  and,  if  need  be,  on 
Sundays  as  well. 

Major  Bach  never  minced  matters  :  he  meant  every 
word  he  said.  So  upon  being  dismissed  we  returned 
to  our  barracks  looking  decidedly  glum.  Pressure 
was  being  applied  at  every  turn  now,  and  it  was 
becoming  a  pressure  which  could  be  felt. 

We  were  soon  notified  as  to  the  first  task  which  we 
were  to  rush  through  on  "  contract  "  time.  A  big 
fence  was  required  to  enclose  a  certain  area  of  the 

i  So 


THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR  181 

camp,  and  this  was  to  be  erected,  together  with  the 
necessary  gates  and  other  details  within  fourteen 
days.  If  we  could  complete  it  within  a  shorter  time 
no  complaint  would  be  raised.  But  he  would  not  allow 
another  day  beyond  his  limit.  Major  Bach  must  have 
been  a  masterpiece  in  this  particular  phase  of  human 
endeavour,  inasmuch  as  his  anticipated  period,  as  we 
learned,  could  not  have  been  reduced  by  a  single  day. 

The  prisoners  were  divided  into  gangs,  each  of  which 
was  allotted  to  a  definite  operation.  Although  the 
erection  of  this  fence  constituted  the  hardest  enter- 
prise which  we  had  ever  taken  in  hand  we  did  not 
flinch.  Somehow  or  other  we  considered  that  Major 
Bach  had  given  expression  to  an  unwarrantable 
reflection  upon  our  abilities.  He  practically  considered 
us  to  be  no  more  nor  less  than  slackers.  Well !  We 
would  show  him  what  we  could  do>  although  prisoners, 
denied  every  possible  comfort,  and  half-starved  into 
the  bargain.  Every  man  undertook  to  exert  himself 
to  the  utmost  and  to  do  his  level  best. 

No  facilities  whatever  were  extended  to  us  beyond 
the  most  primitive  of  tools.  One  party  was  sent  into 
the  adjacent  woods  to  fell  suitable  trees  to  serve  as 
posts,  to  trim  them  of  branches,  and  to  the  required 
length  of  10  feet.  Then  they  had  to  be  carried  by 
manual  effort  into  the  camp  where  the  butt  was  cham- 
fered and  charred  in  a  wood  fire  as  a»  protection  against 
too  rapid  decay. 

While  the  posts  were  being  prepared  a  second  party 
was  busily  engaged  in  digging  the  holes  for  them. 
Each  hole  had  to  be  of  a  prescribed  diameter,  by  one 
metre — about  3  feet — in  depth,  and  they  were  set  a 
certain  distance  apart.  Tree-felling  might  have  been, 
and  undoubtedly  was,  hard  work  to  inexperienced 
hands,  but  hole  digging  !  That  was  set  down  as  the 
unassailable  limit.  Driving  the  pick  and  shovel  in 
the  rebellious  ground  was  back-breaking  in  the  hot 
sun  and  it  had  to  be  maintained  without  pause  or 
slackening. 


182  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

When  the  post  had  been  planted  the  wire-pulling 
gang  came  along.  The  wire  used  for  the  purpose  was 
galvanised  netting  such  as  is  used  to  enclose  chicken 
runs,  game  preserves,  and  tennis  grounds,  reinforced 
by  one  or  two  equidistantly  spaced  lines  of  ordinary 
wire.  It  had  to  be  stretched  taut  by  hand  and  moving 
the  heavy  roll  by  manual  effort  and  uncoiling  it  as  we 
advanced,  demanded  not  only  strength  but  dexterity. 
At  each  post  the  wire  was  attached  by  the  aid  of  a  few 
staples. 

Although  we  laboured  zealously  the  task  proved  far 
more  formidable  than  we  had  anticipated.  The  fence 
was  7  feet  in  height,  while  I  should  think  that  from 
600  to  800  yards  had  to  be  run.  The  netting  only 
enclosed  three  sides  of  the  desired  space,  the  fourth 
side  being  fenced  in  by  a  belt  of  trees.  In  order  to  get 
the  work  done  on  time  and  to  avoid  being  compelled 
to  toil  on  Sundays,  we  had  to  labour  long  and  hard. 
We  started  shortly  after  six  in  the  morning,  but  it  was 
often  about  half-past  six  in  the  evening  before  we 
knocked  off  for  the  day.  We  took  a  strange  and 
inexplicable  pride  in  the  enterprise.  The  fence  was  not 
built  upon  the  typical  shoddy  German  lines,  but 
strictly  in  accordance  with  substantial  British  ideas. 
I  may  mention  that  we  had  good  reason  to  regret  this 
display  of  zeal  and  excellent  workmanship  at  a  later 
date. 

Seeing  that  the  evening  was  well  advanced  before 
we  ceased  work  we  had  little  time  for  relaxation. 
When  we  stowed  our  tools  for  the  day  we  were  dog- 
tired  and  were  hustled  into  barracks.  It  was  work 
and  sleep  in  deadly  earnest,  but  we  were  mighty  glad 
we  succeeded  in  avoiding  the  threatened  Sunday 
labour,  because  this  was  the  only  day  we  could  devote  to 
our  own  duties  such  as  mending  and  washing  clothes. 

While  we  were  pushing  ahead  with  this  task  we 
discussed  its  coming  purposes  very  animatedly.  But 
none  of  the  guards  appeared  to  have  the  slightest 
inkling  of  its  projected  application.  However,  this 


THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR  183 

was  immaterial  to  us.  A  loud  cheer  of  triumph  went 
up  when  we  had  hung  the  gates,  which  we  had  also 
fashioned  at  great  effort,  and  the  duty  was  completed. 
We  were  beside  ourselves  with  self-satisfaction  and 
delight  because  we  had  shown  the  implacable  Major 
Bach  what  we  Britishers  could  do  when  we  made  up 
our  rninds  to  tackle  anything.  I  very  much  doubt 
whether  even  an  equal  number  of  skilled  workmen 
would  have  completed  the  fence  within  the  stipulated 
time,  and  we  for  the  most  part  were  quite  foreign  to 
the  trades  involved. 

When  we  first  entered  the  camp  we  were  provided 
with  a  tolerably  satisfactory  area  of  adjacent  space 
in  which  to  exercise  ourselves.  But  as  additional 
prisoners  came  in  this  limb-stretching  promenade 
became  gradually  reduced  until  at  last  it  was  no  more 
than  a  suburban  chicken  run  in  area,  being  just  as 
long  as  our  barrack  by  one-half  the  space  between  the 
two  rows  of  buildings.  These  cramped  quarters  rather 
exasperated  us  because  we  were  denied  the  pleasure 
of  a  little  stroll.  The  exercise  yard  was  also  invariably 
obstructed  by  clothes  hanging  on  the  lines  to  dry  or 
to  air,  the  result  being  that  within  a  very  short  time 
the  British  section  of  Sennelager  Camp  became  vividly 
reminiscent  of  a  slum  in  the  densely  populated  districts 
off  the  Mile  End  Road. 

The  speedy  completion  of  the  "  big  fence  "  unfor- 
tunately set  a  bad  precedent.  Major  Bach,  flushed 
with  the  success  of  his  first  speeding-up  tactics,  grew 
more  and  more  inexorable  in  this  connection.  For 
every  job  a  rigid  time-limit  was  now  set,  and  he  did 
not  hesitate  to  reduce  the  period  to  an  almost 
impossible  point.  The  cause  was  perfectly  obvious. 
He  concluded  that  by  setting  us  an  absolutely 
impossible,  though  apparently  reasonable,  enterprise, 
he  would  secure  the  opportunity  for  which  he  was  so 
sedulously  waiting — to  mete  us  out  some  new  punish- 
ment. But  somehow  or  other  we  always  contrived  to 
cheat  him  in  his  nefarious  designs. 


184  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

During  this  period  our  guard  was  changed  frequently. 
Men  would  be  withdrawn  to  make  up  the  losses  incurred 
upon  the  battlefield.  Thus  we  were  brought  into 
contact  with  the  various  types  of  Germans  which 
constitute  the  Teutonic  Empire.  Some  were  certainly 
not  ill-disposed  towards  us.  They  mounted  guard 
over  us  according  to  their  own  interpretation  of  this 
essential  duty.  But  others  slavishly  followed  the 
rigid  instructions  which  were  laid  down,  notably  the 
Prussian  guards,  who  were  about  the  most  brutal  and 
despicable  blackguards  it  is  possible  for  the  whole  of 
Germany  to  have  produced  to  mount  watch  and  ward 
over  us.  One  set  of  guards  was  withdrawn  to  bring 
a  Westphalian  regiment  to  fighting  strength  and 
proceeded  to  the  front.  Afterwards  we  learned  that 
every  man  had  been  lost — killed,  wounded  or  missing. 

The  severe  mauling  which  the  German  armies  were 
receiving — we  knew  nothing  about  it  at  the  time — 
undoubtedly  was  partly  responsible  for  the  harsh 
treatment  extended  to  us.  Unable  to  smash  the 
"  contemptible  little  army,"  which  was  certainly 
proving  capable  of  looking  after  itself,  vengeance  was 
visited  upon  our  defenceless  heads. 

One  day  a  huge  crowd  of  prisoners  was  brought  in. 
Whether  the  Commandant  had  been  advised  of  their 
coming  or  not  I  am  unable  to  say.  But  one  incon- 
trovertible fact  remains — he  failed  utterly  to  make 
any  food  arrangements  to  meet  the  increase  in  the 
camp's  population.  The  prisoners  reached  the  camp 
in  the  usual  famishing  condition  and  were  given  a 
small  ration.  But  they  were  satisfied  partially  at  our 
expense.  The  remaining  food  was  only  adequate  to 
give  us  one-half  of  our  usual  small  dole,  and  we  had  to 
rest  content  therewith.  The  canteen  being  closed  we 
could  not  make  up  the  deficiency  even  at  our  own 
expense. 

My  health  was  now  giving  way,  as  a  result  of  my 
privations  in  Wesel  prison,  accentuated  by  the 
indifferent  and  insufficient  food  and  hard  work  at 


THE   REIGN   OF   TERROR  185 

Sennelager.  I  was  assigned  to  various  light  duties. 
One  of  these  brought  me  into  the  cook-house,  where  I 
was  ordered  to  cut  up  the  black  bread — one  brick  loaf 
into  five  equal  pieces,  each  of  which  had  to  last  a  man 
through  six  meals.  I  was  either  unfitted  for  kitchen 
work  or  else  my  presence  was  resented.  At  all  events 
I  soon  realised  that  my  first  day  in  the  cook-house 
would  undoubtedly  be  my  last.  I  had  to  serve  out 
the  bread,  and  ostensibly,  either  from  lack  of  experience 
or  nervousness,  I  bungled  my  task.  The  men  had 
to  go  by  the  boiler  in  single  file,  passing  on  to  the  table 
to  receive  the  bread,  where  serving  was  carried  out  so 
dexterously  that  the  moving  line  never  paused — until 
it  got  to  my  table.  But  there  was  method  in  my 
bungling.  I  was  zealously  striving  to  double  the 
bread  ration  to  the  British  prisoners.  Consequently 
the  pieces  of  bread  persisted  in  tumbling  to  the  ground, 
thereby  hindering  and  upsetting  the  steady  progress 
and  rhythm  of  serving.  But  each  man  as  he  stooped 
to  recover  a  fallen  piece  received  a  second  hunk 
surreptitiously,  as  was  my  direct  intention.  However, 
unfortunately  for  me,  the  bread  did  not  go  far  enough, 
the  outcome  being  an  outburst  of  further  trouble. 
As  I  had  expected,  my  room  was  preferred  to  my 
company  in  that  kitchen  and  I  was  deposed. 

While  in  Sennelager  I  had  been  sedulously  keeping 
an  elaborate  diary  in  which  I  entered  details  of  every 
incident  that  befell  the  camp.  I  had  also  recovered 
my  original  diary  which  had  played  such  a  prominent 
part  at  my  trial  in  Wesel  prison, 


Now  diaries  were  the  one  thing  in  Sennelager  which 
were  rigorously  debarred.  To  have  been  caught  with 
such  a  record  of  the  doings  and  my  opinions  of  the 
German  authorities  would  have  brought  me  an  exem- 
plary sentence  of  solitary  confinement  or  penal  servitude 
in  a  German  prison,  if  not  something  worse.  Con- 
sequently I  was  compelled  to  post  my  diary  in  secrecy. 


186  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

I  discovered  a  hiding-place  which  would  never  have 
occurred  to  the  guards,  even  if  they  had  gained  an 
inkling  that  such  a  document  was  in  existence. 

One  of  our  party  fell  a  victim  to  chronic  asthma,  and 
was  isolated,  being  given  a  room  under  the  officer's 
quarters.  Someone  was  required  to  accompany  him 
to  extend  assistance  and  constant  surveillance,  and 
selection  fell  upon  me.  Locking  myself  in  this  room 
at  night,  with  my  sick  companion,  I  used  to  while 
away  the  time  preparing  some  rough  notes  which  I 
was  keeping  for  a  specific  purpose  in  addition  to  the 
diary  proper,  which,  however,  I  left  in  its  original 
hiding-place. 

By  some  means  or  other  the  guard  suspected  my 
engagement  in  some  such  task.  They  made  several 
surprise  entrances  but  failed  to  catch  me  in  the  act  of 
writing.  The  heavy  tread  of  their  coming  feet  always 
gave  me  ample  warning  so  that  I  could  get  my  notes 
into  safe  hiding.  But  one  night  they  burst  open  the 
door  suddenly  and  I  was  caught  red-handed.  On  my 
knees  was  my  pad  at  which  I  was  writing  feverishly. 
But  the  pad  was  inscribed  with  notes  which  I  regarded 
as  of  an  emergency  character.  Realising  the  object 
of  their  unexpected  entry  I  clapped  the  pad  on  the 
table,  thus  covering  up  the  prepared  and  detailed 
notes  which  I  desired  to  keep.  The  guard  sprang 
forward  delirious  with  joy  at  having  made  a  capture, 
snatched  the  loose  sheets  from  the  pad,  and  went  off 
in  high  glee  to  report  my  heinous  offence.  But  the 
man  in  his  haste  left  the  proper  notes  on  the  table. 
He  was  too  thick-brained  to  think  for  a  moment  that 
I  should  ever  trouble  to  prepare  two  diaries,  one  for 
myself  and  one  for  capture  if  detected,  so  I  still  held 
the  treasured  original,  which  I  instantly  hid  away 
safely. 

As  luck  would  have  it  not  a  word  was  included  in 
the  captured  notes  to  offer  written  evidence  of  my 
private  and  candid  opinion  of  my  captors,  their  methods 
and  our  life.  The  fact  that  I  had  written  nothing 


THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR  187 

detrimental  to  the  authorities  apparently  appeased 
the  Commandant,  notwithstanding  the  enormity  of 
my  delinquency.  At  all  events  I  received  nothing 
worse  than  a  stern  admonition  and  threats  of  severe 
punishment  if  I  were  caught  infringing  the  regulations 
again,  to  all  of  which  I  listened  humbly,  but  with  my 
tongue  in  my  cheek. 

My  diary  was  posted  up  fully  in  due  course,  and  what 
is  more  to  the  point  I  got  the  voluminous  and  incrimin- 
ating evidence  away  from  Sennelager.  At  a  later 
date  I  became  somewhat  apprehensive  as  to  its  safety, 
and  was  anxious  to  get  it  to  England.  For  some 
time  I  was  baffled  in  my  efforts,  but  at  last  a  friendly 
neutral  offered  to  take  it  and  to  see  that  it  was  delivered 
to  my  friend  who  has  chronicled  this  story,  to  whom  I 
had  addressed  it.  This  diary  wandered  about  Germany 
considerably,  the  person  in  question  preferring  to  make 
haste  slowly  to  disarm  all  suspicion.  At  last  the 
neutral,  after  having  been  searched  several  times  with- 
out yielding  anything  incriminating,  got  as  far  as  the 
frontier.  About  to  pass  into  the  adjacent  friendly 
country  the  carrier  was  detained,  and  by  some 
mischance  the  diary  happened  to  be  unearthed. 

The  neutral  was  arrested  upon  some  trumped-up 
charge  to  afford  the  authorities  time  to  peruse  the  in- 
criminating document.  Cross-examined  the  go-between 
protested  ignorance  of  the  contents  :  the  parcel  was 
found  just  as  it  had  been  received  from  the  consignor, 
the  seals  were  all  intact,  and  it  was  under  delivery  to 
the  person  whose  address  was  written  upon  the  outside. 
There  was  nothing  attached  to  associate  myself  with 
the  document,  although  my  friend  at  home  would  have 
known  instantly  whence  it  had  come.  The  upshot 
was  that  the  diary  was  confiscated.  I  was  bitterly 
mortified  to  learn  its  fate  when  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  safety,  because  it  contained  incidents  of  all  des- 
criptions set  out  in  regular  sequence,  and  in  a  plain 
unvarnished  manner.  Its  perusal  must  have  stung 
the  Germans  pretty  severely  since  it  was  decidedly 


i68  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

unpalatable  to  Teuton  pride.  It  was  a  comprehensive 
indictment  of  the  German  treatment  of  the  British 
prisoners,  relative  more  particularly  to  Sennelager, 
which  the  authorities  were  firmly  determined  should 
never  become  known  to  the  world  at  large,  and  to 
conceal  which  they  used  unceasing  efforts.  Had  that 
diary  got  home  it  would  have  created  a  tremendous 
sensation.  My  vexation  was  completed  by  the 
thought  that  the  diary  contained  many  episodes  and 
incidents  which  I  can  now  only  recall  hazily,  but  I 
thanked  my  lucky  stars  that  I  had  taken  the  precaution 
to  keep  a  precis  of  the  contents  which  I  myself  brought 
away  with  me,  and  which  has  proved  of  valuable 
assistance  in  setting  forth  this  narrative. 

A  few  days  after  having  completed  the  famous 
"  big  fence  "  we  were  paraded.  Major  Bach  strode  up, 
obviously  in  a  terrible  temper — it  was  the  six  o'clock 
parade — and  facing  us,  roared  : 

"  You  English  dogs  !  Barracks  are  too  comfortable 
for  you  !  You  should  be  made  to  feed  from  the  swine- 
tub  !  Bring  all  your  luggage  out — everything  you've 
got,  and  your  sacks  of  straw  !  I'll  give  you  ten  minutes 
to  do  it.  Then  you'll  parade  again  !  Hurry  up  !  " 

We  were  thunderstruck  at  this  order.  What  was 
in  the  wind  ?  Major  Bach  was  adept  in  springing 
surprises  upon  us,  but  this  excelled  anything  to  which 
we  had  been  treated  hitherto. 

Speculation  was  idle.  We  had  only  ten  minutes  to 
do  as  we  were  bidden,  and  we  bustled  around  to  be  on 
parade  as  demanded.  The  excitement  was  intense. 
We  collected  every  stick  to  which  we  could  lay  a  claim, 
and  with  all  our  worldly  belongings,  as  well  as  our 
sack  of  straw,  on  our  shoulders,  we  trotted  out  and 
formed  up. 

As  we  paraded,  the  guards  made  a  diligent  search 
of  the  barracks  to  see  that  we  had  left  nothing  behind. 
Also  to  make  sure  that  no  prisoner  was  lurking  in 
hiding. 

We  received  the  order  to  march.     We  tramped  along 


THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR  189 

under  our  bulky  and  ungainly  loads,  and  found  we  were 
being  escorted  to  the  enclosure  which  we  had  fenced  in. 
We  swung  through  the  gate,  which  was  closed  behind 
the  last  man,  and  a  soldier  mounted  guard  over  it. 
In  a  flash  the  truth  burst  upon  us. 

We  were  clapped  into  the  barbed  wire  prison  which  we 
had  biiilt  with  so  much  energy  and  in  which  we  had  taken 
such  pride  ! 

The  look  of  dismay  which  settled  upon  the  faces 
of  the  more  lugubrious  members  of  our  party  at  this 
typical  Teutonic  illustration  of  adding  insult  to  injury 
was  perfectly  justifiable.  Here  were  we  turned  into 
an  open  field  surrounded  by  netting,  as  if  we  were  so 
many  cattle,  and  in  which  there  were  no  tents  or  other 
buildings  except  a  single  small  shed.  Some  of  us 
scurried  to  this  little  tumbledown  shanty  to  stow  our 
belongings.  We  had  to  parade  and  were  curtly 
commanded  to  empty  the  straw  from  our  sacks.  We 
did  so  though  our  spirits  dropped  to  zero  at  this  sum- 
mary deprivation  of  our  beds.  We  were  told  to  keep 
the  empty  sacks  and  to  secure  them  against  loss  or 
theft,  which  injunction  we  did  not  fail  to  take  to  heart. 

Then  we  were  left.  No  one  appeared  to  know  what 
to  do  with  us.  We  were  informed  that  instructions 
would  be  given  later.  We  kicked  our  heels  about  in 
the  broiling  sun,  sprawling  here,  and  lolling  there. 
The  hours  passed  but  there  was  no  further  development. 
When  noon  came  and  we  received  no  summons  for 
the  mid-day  meal  we  commenced  to  grow  apprehensive 
in  spite  of  ourselves.  Fortunately  the  weather  was 
glorious,  although  the  hot  sun,  which  we  could  not 
escape,  proved  distressing. 

As  the  time  wore  on  we  spurred  our  interpreters  to 
exert  themselves  on  our  behalf.  They  constituted 
our  only  means  of  mediating  with  our  superiors,  and 
we  urged  them  to  go  to  the  Commandant  to  enquire 
about  our  rations. 

The  interpreters  went  off  and  succeeded  in  gaining 
an  audience  with  Major  Bach,  who  was  found  in  his 


igo  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

office  conferring  with  his  juniors.    Directly  he  espied 
our  interpreters  he  yelled  testily : 

"  Dolmetscher !  Dolmetscher !  I  cannot  attend 
to  any  Dolmetscher  now !  " 

"  But/'  persisted  one  of  the  interpreters,  "  how 
about  the  food  for " 

"  Don't  come  worrying  me  now/'  was  the  savage 
interruption.  "  Get  out !  " 

Our  intermediaries  came  back  and  then*  doleful 
faces  told  us  more  eloquently  than  words  that  their 
interview  had  proved  barren. 

Some  of  the  prisoners  were  giving  way.  A  basin 
of  acorn  coffee  and  a  small  piece  of  black  bread  was 
all  we  had  eaten  for  breakfast,  and  we  were  commencing 
to  feel  the  pangs  of  hunger  disconcertingly. 

In  an  adjacent  field  were  some  British  Tommies 
from  Mons.  Some  of  us,  tiring  of  sprawling  about  on 
the  grass,  and  with  a  queer  pain  gnawing  at  our  stomach, 
strolled  off  towards  them  to  secure  some  distraction 
and  smother  the  call  of  "  little  Mary/'  The  soldiers 
were  hugely  delighted  to  see  us  and  we  were  soon 
engrossed  in  a  spirited  conversation. 

Suddenly  our  fraternising  was  observed  by  some 
officers  who  came  hurrying  up  in  high  dudgeon. 

"  Here  !  None  of  that/'  they  bawled.  "  Military 
and  civilians  must  not  talk  together  !  "  saying  which 
they  bundled  the  soldiers  away  and  evidently  reported 
our  offence.  At  least  our  guards  came  up  shortly 
afterwards,  marshalled  us,  and  led  us  through  a  small 
wood  into  a  low-lying  field.  It  was  apparently  another 
fiendish  inspiration  of  Major  Bach  to  confine  us  here, 
because  the  field  was  nothing  but  a  swamp.  It  was 
not  so  soddened  as  to  allow  the  feet  to  sink  ankle 
deep  into  the  mire,  but  was  like  a  wet  sponge.  It 
was  impossible  to  sit  down  or  one  would  have  got 
wet  through. 

We  were  left  standing  in  this  uninviting  quagmire  for 
four  solid  hours.  The  interpreters  were  pestered  un- 
mercifully to  secure  us  something  to  eat  and  to  drink, 


THE   REIGN    OF   TERROR  191 

but  they  were  as  helpless  as  ourselves.  They  were  well- 
nigh  distracted  at  the  ugly  turn  which  things  were 
taking.  Matters  were  certainly  becoming  alarming 
among  the  weaker  prisoners,  who  were  now  in  a 
pitiable  condition. 

It  was  not  until  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  'that 
the  authorities  suddenly  remembered  us.  Then  we  were 
lined  up  to  secure  some  food.  But  we  passed  three 
hours  in  that  queue  only  to  receive  a  small  dole  of 
filthy  looking  thin  cabbage  soup.  This  was  all  that 
had  passed  our  lips  since  the  wretched  black  coffee 
served  fifteen  hours  before  ! 

Yet  we  were  thankful  for  such  a  meagre  mouthful. 
We  were  all  so  famished  that  we  took  no  heed  of  the 
noisomeness  of  the  ration.  Now  we  began  to  grow 
anxious  as  to  the  arrangements  for  enabling  us  to 
pass  the  night.  Our  interpreters  had  been  questioning 
one  or  two  of  the  younger  officers  who  were  mounting 
guard  over  us  in  this  field. 

"  Oh  !  That'll  be  all  right,"  was  the  retort.  "  We're 
going  to  put  you  into  tents  !  " 

"  But  where  are  the  tents?  "  persisted  the  interpreters, 
looking  around  wonderingly. 

"  Oh/'  was  the  evasive  reply, "  they  have  commenced 
to  put  them  up.  But  we  find  we  shall  not  get  all 
the  tents  for  a  few  days.  They  haven't  come  in 
yet !  You'll  be  a  bit  crowded  at  first  but  it'll  soon  be 
straightened  out." 

Again  our  faces  fell.  We  had  been  turned  out  of 
our  barracks  before  our  tents  had  been  procured.  This 
was  a  dismal  look-out,  but  we  hoped  that,  as  the  officers 
said  they  were  putting  up  tents,  we  should  be  able  to 
squeeze  under  cover,  if  in  discomfort. 

We  were  lined  up  again  in  the  twilight  to  receive 
marching  orders.  We  were  escorted  into  the  field, 
which  is  set  upon  the  side  of  a  hill,  and  as  we  swung 
into  this  space  we  could  not  suppress  an  exclamation. 
The  field  was  alive  with  men.  All  the  other  prisoners 
had  been  evicted  from  their  barracks,  and  had  been 


192  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

turned  into  this  open  enclosure.  The  hill-side  was 
black,  with  a  sullen,  heaving,  listless  mass  of  humanity, 
numbering  over  1,500  all  told,  and  of  every  conceivable 
enemy  (to  Germany)  nationality.  We  scanned  the 
field  for  a  glimpse  of  the  tents,  but  the  only  signs  of 
canvas  we  could  see  was  one  large  marquee  which  was 
lying  on  the  ground  ready  for  erection  upon  the  brow 
of  the  hill. 

We  stood  wondering  how  we  were  going  to  spend  the 
night  when  orders  were  bawled  out  that  we  were  to 
sleep  in  the  open  !  This  intimation  was  received  with 
a  wailing  and  groaning  which  sounded  ominous  to  me. 
But  the  guard,  which  had  been  strongly  reinforced, 
was  in  overwhelming  array  so  that  all  discontent 
and  protest  counted  for  naught.  A  bewildering 
string  of  orders  was  yelled,  the  substance  of  which  was 
that  we  were  to  shake  ourselves  down  upon  the  grass 
in  long  regular  rows,  with  a  narrow  passage  between 
each  two.  I  think  this  was  the  first  occasion  upon  which 
I  had  ever  seen  so  many  prisoners  give  way,  since  in 
the  majority  of  cases  the  men  were  devoid  of  any  means 
of  making  themselves  comfortable  for  the  night  in 
the  open  air.  Some  of  us,  including  myself,  had  taken 
the  precaution  to  bring  our  blankets  with  us  :  indeed, 
we  considered  the  blanket  such  an  inestimable  boon 
and  companion  that  we  never  parted  with  it  even  for 
a  moment .  We  rolled  ourselves  in  these,  and  although 
the  grumblings  and  growlings  which  rose  and  fell  over 
the  field  recalled  the  angry  murmuring  of  the  sea  and 
were  disturbing,  I  was  so  exhausted  that  I  soon  fell 
sound  asleep. 

So  far  as  I  was  personally  concerned  I  was  not 
particularly  sorry  that  Major  Bach,  in  his  devilish 
intention  to  exasperate  us,  had  conceived  the  idea  of 
compelling  us  to  sleep  in  the  open.  The  weather  was 
intensely  hot  and  the  night  became  insufferably  sultry. 
It  must  have  been  about  midnight  when  I  awoke  for 
the  first  time.  For  the  moment  I  could  not  collect 
my  thoughts  and  sat  up  somewhat  surprised  at  the 


THE   REIGN    OF   TERROR  193 

unusual  brilliancy  of  the  light  playing  upon  my  face, 
which  was  in  striking  contrast  to  the  dismal  blackness 
of  the  barracks.  Then  I  realised  that  we  were  in  the 
open  and  that  a  glorious  full  moon  was  shining  upon 
us  from  a  cloudless  sky. 

I  got  on  my  feet  and  looked  around.  It  was  a  strange, 
albeit  extraordinarily  impressive  sight.  Guards  were 
patrolling  the  lines,  their  bayonets  flashing  sharply 
as  they  caught  the  glittering  silvery  light  of  the  moon. 
My  guard  came  along  and  ordered  me  to  lie  down, 
but  I  refused,  and,  in  fact,  walked  along  between 
the  rows  of  prostrate  forms.  The  air  was  uncannily 
still,  broken  only  by  the  twitterings  of  night  birds,  the 
hooting  of  the  owls,  the  subdued  clanging  of  rifles, 
the  footsteps  of  the  guards,  and  the  groans  of  many 
of  the  sleepers  who  were  twisting  and  turning  upon 
the  ground.  The  hillside  was  crowded  with  the  restless 
forms ;  they  seemed  so  thick  and  densely  packed  as 
to  cover  every  inch  of  space. 

As  I  surveyed  the  scene  the  loneliness  and  helpless- 
ness of  our  position  did  not  strike  me.  All  was  so  quiet 
and  apparently  peaceful.  Now  and  again  a  sleeper 
would  stir,  mutter  something  in  his  sleep  about  his 
poor  wife  and  children  at  home,  and  would  sit  up  to 
ascertain  what  light  was  playing  upon  his  face,  would 
turn  to  the  moon  and  then  completely  satisfied  would 
lie  down  and  relapse  into  slumber.  As  I  observed 
the  heavy  dew  which  had  dressed  the  grass  and  sleeping 
forms  with  beads  which  sparkled  like  diamonds  I  could 
not  repress  a  feeling  of  thanks  that  the  weather  was 
kind  to  us.  Supposing  it  had  rained  !  I  shuddered 
at  the  thought. 

At  4.30  we  were  all  roused,  lined  up,  and  ordered  to 
prepare  to  receive  our  breakfast.  We  formed  queues 
as  instructed  but  we  had  to  wait  patiently  until  eight 
o'clock  before  we  received  our  rations — the  acorn  coffee 
looking  more  sickly  and  watery  than  ever.  Only  a  few 
basins  were  available  so  we  had  to  drink  successively 
out  of  the  self-same  vessel,  as  rapidly  as  we  could  swal- 


194  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

low  the  liquid  upon  the  spot.  We  closed  our  eyes  to 
the  fact  that  a  hundred  or  more  people  of  all  national- 
ities, from  Frenchmen  to  Poles,  German  recruits  to 
Slavs,  had  drunk  a  few  moments  previously  from 
these  basins  which  were  not  even  rinsed  after  use.  The 
thought  was  revolting,  but  it  was  either  drink  with  a 
blind  trust  in  the  Fates  or  go  without. 

During  that  day  the  erection  of  the  single  marquee 
was  hastened.  It  was  the  only  tent  available,  and 
there  were  sufficient  of  us  on  the  field  to  have  packed  it 
to  suffocation  ten  times  over  !  We  were  compelled 
to  go  without  our  midday  meal,  but  this  did  not  dis- 
concert us  very  pronouncedly.  Our  peace  of  mind  was 
being  racked  by  another  impending  aggravation  of  our 
predicament.  Dark  heavy  clouds  were  gathering  in  the 
sky.  Was  the  weather  which  had  been  merciful  to  us 
during  the  previous  night  now  going  to  break  ? 

When  the  marquee  was  completed  a  few  trusses 
of  straw  were  thrown  in  and  distributed  thinly  over 
the  ground.  Then  ensued  a  wild  stampede  to  secure 
a  place  beneath  the  canvas,  a  rabble  of  several  hundreds 
fighting  frantically  among  themselves  to  seek  a  couch 
in  the  absurdly  inadequate  temporary  canvas  dwelling. 
The  men  stowed  themselves  in  so  tightly  in  close 
serried  rows  that  when  lying  down  they  were  unable  to 
turn  over.  Once  a  position  had  been  seized  the  tenant 
never  dared  to  leave  it  for  an  instant  for  fear  it  would  be 
seized  by  some  one  else.  The  guards  demanded  and 
succeeded  in  maintaining  for  a  time  a  narrow  gangway 
between  the  rows,  but  the  crush  became  so  terrible 
that  even  this  space  was  soon  occupied  and  the  soldiers 
were  prevented  from  moving  within  the  tent. 

The  marquee  was  packed  to  suffocation,  and  the 
fact  that  the  greater  part  of  the  seething  mass  of 
humanity  was  filthy  dirty  and  thickly  infested  with 
lice  and  other  vermin  from  causes  over  which  they  had 
no  control  caused  the  atmosphere  within  to  become  so 
hot  and  foetid  as  to  make  one's  stomach  jump  into 
one's  throat. 


THE   REIGN   OF   TERROR  195 

One  glance  at  the  packed  marquee  sufficed  to  make 
up  my  mind  for  me.  Come  what  might  it  would  never 
see  me  within  its  walls.  Were  a  light  carelessly  dropped 
among  the  loose  straw  a  fearful  holocaust  must  ensue. 
Few  if  any  could  have  got  out  alive.  This  thought 
haunted  me  so  persistently  that  I  moved  as  far  away 
from  the  tent  as  I  could. 

We  received  no  further  rations  that  day  until  the 
evening,  when  another  small  dole  of  watery  greasy 
coffee  was  handed  round  as  in  the  morning.  But  we 
never  glanced  at  this  noisome  liquid.  The  terror  which 
we  had  been  dreading  so  fearfully  had  burst  upon  us. 
It  was  raining  hard  !  At  first  only  a  gentle  refreshing 
shower,  it  developed  into  a  torrential  downpour,  and 
gave  every  indication  of  lasting  for  an  indefinite  period. 
Consider  the  situation — approximately  two  thousand 
human  beings  stranded  upon  a  bleak  exposed  field, 
absolutely  devoid  of  any  shelter,  except  the  solitary 
paltry  marquee.  Little  wonder  that  our  faces  blanched 
at  the  prospect  before  us.  How  should  we  be  able  to 
sleep  ?  What  horrors  would  the  dawn  reveal  ?  God 
only  knew. 


CHAPTER   XIII 


BY  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  rain  was  falling  in 
sheets  and  the  water  coursing  down  the  slope  to  collect 
in  the  depression  speedily  formed  a  shallow  lake  at  the 
bottom  end  of  "  the  field."  No  one  can  form  the 
slightest  impression  of  the  wretchedness  of  those  who 
were  exposed  to  the  full  fury  of  the  elements  through 
the  ferocious  and  brutal  inhumanity  of  Major  Bach. 
The  little  food  which  had  been  served  out  to  us  so 
sparingly  failed  to  keep  our  bodies  warm,  let  alone 
fortify  us  against  the  visitation  by  which  we  were  now 
being  overwhelmed. 

The  wind  increased  in  fury  until  at  last  it  was  blow- 
ing with  the  force  of  a  gale.  The  trees  creaked  and 
bent  beneath  its  onslaughts,  and  those  who  had  ven- 
tured to  seek  the  slight  protection  afforded  by  the 
overhanging  branches,  trembled  with  fear  lest  the 
trees  should  be  torn  up  by  the  roots  or  heavy  limbs 
be  wrenched  free  and  tossed  among  them. 

Those  who  had  secured  the  shelter  offered  by  the 
solitary  marquee  and  who,  notwithstanding  the  irre- 
spirable  and  filthy  atmosphere,  considered  possible 
suffocation  and  the  danger  of  fire  to  be  preferable  to 
the  drenching  rain,  were  confronted  with  a  new  and  far 
more  terrifying  menace. 

The  wind  catching  the  broad  surface  which  the  tent 
offered  commenced  to  flap  whatever  loose  ends  of  the 
canvas  it  could  pick  up,  with  a  wild,  nerve  racking 
noise.  The  whole  marquee  swung  and  reeled  to  and 
fro,  the  sport  of  the  boisterous  gusts.  The  main  poles 
creaked  as  they  bent  beneath  the  enormous  strains  to 

196 


"  THE  BLOODY  NIGHT  OF  SEPTEMBER  n  "  197 

which  they  were  being  put.  The  guy  ropes,  now 
thoroughly  saturated  and  having  contracted,  groaned 
fiercely  as  if  about  to  snap.  Hurried  efforts  were 
made  to  slacken  the  ropes  slightly,  but  the  wind,  driving 
rain,  and  inky  blackness  of  the  night,  as  well  as  the 
swollen  hemp,  hindered  this  task  very  effectively. 
Indeed  the  tension  upon  some  of  the  stakes  became  so 
acute  that  they  either  snapped  or  else  were  uprooted. 

As  the  supports  gave  way  the  ungainly  marquee 
commenced  to  totter  and  rock  far  more  threateningly. 
The  wind  driving  into  the  interior  flapped  the  roof 
madly.  The  herded  humanity  within  feared  that  the 
whole  of  the  canvas  above  them  would  be  blown  off 
to  be  carried  away  by  the  gale.  The  inmates  who 
had  fought  so  desperately  among  themselves  for  the 
shelter  it  offered  were  now  crouching  and  shivering 
with  fear.  Some  highly  strung  individual  raised  a  cry 
of  danger.  The  next  instant  there  was  a  wild  panic 
which  lasted  a  considerable  time.  There  was  a  wicked 
combined  rush  to  get  outside,  the  men  fighting  among 
themselves  fiercely. 

Outside,  upon  "  the  field/'  bedlam  was  let  loose. 
The  seething  mass  of  humanity  was  now  soaked  to  the 
skin.  The  men  walked  up  and  down,  their  teeth 
chattering  madly,  in  a  desperate  effort  to  keep  warm. 
Indeed  it  was  necessary  for  many  of  them  to  persist 
in  unwilling  exercise  since  this  was  the  only  way  to 
keep  alive  :  to  stop  was  to  sink  down  from  sheer 
fatigue.  In  the  darkness  I  had  discovered  and  kept 
company  with  a  South  African,  Moresby  White.1  But  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  converse,  since  we  had  to 
shout  with  all  the  force  of  our  lungs  to  make  our  voices 
heard  above  the  roar  and  rattle  of  the  wind  and  rain. 
We  were  compelled  to  tread  warily,  because  in  the 
Cimmerian  darkness  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish 
the  groaning  forms  crouching  upon  the  ground. 

We  linked  our  arms  tightly  together  to  form  mutual 

1  This  gentleman  has  since  been  released  and  at  the  time  of 
writing  is  recuperating  in  Great  Britain. 


198  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

support  and  persistently  plodded  hither  and  thither. 
The  spectacle  was  terrifying  and  tested  the  nerves  of 
the  strongest  among  us.  If  ever  humanity  were  cast 
adrift  and  left  to  its  own  devices,  it  was  that  night  upon 
"  the  field."  Some  of  the  prisoners  were  rushing  to 
and  fro  frantic  with  fear.  Others  huddled  together 
as  if  to  keep  one  another  warm.  Some  were  on  their 
knees  praying  fervently,  while  other  parties  were 
singing  hymns  in  voices  which  made  the  strongest- 
hearted  among  us  blench.  Here  and  there  were  men 
stamping  furiously  up  and  down  cursing  at  the  top  of 
their  voices,  hurling  fierce  imprecations  to  the  wind 
and  consigning  the  Commandant,  his  superiors,  and  all 
their  works  to  everlasting  torment.  Some  of  the 
most  exhausted  prisoners  had  congregated  together 
and  crouched  with  their  heads  bowed  to  the  storm, 
shivering  with  cold,  afraid  to  speak,  hungry  and  terror- 
stricken,  yet  completely  resigned  to  the  fate  which 
they  felt  convinced  must  be  theirs  and  absolutely 
inevitable.  A  few,  whose  nerves  were  highly  strung, 
were  striding  up  and  down  laughing  demoniacally, 
waving  their  arms  madly,  and  gesticulating  as  if  their 
senses  had  indeed  given  way.  A  few  of  the  rougher 
spirits  were  blaspheming,  and  to  such  a  tune  that  even 
the  most  hardened  among  us  were  forced  to  turn  our 
backs  to  escape  their  blood-curdling  oaths. 

As  midnight  approached  the  wind  and  rain  increased 
in  fury.  Even  the  guard  failed  to  stand  against  it. 
The  sentries  were  drenched  from  head  to  foot.  The 
conditions  became  so  bad  that  an  order  was  suddenly 
circulated  to  the  effect  that  the  guard  was  to  be  changed 
every  two  hours,  instead  of  at  four-hour  intervals. 
The  sentries  were  quite  powerless  to  assist  us  even  if 
they  had  been  disposed  to  come  to  our  aid  to  mitigate 
our  wretched  condition  in  any  way.  One  guard,  his 
compassion  evidently  aroused  by  a  scene  such  as  he 
had  never  witnessed  before,  secured  some  thin  stakes 
and  thrust  them  through  the  wire  netting  to  form  a 
support  to  a  large  blanket.  With  this  he  thought  that 


CC  2 

H  T£ 
ffl  5 
S  «, 

W  5 

£  ^ 

H  . 

01  •. 


"  THE  BLOODY  NIGHT  OF  SEPTEMBER  n  "  199 

perhaps  a  little  shelter  might  be  obtained.  We  crowded 
beneath  this  precarious  protection,  but  the  first  blast 
of  the  gale  which  swept  the  field  after  its  improvisation, 
whisked  the  blanket  and  the  stakes  into  the  air.  They 
were  never  seen  again. 

About  twelve  o'clock  I  was  on  the  verge  of  collapse. 
My  friend  supported  me,  but  even  he  was  faint  from 
lack  of  food  and  exposure.  We  decided  to  roll  our 
soddened  bodies  in  our  saturated  blankets,  to  lie  down 
on  the  ground  and  to  strive  to  woo  sleep.  We  stretched 
ourselves  on  the  flat,  but  the  wind  and  rain  beat  un- 
mercifully upon  us.  Although  we  were  dead-beat  the 
angel  of  sleep  refused  to  come  to  us.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  when  we  stretched  ourselves  in  the  mud  we  did 
not  care  two  straws  whether  we  ever  saw  the  light  of 
day  again  or  not. 

After  lying  about  two  hours  upon  the  ground  I  put 
out  my  hand  to  discover  that  we  were  lying  in  two 
inches  of  water.  But  not  only  this.  The  floodwater, 
in  its  mad  rush  to  escape  to  the  depression  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  field,  had  carved  a  course  through  the  spot 
where  we  were  lying.  The  result  was  that  the  rushing 
water  was  running  down  our  necks,  coursing  over  our 
bodies  beneath  our  clothes,  and  rushing  wildly  from  the 
bottoms  of  our  trousers.  We  were  acting  uncon- 
sciously as  conduits,  but  we  did  not  serve  in  this 
capacity  any  longer  than  we  could  help. 

We  regained  our  feet,  our  clothes  now  so  water- 
logged as  to  bear  us  down  with  their  weight.  We 
tramped  laboriously  to  the  top  of  the  field  and  as  the 
wind  bore  down  upon  us  it  carried  upon  its  bosom  a 
mad  madrigal  of  hymns,  prayers,  curses,  blasphemy, 
and  raucous  shouting.  Groups  of  men  were  now  lying 
about  thickly,  some  half-drowned  from  immersion  in 
the  pools,  while  others  were  groaning  and  moaning  in 
a  blood-freezing  manner.  Small  hand-baggage  and 
parcels,  the  sole  belongings  of  many  a  prisoner,  were 
drifting  hither  and  thither,  the  sport  of  rushing  water 
and  wind.  At  the  lower  end  of  the  field  the  water  had 


200  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

sprawled  farther  and  farther  over  the  depression,  and 
therein  we  could  descry  men  lying  in  huddled  heaps 
too  weak  to  rise  to  their  feet. 

It  was  a  picture  of  misery  and  wretchedness  such 
as  it  would  be  impossible  to  parallel.  I  recalled  the 
unhappy  scenes  I  had  witnessed  around  the  railway 
terminus  at  Berlin  under  similar  conditions,  but  that 
was  paradise  to  the  field  at  Sennelager  Camp  on  the 
fateful  night  of  September  n.  It  appeared  as  if  the 
Almighty  Himself  had  turned  upon  us  at  last,  and 
was  resolved  to  blot  us  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 
We  were  transformed  into  a  condition  bordering  on 
frigidity  from  rain-soaked  clothes  clinging  to  bodies 
reduced  to  a  state  of  low  vitality  and  empty  stomachs. 
Had  we  been  in  good  health  I  doubt  whether  the 
storm  and  exposure  would  have  wreaked  such  havoc 
among  us. 

While  my  friend  and  I  were  standing  on  a  knoll 
pondering  upon  the  utter  helplessness  and  misery 
around  us,  singing  and  whistling  were  borne  to  us  upon 
the  wind.  We  listened  to  catch  fragments  of  a  comic 
song  between  the  gusts.  There  was  no  mistaking 
those  voices.  We  picked  our  way  slowly  to  beneath 
the  trees  whence  the  voices  proceeded,  glad  to  meet 
some  company  which  could  be  merry  and  bright,  even 
if  the  mood  had  to  be  assumed  with  a  desperate  effort. 

Beneath  the  trees  we  found  a  small  party  of  our 
indomitable  compatriots.  They  received  us  with 
cheery  banter  and  joke  and  an  emphatic  assurance  that 
"  it  is  all  right  in  the  summer  time."  They  were  quite 
as  wretched  and  as  near  exhaustion  as  anybody  upon 
the  field,  but  they  were  firmly  determined  not  to 
show  it.  A  comic  song  had  been  started  as  a  distrac- 
tion, the  refrain  being  bawled  for  all  it  was  worth  as  if 
in  defiance  of  the  storm.  This  was  what  had  struck 
our  ears. 

This  panacea  being  pronounced  effective  a  com- 
prehensive programme  was  rendered.,  Every  popular 
song  that  occurred  to  the  mind  was  turned  on  and 


•'  THE  BLOODY  NIGHT  OF  SEPTEMBER  n  "  201 

yelled  with  wild  lustiness.  Those  who  did  not  know 
the  words  either  whistled  the  air  or  improvised  an 
impossible  ditty.  Whenever  there  was  a  pause  to 
recall  some  new  song,  the  interval  was  occupied  with 
"  Rule,  Britannia  !  "  This  was  a  prime  favourite,  and 
repetition  did  not  stale  its  forceful  rendition,  especial 
stress  being  laid  upon  the  words,  "  Britons  never,  never, 
shall  be  slaves  !  "  to  which  was  roared  the  eternal  en- 
quiry, "  Are  we  down-hearted  ?  "  The  welkin-smashing 
negative,  crashing  through  the  night,  and  not  entirely 
free  from  embroidery,  offered  a  conclusive  answer. 

It  takes  a  great  deal  to  destroy  a  Britisher's  spirits, 
but  this  terrible  night  almost  supplied  the  crucial  test. 
We  were  not  only  combating  Prussian  atrocity  but 
Nature's  ferocity  as  well,  and  the  two  forces  now 
appeared  to  be  in  alliance.  The  men  sang,  as  they 
confessed,  because  it  constituted  a  kind  of  employ- 
ment at  least  to  the  mind,  enabled  them  to  forget  their 
misery  somewhat,  and  proved  an  excellent  antidote 
to  the  gnawing  pain  in  the  vicinity  of  the  waist-belt. 
Once  a  singer  started  up  the  strains  of  "  Little  Mary," 
but  this  was  unanimously  vetoed  as  coming  too  near 
home.  Then  from  absence  of  a  better  inspiration,  we 
commenced  to  roar  "  Home,  Sweet  Home/'  which  I 
think  struck  just  as  responsive  a  chord,  but  the  senti- 
ment of  which  made  a  universal  appeal. 

But  hymns  were  resolutely  barred.  Those  boister- 
ous and  irrepressible  Tapleys  absolutely  declined  to 
profane  their  faith  on  such  a  night  as  this.  It  was 
either  a  comic  song  or  nothing.  To  have  sung  hymns 
with  the  swinish  brutal  guards  lounging  around  would 
have  conveyed  an  erroneous  impression.  They  would 
have  chuckled  at  the  thought  that  at  last  we  had  been 
thoroughly  broken  in  and  in  our  resignation  had  turned 
Latter  Day  Saints  or  Revivalists.  These  boys  were 
neither  Saints,  Revivalists  nor  Sinners,  but  merely 
victims  of  Prussian  brutality  in  its  blackest  form  and 
grimly  determined  not  to  give  in  under  any  circum- 
stances whatever. 


202  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

When  at  last  a  suggestion  was  made  that  a  move 
would  be  advantageous,  one  shouted  "  Come  on,  boys  ! 
Linking  arms  so  as  to  form  a  solid  human  wall,  but  in 
truth  to  hold  one  another  up,  we  marched  across  the 
field,  singing  "  Soldiers  of  the  King,"  or  some  other 
appropriate  martial  song  to  keep  our  spirits  at  a  high 
level,  while  we  stamped  some  warmth  into  our  jaded 
bodies,  exercised  our  stiffening  muscles,  and  demon- 
strated to  our  captors  that  we  were  by  no  means 
"  knocked  to  the  wide "  as  they  fondly  imagined. 
Now  and  again  a  frantic  cheer  would  ring  through  the 
night,  or  a  yell  of  wild  glee  burst  out  as  one  of  the 
party  went  floundering  through  a  huge  pool  to  land 
prostrate  in  the  mud.  When  it  is  remembered  that 
some  of  us  had  not  tasted  a  bite  of  food  for  forty-eight 
hours,  and  had  drunk  nothing  but  thin  and  watery 
acorn  coffee,  it  is  possible  to  gain  some  measure  of  the 
indomitable  spirit  which  was  shown  upon  this  desperate 
occasion.  The  attitude  and  persiflage  under  such 
depressing  conditions  did  not  fail  to  impress  our  guards. 
They  looked  on  with  mouths  open  and  scratched  their 
heads  in  perplexity.  Afterwards  they  admitted  that 
nothing  had  impressed  them  so  powerfully  as  the 
behaviour  of  the  British  prisoners  that  night  and 
conceded  that  we  were  truly  "  wonderful/'  to  which 
one  of  the  boys  retorted  that  it  was  not  wonderful 
at  all  but  "  merely  natural  and  could  not  be  helped." 
Personally  I  think  singing  was  the  most  effective 
medium  for  passing  the  time  which  we  could  have  hit 
on.  It  drowned  the  volleys  of  oaths,  curses,  wails, 
groans,  sobbings,  and  piteous  appeals  which  rose  to 
Heaven  from  all  around  us.  If  we  had  kept  dumb  our 
minds  must  have  been  depressingly  affected  if  not 
unhinged  by  what  we  could  see  and  hear. 

Thus  we  spent  the  remaining  hours  of  that  terrible 
night  until  with  the  break  of  day  the  ram  ceased.  Then 
we  took  a  walk  round  to  inspect  the  wreckage  of 
humanity  brought  about  by  Major  Bach's  atrocious 
action  in  turning  us  out  upon  an  open  field,  void  of 


"  THE  BLOODY  NIGHT  OF  SEPTEMBER  n  "  203 

shelter,  and  without  food,  upon  a  night  when  even 
the  most  brutal  man  would  willingly  have  braved  a 
storm  to  succour  a  stranded  or  lost  dog.  As  the  day- 
light increased  our  gorge  rose.  The  ground  was 
littered  with  still  and  exhausted  forms,  too  weak  to  do 
aught  but  groan,  and  absolutely  unable  to  extricate 
themselves  from  the  pools,  mud,  and  slush  in  which 
they  were  lying.  Some  were  rocking  themselves 
laboriously  to  and  fro  singing  and  whining,  but  thank 
ful  that  day  had  broken.  One  man  had  gone  clean 
mad  and  was  stamping  up  and  down,  his  long  hair 
waving  wildly;  hatless  and  coatless,  bringing  down  the 
most  blood-freezing  demoniacal  curses  upon  the 
authorities  and  upbraiding  the  Almighty  for  having  cast 
us  adrift  that  night. 

The  sanitary  arrangements  upon  this  field  were  of 
the  most  barbarous  character,  comprising  merely  deep 
wide  open  ditches  which  had  been  excavated  by  our- 
selves. Those  of  us  who  had  not  been  broken  by  the 
experience,  although  suffering  from  extreme  weakness, 
pulled  ourselves  together  to  make  an  effort  to  save  what 
human  flotsam  and  jetsam  we  could.  But  we  could  not 
repress  a  fearful  curse  and  a  fierce  outburst  of  swearing 
when  we  came  to  the  latrine.  Six  poor  fellows,  abso- 
lutely worn*  out,  had  crawled  to  a  narrow  ledge  under 
the  brink  of  the  bank  to  seek  a  little  shelter  from  the 
pitiless  storm.  There  they  had  lain,  growing  weaker 
and  weaker,  until  unable  to  cling  any  longer  to  their 
precarious  perch  they  had  slipped  into  the  trench 
to  lie  among  the  human  excreta,  urine  and  other  filth. 
They  knew  where  they  were  but  were  so  far  gone 
as  to  be  unable  to  lift  a  finger  on  their  own  behalf. 
Their  condition,  when  we  fished  them  out,  to  place 
them  upon  as  dry  a  spot  as  we  could  find,  I  can  leave 
to  the  imagination.  I  may  say  this  was  the  only 
occasion  upon  which  I  remember  the  British  prisoners 
giving  vent  to  such  voluble  swearing  as  they  then  used, 
and  I  consider  it  was  justified. 

In  an  adjacent  field  our  heroes  from  Mons  were 


204  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

camped  and  a  small  party  of  us  made  our  way  to  the 
first  tent.  We  were  greeted  by  the  R.A.M.C.  Water 
had  been  playing  around  their  beds,  but  they  acknow- 
ledged that  they  had  fared  better  because  they  were 
protected  overhead.  The  soldiers,  however,  made 
light  of  their  situation,  although  we  learned  that  many 
of  the  Tommies,  from  lack  of  accommodation,  had 
been  compelled  to  spend  the  night  in  the  open.  Still, 
as  they  were  somewhat  more  inured  to  exposure  than 
ourselves,  they  had  accepted  the  inevitable  more 
stoically,  although  the  ravages  of  the  night  and  the 
absence  of  food  among  them  were  clearly  revealed  by 
their  haggard  and  pinched  faces. 

The  men  in  the  tents  confessed  that  they  had  been 
moved  by  the  sounds  which  penetrated  to  their  ears 
from  the  field  in  which  the  civilian  prisoners  had  been 
turned  adrift.  They  immediately  enquired  after  the 
condition  of  our  boys.  Unfortunately  we  could  not 
yield  much  information  upon  this  point,  as  we  were 
still  partially  in  ignorance  of  the  plight  of  our  com- 
patriots. But  there  was  no  mistaking  the  depth  of 
the  feeling  of  pity  which  went  out  for  "  the  poor  devils 
of  civvies,"  while  the  curses  and  oaths  which  were  rained 
down  upon  the  head  of  Major  Bach  with  true  British 
military  emphasis  and  meaning  revealed  the  innermost 
feelings  of  our  soldiers  very  convincingly. 

Seeing  that  we  were  exhausted  and  shivering  from 
emptiness  the  R.A.M.C.  made  a  diligent  search  for 
food,  but  the  quest  was  in  vain.  Their  larder  like  ours 
was  empty.  In  fact  the  Tommies  themselves  were  as 
hard-pushed  for  food  as  we  were. 

I  witnessed  one  incident  with  an  English  Tommy 
which  provoked  tremendous  feeling  when  related  to  his 
comrades.  He  was  walking  the  field  soaked  to  the 
skin,  perishing  from  cold  produced  by  lack  of  food,  con- 
tinuously hitching  in  his  belt  to  keep  his  "  mess-tin  " 
quiet,  and  on  the  brink  of  collapse.  He  happened  to 
kick  something  soft.  He  picked  the  object  up  and 
to  his  extreme  delight  found  it  to  be  a  piece  of  black 


"  THE  BLOODY  NIGHT  OF  SEPTEMBER  n  "  205 

bread,  soaked  with  water,  and  thickly  covered  with 
mud.  He  made  his  way  to  the  field  kitchen  where 
there  happened  to  be  a  small  fire  under  the  cauldron 
in  which  the  rations  were  prepared.  He  slipped  the 
soddened  bread  beneath  the  grate  to  dry  it.  While 
he  was  so  doing,  the  cook,  an  insignificant  little  bully, 
came  along.  Learning  what  the  soldier  was  doing,  he 
stooped  down,  raked  out  the  fire,  and  buried  the  bread 
among  the  ashes.  Then  laughing  at  his  achievement 
he  went  on  his  way. 

The  soldier,  without  a  murmur,  recovered  his  treasure 
with  difficulty.  He  moved  out  into  the  open,  succeeded 
in  finding  a  few  dry  sticks,  lit  a  small  fire,  and  placed 
his  bread  on  top  of  it.  Again  he  was  caught.  His 
warder  bustled  up,  saw  the  little  fire,  which  he  scattered 
with  his  feet,  and  then  crunched  the  small  hunk  of  bread 
to  pieces  in  the  mud  and  water  with  his  iron  heel. 

The  look  that  came  over  the  soldier's  face  at  this 
unprovoked  demonstration  of  heartless  cruelty  was 
fearful,  but  he  kept  his  head.  "  Lor'  blime  !  "  he 
commented  to  me  when  I  came  up  and  sympathised 
with  him  over  his  loss,  "  I  could  have  knocked  the  god- 
damned head  off  the  swine  and  I  wonder  I  didn't." 

I  may  say  that  during  the  night  the  guard  announced 
an  order  which  had  been  issued  for  the  occasion — no 
one  was  to  light  a  fire  upon  the  Field.  Even  the  striking 
of  a  match  was  sternly  forbidden.  The  penalty  was 
to  be  a  bullet,  the  guards  having  been  instructed  to 
shoot  upon  the  detection  of  an  infraction  of  the  order. 
One  man  was  declared  to  have  been  killed  for  defying 
the  order  intentionally  or  from  ignorance,  but  of  this 
I  cannot  say  anything  definitely.  Rumour  was  just 
as  rife  and  startling  among  us  on  the  field  as  among 
the  millions  of  a  humming  city.  But  we  understood 
that  two  or  three  men  went  raving  mad,  several  were 
picked  up  unconscious,  one  Belgian  committed  suicide 
by  hanging  himself  with  his  belt,  while  another  Bel- 
gian was  found  dead,  to  which  I  refer  elsewhere. 

At  5.30  we  were  lined  up.    We  were  going  to  get 


206  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

something  to  eat  we  were  told.  But  when  the  hungry, 
half-drowned  souls  reached  the  field  kitchen  after 
waiting  and  shivering  in  their  wet  clothes  for  two  and 
a  half  hours,  it  was  to  receive  nothing  more  than  a  small 
basin  of  the  eternal  lukewarm  acorn  coffee.  We  were  not 
even  given  the  usual  piece  of  black  bread. 

The  breakfast,  though  nauseating,  was  swallowed 
greedily.  But  it  did  not  satisfy  "  little  Mary"  by 
any  means.  During  my  sojourn  among  German  prisons 
I  often  felt  hungry,  but  this  term  is  capable  of  consider- 
able qualification.  Yet  I  think  on  this  occasion  it 
must  have  been  the  superlative  stage  of  hunger.  The 
night  upon  the  Field  had  come  upon  my  illness  from 
which  I  had  never  recovered  completely.  It  was 
a  feeling  such  as  I  have  never  experienced  before  nor 
since,  and  I  do  not  think  it  can  ever  be  approached 
again. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  sensation.  I  walked 
about  with  a  wolfish  startled  glance,  scanning  the 
ground  eagerly,  as  if  expecting  Mother  Earth  to  relieve 
me  of  my  torment.  The  pain  within  my  stomach 
was  excruciating.  It  was  not  so  much  a  faint  and 
empty  feeling  but  as  if  a  thousand  devils  were  pulling 
at  my  "  innards  "  in  as  many  different  ways,  and  then 
having  stretched  the  organs  to  breaking  point  had 
suddenly  released  them  to  permit  them  to  fly  back  again 
like  pieces  of  elastic,  to  mix  up  in  an  inextricable  tangle 
which  the  imps  then  proceeded  to  unravel  with  more 
force  than  method.  My  head  throbbed  and  buzzed, 
precipitating  a  strange  dizziness  whch  seemed  deter- 
mined to  force  me  to  my  knees.  I  chewed  away 
viciously  but  although  the  movement  of  the  jaws 
apparently  gave  a  certain  relief  from  illusion  the 
reaction  merely  served  to  accentuate  the  agony  down 
below. 

As  I  reeled  about  like  a  drunken  man,  my  eyes 
searching  the  ground  diligently  for  anything  hi  the 
eating  line,  no  matter  what  it  might  be,  I  found  a 
piece  of  bread.  As  I  clutched  it  in  my  hands  I  regarded 


"  THE  BLOODY  NIGHT  OF  SEPTEMBER  n  "  207 

it  with  a  strange  maniacal  look  of  childish  delight. 
But  it  was  a  sorry  prize.  It  was  saturated  until  it 
could  not  hold  another  drop  of  water,  and  I  think 
there  was  quite  as  much  mud  as  bread.  I  wrung  the 
water  out  with  my  hands  and  then  between  two  of 
us  we  devoured  it  ravenously,  swallowing  the  mud  as 
contentedly  as  the  bread,  and  not  losing  a  single  crumb. 
It  was  a  sparse  mouthful,  but  it  was  something,  and 
it  certainly  stayed  the  awful  feeling  in  the  stomach 
to  a  certain  degree  for  a  little  while. 

No  man  passed  through  that  awful  night  without 
carrying  traces  of  his  experiences.  Its  memories  are 
burned  ineradicably  into  one's  brain.  Whenever  we 
mentioned  the  episode  it  was  always  whispered  as 
"  The  Bloody  Night  of  September  nth/'  and  as  such 
it  is  known  to  this  day.  As  we  became  distributed 
among  other  camps  the  story  became  noised  far  and 
wide,  until  at  last  it  became  known  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  Germany.  Whenever  one  who 
spent  the  night  upon  the  field  mentions  the  incident, 
he  does  so  in  hushed  and  awed  tones. 

That  night  v/as  the  culminating  horror  to  a  long 
^tring  of  systematic  brutalities  and  barbarities  which 
constituted  a  veritable  reign  of  terror.  It  even  spurred 
a  section  of  the  German  public  to  action.  An  enquiry, 
the  first  and  only  one  ever  authorised  by  the  Germans 
upon  their  own  initiative,  was  held  to  investigate  the 
treatment  of  prisoners  of  war  at  Sennelager.  The 
atrocities  were  such  that  no  German,  steeped  though 
he  is  in  brutality,  could  credit  them.  The  Commission 
certainly  prosecuted  its  investigations  very  diligently, 
but  it  is  to  be  feared  that  it  gained  little  satisfaction. 
The  British  prisoners  resolutely  agreed  to  relate  their 
experiences  to  one  quarter  only — the  authorities  at 
home.  The  result  is  that  very  little  is  known  among 
the  British  public  concerning  the  treatment  we  experi- 
enced at  Sennelager,  for  the  simple  reason  that  but  a 
handful  of  men  who  were  confined  to  the  camp  during 
the  term  of  Major  Bach's  authority,  have  been  released. 


208  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

The  Germans  have  determined  to  permit  no  man  to  be 
exchanged  who  can  relate  the  details  until  the 
termination"  of  the  war.  Their  persistent  and  untiring, 
as  well  as  elaborate  precautions  to  make  trebly  certain 
that  I  had  forgotten  all  about  the  period  of  travail  at 
Sennelager,  before  I  was  allowed  to  come  home,  were 
amusing,  and  offer  adequate  testimony  to  the  fear 
with  which  the  German  Government  dreads  the  light 
of  publicity  being  shed  upon  its  Black  Hole. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE   GUARDIAN   OF  THE   CAMP 

ALTHOUGH  Major  Bach  wielded  his  power  with  all  the 
severity  and  spirit  of  a  true-blooded  Prussian  Jack- 
in-Office,  and  notwithstanding  that  we  were  forbidden 
all  communication  with  the  outside  world,  yet  we  were 
not  without  our  "  protector." 

Our  guardian  angel  was  Dr.  Ascher,  who  was 
responsible  for  the  clean  bill  of  health  among  the 
civilian  prisoners.  The  soldiers  were  under  a  military 
surgeon,  as  already  explained,  but  owing  to  the  arbitrary 
manner  in  which  this  official  displayed  his  authority, 
and  with  which  Dr.  Ascher  did  not  agree  by  any  means, 
it  was  the  civilian  doctor  who  ministered  for  the  most 
part  to  Tommy's  ills.  The  result  was  that  his  services 
were  in  almost  universal  demand,  and  the  strenuous 
work  and  long  hours  which  he  expended  on  our  behalf 
were  very  warmly  appreciated. 

A  short,  sturdy,  thick-set  man,  fairly  fluent  in  the 
English  language,  and  of  a  cheery  disposition,  Dr. 
Ascher  was  a  true  and  illuminating  representative  of 
his  profession.  His  mission  being  frankly  one  of 
mercy  he  emphatically  refused  to  acknowledge  the 
frontiers  of  races  and  tongues,  poverty  and  wealth, 
education  and  ignorance.  He  was  sympathetic  to  an 
extreme  degree,  and  never  once  complained  or  proffered 
any  excuse  when  called  urgently  to  exert  a  special 
effort  on  behalf  of  any  man. 

He  became  an  especial  favourite  among  the  British 
prisoners.  The  fact  that  he  came  among  us  immedi- 
ately upon  our  arrival  at  the  camp,  seeking  to  extend 
relief  to  the  sore,  distressed,  and  suffering  ;  his  cheery 
o  209 


2io  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

and  breezy  conversation ;  and  his  grim  though 
unsuccessful  efforts  to  secure  the  food  which  we  so 
urgently  needed  upon  that  occasion,  were  never  for- 
gotten. He  became  endeared  to  one  and  all.  Indeed 
he  was  elevated  to  such  a  pedestal  of  appreciative 
recognition  as  to  be  affectionately  christened  "  The 
English  Doctor/'  which  he  accepted  as  a  signal  honour. 
He  was  no  respecter  of  time,  neither  did  he  emulate 
his  military  colleague  in  being  a  clock-watcher.  He 
informed  us  that  he  was  at  our  disposal  at  any  hour  of 
the  day  or  night,  and  he  never  omitted  to  spend  hours 
among  us  every  day.  Seeing  that  the  camp  possessed 
no  resident  medical  attendant,  either  civilian  or 
military,  that  Dr.  Ascher  resided  near  Paderborn, 
some  three  miles  away,  his  readiness  to  come  to  our 
assistance  at  any  moment,  his  ceaseless  efforts  on  our 
behalf,  and  repeated  attempts  to  ameliorate  our 
conditions,  it  is  not  surprising  that  we  came  to  regard 
him  as  our  one  friend  in  that  accursed  spot. 

The  British  prisoners,  both  civilian  and  military, 
never  failed  to  reciprocate  whenever  an  opportunity 
arose,  and  this  appreciation  of  his  labours  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  him.  No  attempts  were  ever 
made  to  encroach  upon  his  generosity  and  kindness, 
and  if  any  man  had  dared  to  deceive  him  he  would 
have  been  drastically  punished  by  his  colleagues. 
No  man  ever  essayed  to  malinger  or  to  shirk  a  duty 
to  which  he  had  been  allotted  by  the  doctor.  If  the 
doctor  desired  a  task  to  be  done,  no  matter  how 
repugnant,  it  was  shouldered  lightly  and  cheerfully. 
Indeed,  there  was  always  a  manifestation  of  keen 
eagerness  among  us  to  perform  some  duty  as  an  expres- 
sion of  our  heartfelt  thanks  for  what  he  was  doing 
among  us.  It  is  not  an  exaggeration  to  state  that  had  it 
not  been  for  Dr.  Ascher,  his  perennial  bonhomie  and 
camaraderie,  his  patience,  and  his  intimate  association 
with  us,  many  of  the  weaker  British  prisoners  and 
others  would  certainly  have  given  way  and  have  gone 
under.  But  his  infectious  good  spirits,  his  abundance 


THE    GUARDIAN    OF   THE   CAMP       211 

of  jokes,  his  inexhaustible  fount  of  humour,  and  his 
readiness  to  exchange  reminiscences  effectively  dispelled 
our  gloom  and  relieved  us  from  brooding  over  the 
misery  of  our  position. 

Although  the  medical  officer  was  charged  with  the 
express  duty  of  keeping  the  camp  healthy  and  sanitary, 
unfortunately  Dr.  Ascher  was  not  an  autocrat  in  his 
department.  His  powers  were  limited,  and  he  \vas  for 
the  most  part  completely  subservient  to  military 
decrees.  Time  after  time  he  protested  energetically 
and  determinedly  upon  the  quantity  and  quality  of 
the  food  which  was  served  out  to  us/  and  struggled 
valiantly  to  secure  more  nourishing  diet  for  invalid 
prisoners  than  the  cuisine  of  the  camp  afforded.  But 
his  labour  was  always  in  vain  ;  the  food  which  he  laid 
down  as  being  essential  could  not  be  obtained,  or  else 
Major  Bach  firmly  refused  to  move  a  finger  to  get  it. 
As  the  Commandant's  position  was  paramount,  and 
nothing  could  be  done  without  his  authority,  Dr. 
Ascher  was  denied  a  court  of  appeal.  At  times  there 
were  some  spirited  breezes  between  Major  Bach  and 
the  medical  representative,  but  the  former  invariably 
had  the  last  word.  On  one  occasion,  to  which  I  refer 
later,  Dr.  Ascher  tackled  the  Commandant  so  fiercely 
upon  the  sanitary  arrangements  of  the  camp,  and  was 
so  persistent  and  insistent  upon  the  fulfilment  of  the 
orders  he  expressed,  as  to  compel  the  inexorable  superior 
to  relent. 

When  a  man  fell  ill  and  became  too  weak  to  perform 
an  exacting  task  to  which  he  had  been  deputed  by  the 
tyrant,  Dr.  Ascher  did  not  fail  to  intervene.  He  could 
not  be  deceived  as  to  the  true  state  of  a  sick  man's 
health  and  his  physical  incapacity.  Thereupon  he 
would  issue  what  was  described  as  a  "  pass/'  which 
excused  the  man  completely  from  the  heavy  work  in 
hand  in  favour  of  some  lighter  duty.  The  doctor's 
"  pass  "  was  safe  against  the  Commandant's  savagery j 
even  he,  with  his  military  authority,  dared  not  over- 
ride the  doctor's  decision.  However,  the  British 


212  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

prisoners  were  not  disposed  to  trade  upon  the  doctor's 
good  nature.  They  would  refuse  a  "  pass "  until 
necessity  compelled  unequivocal  submission. 

Dr.  Ascher  was  also  an  effective  buffer  between  a 
prisoner  and  any  soldier  who  was  disposed  to  assume 
an  unwarrantably  tyrannical  attitude.  If  he  detected 
any  browbeating  which  was  undeserved  he  never 
hesitated  to  bring  the  upstart  down  to  his  proper 
position  by  severe  reprimand,  and  a  candid  reminder 
that  a  guard  was  merely  a  guard  and  as  such  was  not 
invested  with  powers  akin  to  those  belonging  to  the 
Commandant.  The  soldier  would  fume  under  the 
castigation,  but  it  was  more  than  he  dared  to  incur 
the  doctor's  wrath  and  hostility,  inasmuch  as  the 
latter  would  not  have  hesitated  to  make  the  rebellious 
soldier's  life  unbearable.  In  this  manner  he 
undeniably  saved  us  from  considerable  brutality, 
which  some  of  the  soldiers  would  dearly  have  loved  to 
have  expended  upon  us. 

One  day  Major  Bach  announced  that  the  clothes 
of  the  prisoners  throughout  the  camp  were  to  undergo 
a  thorough  fumigation.  For  this  purpose  a  special 
mechanical  disinfecting  apparatus  had  been  sent  to 
the  camp.  I  may  say  that  the  instructions  were  not 
issued  before  they  became  downright  urgent.  Some 
of  the  garments — not  those  worn  by  the  British 
prisoners — had  become  infested  with  vermin  to  such 
a  degree  as  to  constitute  a  plague  and  were  now  abso- 
lutely repulsive.  Two  of  the  British  prisoners,  who 
happened  to  be  engineers,  were  selected  for  this  un- 
pleasant task,  and  it  proved  to  be  of  such  a  trying 
nature  that  both  men  narrowly  escaped  suffocation 
in  the  process. 

But  the  disinfecting  apparatus  was  delivered  in 
what  we  always  found  to  be  the  typical  German 
manner.  The  fumigator  came  to  hand  but  without 
the  engine  to  drive  it.  Two  or  three  days  later  we  were 
informed  that  there  was  a  traction  engine  at  Paderborn 
which  was  to  be  brought  into  Sennelager  Camp  to  act 


THE    GUARDIAN    OF   THE   CAMP       213 

as  the  stationary  engine  to  supply  power  to  the 
fumigator.  But  to  our  dismay  we  learned  that  the 
traction  engine  in  question  could  not  be  driven  to  the 
camp  under  its  own  power  because  some  of  the  vital 
parts  constituting  its  internals  had  broken  down,  and 
repairs  would  be  quite  out  pi  the  question  until  it 
reached  the  camp.  This  we  were  told  would  demand 
the  towage  of  the  engine  over  the  last  three  miles.  We 
learned,  moreover,  that  as  horses  were  absolutely 
unobtainable  at  any  price,  the  prisoners  themselves 
would  have  to  drag  it  in.  Forthwith  thirty  men  were 
selected  and,  equipped  with  thick,  heavy  ropes,  were 
marched  off  to  Paderborn  to  salvage  the  derelict. 

Our  engineering  friends,  upon  discovering  the 
defective  engine,  and  not  appreciating  the  prospect  of 
the  manual  haul,  set  to  work  feverishly  to  see  if  they 
could  not  contrive  to  complete  sufficient  repairs  to 
coax  the  engine  to  run  the  three  miles  under  her  own 
steam.  They  probed  into,  and  tinkered  with  the  dark 
regions  of  the  locomotive,  but  to  no  effect.  The 
defective  parts  demanded  replacement.  No  doubt 
the  authorities  had  declared  the  engine  unfit  for 
service  in  the  army,  hence  its  appearance  at  Paderborn 
for  service  at  Sennelager. 

We  were  faced  with  a  heavy  problem  ;  one  which 
would  require  every  ounce  of  our  combined  physical 
effort,  which  was  low  owing  to  our  deplorable  condition, 
while  the  sun,  heat,  and  dusty  roads  would  be  certain 
to  tax  our  endurance  to  the  utmost. 

The  guards  bustled  round,  supervising  the  hitching 
of  the  towing  ropes,  while  the  men  were  lined  up  like 
oxen  with  the  ropes  passed  over  their  shoulders.  The 
order  was  given  and  off  we  went.  But  that  engine 
was,  or  at  least  appeared  to  be,  exceedingly  heavy, 
while  the  roads  seemed  to  be  exasperatingly  difficult, 
the  wheels  having  a  magnetic  attraction  for  the  sand. 
Progress  was  maddeningly  slow,  and  before  many 
minutes  had  passed  every  man  was  puffing  and 
blowing  like  a  spent  horse.  A  cup  of  acorn  coffee 


2±4  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

and  a  fragment  of  brown  bread  could  scarcely  be 
declared  ideal  fare  upon  which  to  pursue  such  energy- 
consuming  labour.  And  we  had  three  miles  to  go  ! 

We  had  covered  about  half  the  distance  and  were 
nearly  done  in.  The  ponderous,  ungainly  engine  was 
just  moving,  and  that  was  about  all.  The  progress 
had  so  fallen  that  the  guards  were  becoming  somewhat 
alarmed  and  doubtless  considered  that  if  they  only 
badgered  us  sufficiently  they  would  be  able  to  spur  us 
to  such  a  degree  as  to  enable  us  to  reach  the  camp. 

While  tugging  for  all  we  were  worth  we  descried  a 
horse  flying  along  the  road  at  break-neck  pace  towards 
us.  As  it  approached  we  saw  it  was  carrying  Dr. 
Ascher.  When  he  drew  up  to  us  he  stopped.  The 
guards  were  holding  forth  in  their  most  truculent 
manner  at  the  moment.  The  doctor  rapped  out  a  few 
words,  and  the  guards  instantly  dropped  their  hostility 
and  arrogance  to  become  as  meek  as  lambs.  Turning 
to  us  the  doctor  ordered  every  man  to  drop  the  ropes. 
We  did  so  and  fell  into  line  at  once  of  our  own 
accord. 

The  doctor  surveyed  us,  and  we  must  have  looked 
miserable  specimens  of  humanity.  Our  faces  were 
glistening  with  perspiration  which  had  been  pouring 
out  of  us  freely,  and  which,  mixing  with  the  grimy 
sand  which  had  been  enveloping  us,  had  formed  runnels 
wrought  into  a  wild  and  weird  variety  of  fantastic 
designs.  One  or  two  of  the  weaker  boys  stood  half- 
bcnt  as  if  upon  the  verge  of  dropping. 

Within  a  few  seconds  the  doctor  had  taken  in  the 
whole  situation,  and  saw  how  completely  we  were 
plaj^ed  out.  With  a  voice  which  cut  like  a  knife  he 
ordered  the  guard  to  escort  us  to  a  wayside  inn.  The 
soldiers,  thoroughly  cowed,  obeyed  his  instructions 
silently.  He  strode  along  beside  us,  distracting  our 
thoughts  by  a  dissertation  concerning  the  countryside, 
which  was  bathed  in  the  full  splendour  of  its  autumn 
garb,  and  which  certainly  presented  a  peaceful  and 
entrancing  aspect. 


THE   GUARDIAN    OF   THE    CAMP       215 

Reaching  the  inn  we  seated  ourselves  on  the  balcony. 
Then  the  doctor,  turning,  remarked : 

"  Order  what  you  like !  Don't  stint  yourselves 
and  take  your  time.  Now  then  have  anything  you 
wish  to  drink  !  " 

If  our  guards  had  been  sufficiently  relenting,  we 
would  willingly  have  paid  them  for  permission  to  have 
regaled  ourselves  by  the  way  at  our  own  expense.  We 
all  had  money.  At  the  doctor's  instructions  we  dived 
our  hands  into  our  pockets  to  extract  our  worldly 
wealth  to  ascertain  what  we  could  afford.  The  doctor 
arrested  our  action. 

"  No  !  "  he  called  out,  raising  his  hand  in  protest. 
"  Put  your  money  back.  You  will  have  this  with  me. 
I  extended  the  invitation  and  I  certainly  intend  to 
pay  for  it  !  " 

If  any  man  had  called  for  cheers  for  the  doctor  I 
think  we  should  have  brought  the  house  down  about 
our  ears.  But  we  were  so  dumbfounded  at  this 
first  expression  of  a  "  white  man's  "  action  which  we 
had  encountered  in  Germany,  that  we  could  not  utter 
a  sound.  We  merely  sat  like  a  party  of  expectant 
school-children  at  a  Sunday  school  treat. 

The  doctor  busied  himself  seeing  that  each  man 
received  an  adequate  quantity  of  refreshment,  and  that 
it  was  according  to  his  fancy.  I  myself  being  an 
abstainer,  declined  the  beverage  which  was  popular 
and  which  was  being  keenly  enjoyed.  Observing  that 
I  was  drinking  nothing  he  hurried  over. 

"  Where's  your  beer  ?  " 

"  Sorry,  doctor,  but  I  do  not  take  alcohol !  " 

Without  a  word  he  swung  on  his  heel,  hailed  the 
landlord,  and  enquired  for  some  home-made  lemonade. 
Boniface  was  sorry  but  he  was  unable  to  oblige.  But 
the  doctor  was  not  to  be  put  oif.  He  curtly  ordered 
the  landlord  to  prepare  some  instantly  and  what  is 
more  to  the  point  he  followed  him  to  see  that  it  was 
brewed  correctly. 

After  the  meal  he  insisted  that  we  should  take  a  brief 


216  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

rest  to  assist  its  digestion,  which,  owing  to  the  weakened 
condition  of  our  organs,  was  no  easy  matter.  Then, 
when  we  all  felt  fit,  we  returned  to  the  traction  engine. 
You  can  imagine  how  we  clustered  round  the  doctor 
thanking  him  for  his  kindness,  but  he  would  not 
listen  to  our  expressions  of  gratitude.  Laughing  good- 
naturedly,  he  maintained  that  he  had  done  nothing 
beyond  what  he  considered  to  be  his  duty,  and  as  we 
shouldered  the  ropes  once  more,  he  gave  us  a  parting 
cheer. 

That  meal  put  new  life  into  us,  and  we  towed  the 
load  with  such  gusto  that  we  covered  the  second  lap 
of  the  distance  in  fine  style.  When  we  reached  the 
camp  and  were  dismissed,  the  incident  about  the 
doctor's  munificence  flashed  through  to  its  four  corners 
like  lightning.  It  became  the  one  topic  of  spirited 
conversation.  We  had  always  voted  the  doctor  a 
jolly  good  fellow,  but  now  he  was  the  hero  of  the  hour. 
When  he  next  came  into  the  camp  he  received  such  a 
thundering  and  spontaneous  ovation  as  to  startle 
him,  until  at  last  the  reason  for  this  outburst  dawned 
upon  him.  But  he  turned  it  off  with  his  characteristic 
laugh  and  joke. 

The  privations  which  I  had  been  suffering  now  began 
to  assert  their  ill  effects.  I  felt  I  was  breaking  up 
rapidly,  and  in  this  every  one  concurred  and  grew 
anxious.  The  doctor  took  me  in  hand,  placed  me  on  a 
"  pass  "  and  at  last  ordered  me  to  lie  down  in  the 

barrack.  Two  of  my  companions,  Ca ,  a  breezy 

Irishman  who  had  been  arrested  while  on  his  honey- 
moon, and  K ,  undertook  to  look  after  me.  As  the 

night  advanced  I  rapidly  grew  worse,  until  eventually 
my  illness  assumed  such  a  turn,  so  I  was  informed 
afterwards,  as  to  cause  my  two  friends  the  greatest 
alarm.  Ca —  -  went  out  to  the  guard  with  a  message 
addressed  to  Dr.  Ascher,  explaining  that  Mahoney  was 
very  much  worse  and  they  feared  his  condition  was 
critical.  By  some  means  or  other  the  message  was  got 
through  to  the  doctor,  possibly  by  telephone. 


THE   GUARDIAN    OF   THE    CAMP       217 

It  was  a  vile  night.  A  terrific  thunderstorm  was 
raging,  and  the  rain  was  falling  in  torrents.  After 
dispatching  their  message  my  two  friends  resumed 
their  vigil  beside  my  bed,  hoping  against  hope  that 
Dr.  Ascher  would  call  early  the  following  morning. 

About  midnight  the  mad  galloping  of  a  horse  was 
heard  faintly  above  the  wail  of  the  wind  and  the  fusil- 
lade of  the  mad  downpour  upon  our  hollow-sounding 
roof.  The  sounds  drew  nearer  to  stop  outside  our 
barrack  door.  A  hurried  conversation  was  heard, 
and  the  next  moment,  to  the  surprise  of  my  two 
friends,  the  door  opened  to  admit  Dr.  Ascher.  The 
rain  was  pouring  off  him  in  tiny  rivulets  and  he  cheerily 
confessed  that  he  was  soaked  to  the  skin.  But  he 
pooh-poohed  the  idea  that  he  had  taken  too  much 
trouble.  A  fellow-creature  was  in  peril  and  he  could 
not,  as  a  doctor,  resist  the  call  which  had  been  sent. 
He  stayed  with  me  some  time,  told  my  companions 
exactly  what  to  do,  and  then  went  out  again  into  the 
rainstorm  with  the  parting  intimation  that  he  would 
return  within  a  few  hours,  and  would  arrange  for  my 
instant  transference  to  the  hospital. 

At  six  he  was  back  again.  By  this  time  I  had 
recovered  from  my  delirium  and  felt  somewhat  better, 
although  exceedingly  weak.  He  chatted  with  me,  told 
me  I  was  far  worse  than  I  either  looked  or  felt,  and 
insisted  upon  my  going  into  hospital.  I  demurred, 
as  I  preferred  to  be  among  my  chums.  But  he  was 
not  to  be  gainsaid,  and  so  I  had  reluctantly  to  be  carried 
into  bed.  He  came  to  see  me  frequently  during  the 
day,  and  even  went  so  far  as  to  assume  the  responsibility 
of  telegraphing  to  Berlin  demanding  my  instant 
release  as  my  demise  seemed  very  probable.  But 
this  request  was  curtly  refused,  mainly,  so  I  discovered 
afterwards,  because  I  was  imprisoned  upon  the  charge 
of  espionage.  The  circumstance  that  this  charge  was 
still  hanging  over  my  head  came  as  an  ugly  eye-opener 
to  me.  I  thought  from  my  transference  from  Wesel 
to  Sennelager  that  I  had  been  acquitted  of  this  accusa- 


218  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

tion.  Of  course  I  had  never  received  any  official 
intimation  to  this  effect,  but  on  the  other  hand  I  had 
never  received  a  sentence.  This  revelation  worried 
me  somewhat  sorely  because  I  could  see  possibilities 
about  which  I  scarcely  dared  to  think,  as  well  as 
complications  untold  looming  ahead. 

I  must  have  been  in  a  very  precarious  condition  the 
previous  night  because  a  member  of  a  well-known 
British  family  who  had  been  interned  at  Sennelager, 
but  who  secured  his  release  about  this  time,  very 
kindly  sought  out  one  of  my  relatives  upon  his  return 
home,  to  whom  he  communicated  particulars  con- 
cerning my  illness  and  serious  condition.  He  hesitated 
to  notify  my  wife  directly,  preferring  to  leave  it  to  my 
relative  to  convey  the  unwelcome  news  in  the  manner 
considered  to  be  the  most  advisable.  For  this  kindly 
action,  of  which  I  was  apprised  after  my  transference 
from  Sennelager,  I  have  ever  been  extremely  thankful, 
but  up  to  the  present  I  have  successfully  evaded  all 
the  most  insidious  attempts  made  by  my  German 
captors  to  secure  my  premature  decease  by  under- 
mining my  health. 

Before  leaving  me  in  hospital  for  the  night  Dr. 
Ascher  paid  me  a  final  visit  to  make  positive  that  I 
was  comfortable.  But  that  one  night's  sojourn  in  the 
hospital  almost  completely  unnerved  me.  I  could 
not  sleep,  and  to  my  alarm  I  found  that  no  one  ever 
came  in  to  take  even  a  cursory  glance  at  the  patients. 
I  got  up  in  the  darkness  and  went  to  the  door.  To 
my  astonishment  I  found  it  to  be  locked  !  I  turned 
to  one  cot.  It  contained  a  French  invalid  who  was 
jabbering  away  excitedly  to  himself,  but  I  could  not 
understand  a  single  word.  I  turned  to  the  next  bed  and 
its  occupant  was  half -delirious.  With  such  depressing 
company  around  me  I  tumbled  back  into  bed  and  went 
off  to  sleep  again  somehow.  In  the  morning  I  learned 
that  there  were  three  intercommunicating  wards. 
The  two  inner  ones  were  reserved  for  patients,  upon 
whom  the  key  was  turned  at  night,  while  the  third 


THE   GUARDIAN    OF   THE   CAMP       219 

and  outer  room  was  occupied  by  a  night  warder  who 
turned  in  and  slept  the  sleep  of  the  just,  although  he 
was  nominally  in  charge  of  critical  cases.  But  this 
was  immaterial.  If  the  patient  went  under  during 
the  night  to  be  found  dead  in  bed  in  the  morning — well ! 
it  was  merely  a  case  of  Nature  having  had  her  own  way. 

I  was  so  alarmed  that  the  instant  the  hospital  was 
opened  I  hurried  back  to  my  barrack.  Dr.  Ascher, 
upon  reaching  the  hospital  and  noting  my  absence, 
wondered  what  had  happened,  until  at  last  he  found 
me  resting  in  my  bunk.  I  resolutely  told  him  that 
under  no  circumstances  would  I  spend  another  night 
in  that  hospital.  I  had  my  own  way.  The  crisis  had 
passed,  and  if  I  only  took  care  of  myself  I  would  soon 
be  out  again,  he  said. 

Having  always  led  an  active  life,  confinement  to  bed 
in  utter  loneliness  during  the  day,  except  for  a  call 
now  and  again  from  a  sympathetic  colleague,  soon 
began  to  pall.  So  I  dressed  and  went  out  to  discover 
Dr.  Ascher.  He  did  not  upbraid  me  for  so  flagrantly 
disobeying  his  orders,  as  I  had  been  anticipating,  but 
exhorted  me  with  all  the  powers  of  persuasion  he  could 
command,  to  take  the  utmost  care  of  myself.  In  order 
to  give  me  something  to  occupy  my  mind  he  attached 
me  to  a  few  other  invalids,  who  were  also  on  "  pass," 
to  light  work  in  cleaning  out  the  hospitals  for  the 
recruits  who  were  evidently  coming  to  Sennelager 
within  the  near  future. 

Cleaning  hospitals  might  be  officially  described  as 
light  work,  but  it  was  far  from  being  so,  although  this 
was  not  the  fault  of  the  doctor  but  of  our  far  from 
amiable  Commandant.  The  tables,  beds,  chairs  and 
other  portable  fixtures  had  to  be  taken  into  the  open 
air  to  receive  a  thorough  scrubbing  with  water  and  soft 
soap.  We  were  given  buckets,  and  were  compelled 
to  walk  some  distance  to  draw  supplies  of  water  from 
the  pump,  to  which  place  we  also  had  to  repair  to  throw 
away  the  dirty  liquid,  so  that  we  were  assured  of  an 
exacting  load  upon  both  journeys. 


220  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

The  guard  supervising  us  in  this  work  was  a  despic- 
able young  cub.  He  was  short  and  stubby.  By  the 
way  I  must  relate  that  this  individual  illustrated  one 
of  the  weird  turns  of  the  Wheel  of  Fortune  as  revealed 

by  the  war.     I  have  already  referred  to  F K , 

who  had  accompanied  me  from  Wesel  prison  to  Senne- 

lager.     What    was    F K—  -'s    amazement    to 

discover,  upon  entering  the  camp,  that  this  man,  who 
formed  one  of  the  guards,  had  been  one  of  his  own 
van-men  before  the  war.  It  was  a  remarkable  instance 
of  the  reversal  of  positions.  The  erstwhile  van-man 
was  now  the  top-dog  and  he  did  not  hesitate  to  extract 
endless  amusement  and  delight  from  ordering  the 
prisoners,  among  whom  was  his  former  employer  A  to 
despicable  duties  and  harassing  them  right  and  left. 

I  had  one  bout  with  this  impertinent  little  bounder 
which  I  do  not  think  he  will  ever  forget.  It  was  the 
result  of  exasperation  and  was  precipitated  upon  the 
spur  of  the  moment  with  subsequent  disastrous  results. 

I  was  carrying  a  bucket  of  water  back  to  the  pump 
to  throw  away  and  to  secure  a  fresh  supply.  As  I 
approached  the  pump,  which  was  near  an  adjoining 
field,  and  over  the  fence  of  which  some  young  girls 
were  leaning  talking  to  the  sentry,  I  saw  that  they 
were  having  some  fun  at  my  expense.  I  resented 
this  laughter  and  merriment,  more  particularly  as  I 
was  feeling  very  seedy. 

The  guard,  to  parade  his  assumed  authority  before 
the  girls,  drew  himself  to  the  full  height  of  his  fifty- 
four  inches  or  thereabouts,  threw  out  his  chest,  and  as 
I  was  about  to  empty  the  bucket,  roared  in  stentorian 
tones : 

'  Take  that  back  again  !  " 

"  But  I  am  going  to  fill  the  bucket  with  clean 
water  !  "  I  protested. 

"  Did  you  hear  what  I  said  ?  I  told  you  to  take  it 
back  again  !  "  to  which  he  added  an  afterthought 
which  I  did  not  understand,  but  which  induced  the 
girls  to  burst  out  laughing  afresh  with  mad  glee. 


THE    GUARDIAN    OF   THE   CAMP       221 

I  ignored  his  instructions  and  was  about  to  turn 
out  the  dirty  contents.  My  temper  somewhat  ruffled 
by  illness  and  now  very  hasty  was  rising  rapidly.  He 
moved  forward  and  thundered  : — 

"  Cannot  you  obey  orders  ?  Take  it  back  again, 
I  tell  you  !  " 

I  picked  up  the  bucket  as  if  to  comply  and  stepped 
back  a  pace  or  two.  Then  lifting  it  up  I  shouted  back, 

"  I'll  see  you  damned  first  !  "• 

With  these  words  I  hurled  the  contents  over  him. 
The  water  was  filthy.  It  caught  him  full  in  the  face 
and  smothered  him  from  head  to  foot. 

He  was  so  surprised  at  this  unexpected  sequel  to  his 
arrogant  order  that  he  merely  stood  still,  spluttering 
and  cursing.  Then  he  grabbed  his  rifle.  At  the  same 
moment  I  threw  the  bucket  itself  at  him,  catching  him 
a  nasty  blow  on  the  shoulder.  The  girls  who  had  been 
laughing  at  me  now  chaffed  the  discomfited  sentry 
unmercifully.  Foaming  with  rage  and  swearing 
terribly  he  lowered  his  rifle  to  run  me  through  with 
the  bayonet. 

It  was  madness  to  argue  with  a  bayonet  in  the 
hands  of  an  infuriated  German  sentry.  I  turned  and 
fled.  Being  long  of  leg,  thin,  and  agile,  I  ran  with  the 
swiftness  of  a  hare  while  my  pursuer  being  short-legged 
and  thick-set  came  trundling  after  me  like  a  cart-horse. 
I  tore  towards  the  hospital,  vaulted  over  the  chairs 
and  tables,  and  darted  in  and  out,  with  the  sentry, 
now  beginning  to  blow  hard  from  his  unusual  exertion, 
hot  on  my  trail.  In  my  mad  rush  I  upset  some  of  my 
companions,  but  they,  instantly  guessing  something 
unusual  was  afoot  as  they  caught  sight  of  my  flying 
coat-tails  and  the  heavy-footed  soldier  chasing  me,  at 
once  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  fun. 

L ,  our  humorist,  was  one  of  the  party.  Jump- 
ing on  a  table  he  commenced  to  yell  frantically  : 

"  Sennelager  Derby  !  What's  the  odds  ?  Twenty 
to  one  on  Mahoney  !  Go  it,  Tubby  !  Christopher,  but 
you'll  never  stay  the  course  !  " 


222  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

The  cries  were  taken  up  by  the  other  fellows  and 
excitement  grew  furious,  which  only  served  to  exasper- 
ate my  pursuer  still  more. 

I  was  flying  for  dear  life.  I  knew  very  well,  if  that 
sentry  got  within  bayonet  reach  of  me,  that  my  days 
were  ended.  He  was  seeing  red  with  a  vengeance. 
Round  the  hospital,  over  the  tables  and  chairs,  I 
dashed  as  if  bereft.  I  was  looking  for  the  doctor.  I 
had  long  since  learned  that  in  the  event  of  a  disagree- 
ment with  a  sentry  it  was  wise  to  be  first  beside  the 
ears  of  authority  and  to  relate  the  incident.  The  first 
version,  whether  from  guard  or  prisoner,  was  almost 
certain  to  be  believed. 

Once  as  I  came  tearing  round  the  hospital  calling 
for  one  of  the  medical  officers,  L and  his  com- 
panions, now  emulating  the  frenzied  language  and 
manners  of  racecourse  frequenters,  and  forming  field 
glasses  with  their  hands,  were  bawling  at  the  tops  of 
their  voices. 

"  Tattenham  Corner  !     Hooray  !     Mahoney  wins  !  " 

At  that  moment  I  ran  full  tilt,  not  into  Dr.  Ascher 
as  I  had  hoped,  but  against  a  young  military  doctor. 
I  almost  upset  him  in  this  spirited  desperate  obstacle 
race. 

"  What's  the  matter  now  ?  "  he  asked  in  surprise. 

As  this  young  doctor  had  always  proved  to  be  a 
decent  fellow  I  stopped  and  related  my  story.  He 
listened  very  attentively. 

"  You  had  no  business  to  do  that !  "  he  commented. 
"  You  should  have  obeyed  the  order  and  then  have 
reported  it  to  me  or  some  other  officer  to  be  redressed." 

"  Well,  he  just  about  maddened  me  to  the  limit  !  " 

"  No  matter  !  It  may  be  a  serious  thing  for  you. 
You  shouldn't  have  thrown  the  dirty  water  over  him. 
You've  insulted  the  uniform  !  " 

By  this  time  my  pursuer  had  arrived.  He  was 
puffing  heavily  and  his  legs  were  bent.  He  could  not 
have  run  another  hundred  yards  even  if  a  dozen  battle- 
maddened  Kilties  had  been  after  him.  Catching  sight 


THE    GUARDIAN    OF    THE    CAMP       223 

of  the  doctor  he  pulled  himself  to  "  attention  "  as  well 
as  he  could.  I  had  to  turn  away  to  laugh.  He  pre- 
sented the  most  ludicrous  specimen  of  a  German 
soldier  that  I  have  ever  witnessed.  His  face  was  as 
red  as  a  beet-root  from  his  exertion,  his  eyes  were  wide 
open,  while  his  mouth  was  fully  agape.  He  could  not 
utter  a  word  as  he  had  lost  his  breath,  while  being 
soddened  from  head  to  foot  he  was  commencing  to 
steam  merrily. 

When  he  had  partially  recovered  his  composure  he 
related  his  version  of  the  story  in  a  meek  tone,  no 
doubt  hoping  to  excite  pity.  But  I  noticed  that  the 
young  medical  officer  had  to  bite  his  moustache  to 
maintain  a  straight  face  and  I  think  this  practically 
saved  the  situation. 

"  Who  gave  you  permission  to  give  orders  to 
prisoners  ?  "  asked  the  officer  severely. 

The  sentry's  dismay  at  the  officer  rounding  upon 
him  was  so  complete  that  he  could  not  venture  an 
answer. 

"  Don't  let  it  occur  again  or  I'll  report  you  !  "  con- 
tinued the  doctor  sternly.  "  Don't  you  know  your 
duty  is  to  obey  orders  and  not  to  give  them  !  "  he 
thundered  with  an  effort.  The  sentry  dismissed  so 
unceremoniously  slunk  away  miserably  and  absolutely 
crestfallen. 

When  the  soldier  had  gone  the  officer  turned  upon 
me  and  lectured  me  severely,  though  sympathetically, 
upon  the  enormity  of  my  offence.  While  he  was 
speaking,  Dr.  Ascher  sauntered  up  and  the  incidentjwas 
related  to  him.  Turning  to  me  with  a  gravity  which  I 
could  see  was  assumed,  he  remarked  : 

"  Mahoney,  if  you  get  up  to  such  tricks  again  you'll 
get  into  serious  trouble.  You  must  never  forget  the 
uniform  !  " 

As  I  turned  to  resume  work  I  noticed  the  two  medical 
men  having  a  hearty  silent  laugh  over  the  whole  affair, 
the  younger  man  graphically  describing  the  blown 
sentry  and  race  as  he  had  seen  it. 


224  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

But  Dr.  Ascher  did  not  let  the  matter  rest  there. 
He  reported  the  sentry  for  exceeding  his  orders,  which 
was  a  serious  offence  because  it  affected  the  doctor's 
discipline  over  prisoners  who  were  under  his  charge 
at  the  hospitals.  All  the  reward  and  consolation  the 
insolent  cub  received  for  his  parade  of  assumed 
authority  before  his  audience  of  girls  was  change  to 
another  duty,  coupled  with  severe  reprimand.  Through 
Dr.  Ascher's  intervention  the  sentry  was  deprived  of 
all  opportunity  to  snatch  a  revenge  upon  me.  Such 
actions,  however,  were  characteristic  of  Dr.  Ascher. 
It  was  his  love  of  fair-play  which  endeared  him  to 
every  Britisher  in  the  camp.  Whenever  one  of  us  left 
Sennelager  there  was  no  man  from  whom  to  part  was 
such  a  wrench  as  Dr.  Ascher.  We  all  grew  to  like  and 
admire  him  to  such  a  degree  that  it  seemed  to  be 
parting  from  a  very  dear  and  old  friend  when  we  shook 
hands  in  farewell  with  him. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  AFTERMATH  OF  THE  ELEVENTH 

As  the  day  of  the  I2th  advanced  without  bringing  any 
signs  of  official  intentions  to  improve  our  accommoda- 
tion upon  "  the  field,"  several  of  us  decided  to  do  the 
only  thing  possible — to  help  ourselves.  It  was  per- 
fectly evident  that  we  were  not  to  be  taken  back  to 
barracks,  even  for  the  time  being,  while  it  was  equally 
apparent  that  no  tents  were  going  to  be  set  up  for  us. 
Also  it  was  quite  possible  that  we  should  be  exposed 
to  another  fearful  storm,  because  the  season  was 
advancing.  Consequently  it  was  just  as  well  that  we 
should  improvise  some  kind  of  shelter  over  our  heads. 
The  issue  was  where  to  discover  the  materials,  since 
the  authorities  were  not  disposed  to  extend  us  any 
assistance  whatever. 

The  more  energetic  among  us  set  to  work  without 
delay.  My  South  African  friend,  Moresby  White,  and 
myself  unearthed  one  or  two  poles  lying  forlorn  and 
forgotten  among  the  grass  and  slush.  We  secured 
these,  set  them  up,  and  over  them  stretched  our 
blankets,  the  improvised  dwelling  thus  obtained  being 
a  crude  kind  of  wigwam.  Others  built  little  domiciles 
somewhat  reminiscent  of  an  Eskimo  igloo,  and  in  this 
field  of  endeavour  I  may  say,  striking  ingenuity  and 
resourcefulness  were  displayed. 

My  friend  and  I  had  scarcely  finished  our  dwelling 
when  along  came  some  officials.  They  saw  what  we 
had  done,  and  then  declared  that  we  had  taken  Govern- 
ment material,  in  the  form  of  the  neglected  poles,  to 
which  we  had  no  manner  of  right.  Forthwith  they 
demolished  the  shelter.  Intensely  disgusted  at  this 
P  225 


226  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

turn  of  events  we  had  another  look  round  for  further 
material  and  obtained  some  tree  branches.  We 
fashioned  these  to  form  the  skeleton  of  a  hut.  The 
guard  hurried  up  and  ordered  us  to  take  it  down.  For 
a  second  time  our  labour  was  in  vain,  but  we  were 
grimly  persevering  and  so  ran  up  a  third  shelter.  This 
shared  the  self-same  fate  because  we  had  committed 
a  heinous  breach  of  some  one  or  other  official  regulation 
of  which  we  knew  nothing. 

As  we  surveyed  the  ruins  of  our  third  attempt  to 
raise  something  over  our  heads  my  South  African 
friend  became  exasperated.  It  was  merely  official 
spite  which  had  provoked  the  destruction  of  our  little 
homes.  He  gritted  his  teeth  and  gave  full  vent  to  his 
innermost  feelings  which  were  by  no  means  compli- 
mentary to  our  German  oppressors. 

"I'm  damned  if  we  don't  build  something  to  which 
they  cannot  take  exception,"  blurted  my  companion. 
I  concurred,  but  a  survey  of  the  field  for  materials 
proving  abortive  we  became  somewhat  glum.  Then 
I  suddenly  hit  on  an  idea  which  I  explained.  We 
would  build  a  mud  or  turf  hut.  It  would  take  a  little 
time  but  surely  they  would  not  knock  that  to  pieces  ! 

We  foraged  round  and  happened  upon  a  spade. 
With  this  we  cut  the  sods  and  built  a  small  square- 
shaped  domicile  into  which  we  were  able  to  crawl.  We 
made  it  sufficiently  large,  not  only  to  accommodate 
our  two  selves  but  for  the  reception  of  company  if 
necessary.  It  was  not  a  masterpiece  by  any  means, 
while  the  interior  had  the  rank  aroma  of  newly-turned 
earth,  but  it  was  preferable  to  facing  the  elements, 
should  they  decide  to  be  against  us  once  more.  Other 
workers  in  the  camp,  who  had  been  foiled  similarly  in 
their  efforts  to  fashion  a  home  from  poles  and  sticks, 
emulated  our  example.  Consequently  within  a  short 
space  of  time,  diminutive  huts,  some  recalling  large 
beehives,  were  rising  all  over  the  field  like  mushrooms. 

There  was  keen  rivalry  in  the  embellishment  of 
these  crude  homes.  Upon  completing  ours  I  decided 


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THE   AFTERMATH  227 

upon  a  "  Tradesmen's  Entrance  "  and  carved  this  out, 
together  with  a  winding  approach,  the  entrance  being 
flanked  by  two  mounds  on  one  of  which  I  planted  a 
small  flag  improvised  from  a  piece  of  cardboard  which 
I  unearthed.  Directly  I  had  set  up  the  little  flag  I 
fell  foul  of  authority.  The  hated  emblem  was  torn  up 
by  an  officious  sentry  whom  it  enraged. 

These  mud  huts  were  speedily  christened  with  high- 
falutin  names.  There  were  "  Sans  Souci "  villa  and 
the  "  Haven  of  Rest  "  and  others  equally  wildly  and 
inappropriately  named.  But  we  considered  this  an 
excellent  chance  "  to  wax  sarcastic/'  and  we  let 
ourselves  go,  although  I  do  not  think  that  our  task- 
masters, being  by  nature  dense,  grasped  the  purport 
of  our  humour.  Our  residence  rejoiced  in  the 
unpretentious  designation  of  "  Camera  Villa," 

If  the  authorities  had  gleaned 

an  inkling  of  the  circumstance  that  this  mud  hut 
harboured  an  incriminating  eye  they  would  have 
spared  no  effort  to  discover  it,  while  I  as  the 
unfortunate  owner — well !  I  do  not  know  what  would 
have  happened  to  me  for  such  a  flagrant  breach  of 
official  regulations. 

It  also  seemed  as  if  the  authorities  were  going  to 
deprive  us  of  food.  At  all  events  noon  passed  without 
any  sign  of  dinner.  In  the  afternoon,  however,  we 
were  informed  that  we  were  to  receive  the  mid-day 
meal,  but  must  go  to  the  cook-house  to  get  it.  That 
was  a  mile  away  ! 

At  two  o'clock  we  were  lined  up,  the  British  at  the 
extreme  rear  as  usual,  and  marched  off.  Upon  reach- 
ing the  kitchen  we  were  alarmed  to  learn  that  there 
were  insufficient  basins.  Several  would  have  to  use 
the  one  utensil  successively,  and,  needless  to  say, 
without  being  washed  after  each  use.  Apart  from 
this  repulsive  method  of  feeding  us  as  if  we  were  dogs, 
the  time  occupied  in  getting  one's  ration  proved 
maddening.  After  one  had  swallowed  the  thin  cabbage 


228  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

soup  hastily,  one  had  to  advance  and  join  the  group 
comprising  those  who  had  been  served.  The  result 
was  that  by  the  time  the  last  of  the  British  prisoners 
had  been  supplied  some  three  hours  had  passed.  Yet 
this  was  the  first  meal  which  some  of  the  men  had 
received  for  three  days  !  I  may  say  that  one  felt  far 
from  satisfied  after  swallowing  the  noisome  greasy  wash. 

In  the  evening,  while  working  upon  our  hut  to 
impart  the  finishing  touches  speedily,  because  rain  was 
falling,  I  stumbled  across  three  of  the  disgraced  and 
disfigured  fishermen.  They  were  alone  and  forlorn. 
They  had  no  hut  and  did  not  know  what  would  happen 
if  another  wet  night  swept  over  them.  One  happened 
to  be  the  skipper  of  one  of  the  trawlers  which  had  been 
sunk  and  he  vehemently  denied  the  charge  that  they 
had  been  guilty  of  laying  or  sweeping  mines.  They 
were  attending  to  their  trawls  when  they  were  surprised 
and  captured. 

The  skipper  was  an  interesting,  typical  sea-dog  from 
the  waters  of  the  North  Sea,  and  a  thorough  God- 
fearing man.  He  related  a  story  which  made  our 
blood  boil.  He  said  his  two  companions  and  himself 
were  summoned  by  the  guards  at  mid-day,  and  instead 
of  receiving  the  dinner  ration  had  been  taken  to  a 
covered  hand-cart.  The  guard  told  them  to  push  it, 
and  at  the  same  time  handed  them  shovels  and  picks. 
Under  escort  they  dragged  this  mysterious  load,  which 
was  carefully  covered  with  a  tarpaulin,  for  about  three 
miles  to  a  very  lonely  spot.  At  last  they  came  to  a 
deep  hole.  They  were  compelled  to  back  the  cart  to 
the  brink  of  the  pit,  and  were  then  curtly  bidden  to 
tip  it  sharply. 

To  the  utter  amazement  of  the  skipper  and  his  two 
colleagues  the  action  of  tipping  the  cart  shot  into  the 
hole,  with  considerable  force,  the  corpse  of  a  Belgian. 
He  was  dumped  into  the  hole  in  this  rough  and  ready 
manner,  head  first,  and  to  the  disgust  of  the  Britishers 
the  body  was  clothed  merely  in  a  shirt !  They  were 
then  commanded  to  refill  the  hole.  Thus,  without 


THE   AFTERMATH  229 

the  slightest  burial  ceremony,  with  a  brutality  which 
would  not  have  been  shown  to  a  dog,  and  without 
the  slightest  expression  of  regret,  save  one  of  silence 
from  the  three  Britishers,  the  unknown  Belgian  was 
consigned  to  an  unknown  grave.  Who  the  Belgian 
was,  or  how  he  came  by  his  death,  no  one  ever  knew, 
but  it  is  surmised  that  he  died  from  exposure  upon  the 
field  during  the  night  of  the  nth. 

These  three  fishermen  being  friendless  and  homeless, 
my  chum  and  I  decided  to  see  what  we  could  do  for 
them.  We  proposed  to  attach  a  lean-to  shelter  to 
our  hut.  Poles  were  driven  into  the  ground,  and  to 
these  horizontal  members  were  attached,  the  latter 
having  the  inner  ends  sunk  into  our  walls.  For  the 
roof  we  used  our  blankets.  It  was  a  primitive  shelter, 
but  it  protected  the  three  men  from  the  rain  which 
again  broke  over  us  and  for  this  expression  of 
camaraderie  they  were  extremely  grateful. 

Our  transference  to  the  field  provoked  the  most 
spirited  bout  we  had  ever  witnessed  between  the 
Commandant  and  Dr.  Ascher.  The  doctor  could  do 
nothing  towards  securing  us  shelters :  that  was 
exclusively  a  matter  for  Major  Bach  to  decide.  But 
he  had  control  over  the  sanitary  arrangements,  and 
he  condemned  these  unequivocally.  The  stench  rising 
from  the  open  latrines  which  swept  over  the  field  was 
indescribable.  Dr.  Ascher  flew  into  a  fierce  temper 
over  the  shortcomings  and  detestable  arrangements, 
which  he  maintained  to  be  a  serious  menace  to  the 
health  of  the  camp.  We  strove  desperately  to  escape 
the  horrible  effluvium,  but  it  could  not  be  avoided 
unless  we  buried  our  heads.  Dr.  Ascher,  by  taking  up 
a  firm  stand,  had  his  way  on  this  occasion,  although 
the  nature  of  the  improvement  I  think  caused  him  to 
despair  of  securing  the  proper  amelioration  of  the 
conditions.  The  military  authorities  did  not  appear 
to  know  even  the  rudiments  of  sanitary  science,  which, 
as  I  found  for  myself,  are  ever  indescribably  crude  away 
from  the  show  towns  which  are  patronised  by  tourists. 


230  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

I  had  been  hoping  that  I  would  be  able  to  shake  off 
my  illness.  But  it  was  not  to  be.  The  exposure 
and  thorough  soaking  which  I  had  on  the  terrible 
night  of  the  nth  completely  undid  all  the  benefits  I 
had  received  from  Dr.  Ascher's  attention  and  treat- 
ment. I  cracked  up  suddenly.  The  doctor,  seeing 
how  badly  things  were  going  with  me,  gave  me  a 
"  pass  "  excusing  me  from  all  work. 

But  to  me  it  was  obvious  that  to  remain  on  the  field 
was  to  die  from  starvation,  especially  bearing  in  mind 
my  precarious  health.  Yet  to  get  out  of  the  field  was 
no  easy  matter.  I  pondered  fretfully  over  this  issue, 
and  at  last  resolved  to  attempt  a  desperate  solution. 
I  marched  boldly  to  the  gate,  waved  an  old,  long- 
since  expired  "  pass  "  and  shouted  to  the  sentry  that 
I  had  to  go  to  the  doctor's  office  immediately.  Taken 
unawares  the  guard  opened  the  gate  without  scanning 
the  "  pass  "  and  I  walked  on  to  the  main  road  leading 
to  the  barracks  in  which  we  had  lived  previously. 
The  little  extra  exertion  demanded  to  pass  the  sentry 
without  creating  any  suspicions  in  his  mind  now  told 
on  me.  Once  I  had  passed  out  of  his  sight  the  reaction 
set  in,  and  I  fell  into  a  clockwork  pace.  I  was  deter- 
mined to  fulfil  my  mission  at  all  hazards,  so  plodded 
along  slowly.  I  could  see  nothing,  and  heeded  nothing, 
being  only  conscious  of  the  fact  that  I  was  going  to 
get  something  to  eat  and  to  bring  food  back  for  my 
stranded  companions  on  the  field.  Soon  everything 
seemed  to  grow  darker  and  darker,  then  came  perfect 
blackness.  I  remembered  no  more. 

When  I  came  to  my  senses  I  found  myself  being  borne 
carefully  by  two  fellow-prisoners — Ca—  -  and  a  chum 
— to  the  hospital.  I  was  put  to  bed,  and  looking  round 
I  saw  that  I  was  surrounded  by  twenty-five  other 
patients.  One  and  all  had  dropped  down  from  sheer 
exhaustion  upon  the  field  during  the  "  Bloody  Night," 
and  had  been  found  by  the  guard  in  the  morning  in 
an  unconscious  condition.  I  heard  that  there  were 
seventy  such  cases  brought  in — all  caused  by  exposure 


THE   AFTERMATH  231 

and  the  rain.  I  cannot  testify  to  that  number,  but  I 
can  swear  to  the  twenty-five  cases  because  I  saw  them 
in  the  hospital  lying  in  the  ward  with  me.  They  were 
then  in  a  terrible  plight,  not  having  recovered  from 
the  racking  ordeal. 

Presently  a  military  doctor  came  in.  I  had  never 
seen  him  before.  He  approached  my  cot. 

"  Civilian  or  military  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Civilian  !  "  I  replied. 

"  Ach  !  "  and  there  was  intense  disgust  and  unveiled 
hostility  in  his  voice.  "  Get  up  !  Outside *t " 

"  But  he  has  been  brought  in  unconscious  !  "  persisted 
Ca . 

"  Ach !  No  matter.  Get  up.  Outside  !  "  he 
repeated. 

"I'll  see  you  damned  first  !  "  exploded  Ca ,  his 

Irish  temper  now  roused  to  bursting  point  at  the 
inhuman  attitude  of  the  military  medical  official. 
Fortunately  for  my  friend  the  individual  in  question 
did  not  understand  a  word  of  English,  or  there  would 
have  been  trouble. 

But  feeling  somewhat  better  and  realising  the  use- 
lessness  of  argument  I  persuaded  Ca—  -  to  obey 
instructions.  Indeed  I  was  bundled  out  of  bed,  and 
hastily  assisted  in  re-dressing,  by  the  doctor's  orders. 
Passing  out  of  the  hospital  I  paused  to  lean  against  the 

door,  feeling  downright  ill  and  weak.  Ca ran 

off  to  the  barrack  to  fetch  Dr.  Ascher. 

A  young  medical  man  came  out  of  the  hospital, 
and  seeing  my  wan  and  haggard  face,  came  up  to  me. 
He  was  certainly  sympathetic 

"  Heavens,  man  !  You  look  downright  ill !  "  was 
his  comment. 

"  I  reckon  I  don't  look  worse  than  I  feel !  "  I  replied 
caustically.  "  I've  just  been  turned  out  of  the 
hospital.  What  is  going  to  happen  ?  " 

"  Oh !  You've  got  to  go  to  Paderborn.  You'll 
go  into  hospital  there.  The  van  will  be  up  in  three 
hours'  time  !  " 


232  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

At  this  intelligence  I  sank  on  a  wooden  seat.  I 
felt,  and  indeed  could  no  longer  ward  off,  the  belief 
that  everything  for  me  was  rapidly  approaching  the 
end.  As  I  sat  there  a  prey  to  my  worst  thoughts,  a 
soldier  came  out  of  the  hospital  and  sat  beside  me. 
I  looked  up. 

"  Hullo  !    old  man  !     From  Mons  ?  "  I  asked. 

'  Yes !  Going  to  Paderborn.  Says  I'm  sick," 
nodding  towards  the  hospital.  The  Tommy  certainly 
looked  as  if  the  doctor  had  diagnosed  a  case  correctly 
for  once  in  his  life. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  " 

"  Don't  know  for  sure.  But  I  heard  the  doctor 
whisper  to  an  assistant  that  it  was  typhus  !  " 

Despite  my  efforts  to  control  myself  I  could  not 
suppress  a  low  whistle.  I  looked  at  the  soldier,  and 
although  my  first  inclination  was  to  move  away,  I 
felt  that,  owing  to  my  condition,  it  really  didn't  matter, 
so  I  spared  the  Tommy's  feelings.  In  a  few  minutes 
another  soldier  came  out.  He  sat  on  the  other  side 
of  me. 

"  Hullo !  You  from  Mons  too  ?  You  going  to 
Paderborn  ?  "  was  my  query. 

"  Sure  !     Doctor  says  I've  got  typhus  !  " 

This  was  alarming  news,  and  I  could  not  resist  a 
feeling  of  extreme  apprehension.  While  I  was  turning 
things  over  in  my  mind  a  third  soldier  came  out  whom 
I  questioned,  but  he  did  not  reply. 

"  He  was  blinded  by  a  shell  at  Mons,"  commented 
one  of  the  soldiers.  "  Guess  he's  got  it  too.  'Strewth, 
isn't  this  a  hell  of  a  hole  ?  I'd  sooner  have  fifty 
Mons's  for  a  month  than  this  hell  for  a  day  !  " 

I  certainly  shared  the  opinion.  But  as  I  sat  there  I 
reflected  upon  the  limited  carrying  capacity  of  the 
Paderborn  hospital  van,  and  the  circumstance  that  I 
was  likely  to  be  crushed  in  with  a  host  of  typhus  cases. 
I  did  not  like  the  prospect  a  little  bit.  I  made  up  my 
mind.  I  would  not  go  to  Paderborn  at  any  cost. 

Proffering   a   palpable   excuse   I   sauntered   away, 


THE   AFTERMATH  233 

finally  entering  the  office  in  which  the  files  of  the 
registration  of  the  British  military  prisoners  were 
being  prepared.  A  young  German  who  in  pre-war 
days  had  been  a  baker  in  Battersea,  was  in  charge. 
I  told  him  I  was  sick,  but  enquired,  if  receiving  the 
requisite  permission  from  the  doctor,  he  would  allow 
me  to  help  him  in  the  office.  He  agreed.  I  sought 
out  Dr.  Ascher,  explained  that  I  had  been  consigned 
to  Paderborn,  but  refused  to  go,  and  explained  that 
I  had  the  offer  to  go  into  the  office  if  he  would  certify 
me  for  such  work.  After  a  little  deliberation  he 
acquiesced,  and  I  took  up  the  appointment  with  the 
result  I  have  explained  in  a  previous  chapter.  After 
a  good  night's  rest  I  felt  decidedly  better.  I  returned 
to  the  field,  only  to  find  that  my  companions  had 
experienced  no  improvement  in  their  conditions,  and 
that  food  was  just  as  scarce  as  it  had  been  since  we  were 
turned  out  of  our  barracks.  I  was  successful  in  getting 
a  little  food  to  them,  while  another  prisoner,  now  in 
England,  sent  up  a  little. 

Strolling  across  the  field  I  met  a  fellow-prisoner, 

Lord  J 's  secretary.  He  looked  so  ill  that  I 

suggested  he  should  take  my  place  in  the  office,  as  I 
was  now  feeling  much  better.  He  refused  at  first, 
but  at  last  I  prevailed  upon  him  to  go.  He  would  get 
a  well-earned  rest  at  all  events,  while  the  work  was  light 
and  easy.  The  exchange  of  clerks  was  effected  and 
with  such  success  that  the  German  in  charge  never 
detected  the  swop,  which  proves  how  imperfectly  I 
had  been  scrutinised,  and  the  laxity  of  the  arrange- 
ments when  you  have  learned  how  to  circumvent  the 
pit-falls  and  red-tape  of  Prussian  organisation. 

I  was  now  back  upon  the  field.  One  night  the 
officers  came  round  bawling  out  a  request  for  the 
names  of  all  prisoners  who  had  friends  in  Germany. 
Seeing  that  this  question,  together  with  a  host  of 
others,  had  been  asked  nearly  every  day,  while  sheets 
of  papers  were  filled  up  at  intervals  of  every  few  hours 
with  a  bewildering  array  of  particulars,  I  ignored  the 


234  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

interrogation.  But  one  or  two  fellow-prisoners  re- 
called the  fact  that  K ,  upon  his  release,  had 

invited  me  to  come  to  his  home  in  Cologne  if  I  ever  got 
the  chance.  At  first  I  declined  to  listen  to  the  recom- 
mendations, but  finally,  in  response  to  the  incessant 
pesterings,  I  consented.  Then  the  matter  slipped 
from  my  mind. 

The  following  morning  my  attention  was  arrested 
by  the  guard  going  round  the  camp  singing  at  the  top 
of  his  voice,  "  Ma-hone-i !  Ma-hone-i !  " 

Surprised,  and  fearing  that  trouble  was  brewing 
because  I  had  not  gone  to  Paderborn  as  ordered  by 
the  military  doctor,  I  presented  myself.  I  was  com- 
manded to  attend  the  office  at  once. 

I  sauntered  off  leisurely,  and  reaching  the  building, 
I  supplied  the  officer  in  charge  with  my  name  and 
a  host  of  other  minute  details  as  requested.  Then 
turning  to  me,  and  holding  a  paper  in  his  hands,  he 
remarked  : 

"  Herr  Ma-hone-i !     You  are  a  free  man  !  " 

"  What  ?  "  I  yapped,  scarcely  believing  I  had  heard 
aright,  "  A  free  man  ?  "  I  almost  cried  with  joy  at 
the  news.  "  Free  to  go  home  to  England  ?  "  I  asked 
excitedly. 

"  Nein  !  Nein  !  !  Nein  !  !  !  But  you  have  friends 
in  Germany  ?  " 

My  jaw  dropped.  I  thought  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  then  I  replied  slowly,  "  Yes  !  I'll  go  provided 
I  do  not  have  to  give  my  parole.  That  I  will  never 
do!" 

He  glared  furiously  at  me. 

"  But  that  is  as  good  as  saying  you'll  try  to  escape," 
he  went  on. 

"  Exactly  !  "  was  my  curt  retort,  and  I  looked  at 
him  defiantly. 

The  officer  informed  me  that  under  these  circum- 
stances I  should  be  kept  back,  but  at  this  moment 
Dr.  Ascher,  who  had  been  listening  to  the  conversation, 
intervened,  and  as  a  result  of  his  mediation  I  was  told 


THE   AFTERMATH  235 

that  I  was  free  to  go  to  Cologne,  saying  which  a  "  pass  " 
permitting  me  to  travel  to,  and  to  move  about  that 
city,  was  proffered.  I  took  the  "  pass." 

"  You've  ten  minutes  to  collect  your  belongings  and 
to  get  out  of  the  camp  !  "  was  his  final  abrupt  remark. 
Although  I  pleaded  for  a  little  longer  time  in  which  to 
say  farewell  to  my  friends  he  was  inexorable. 

I  rushed  back  to  the  field  to  communicate  the  news 
to  my  companions,  and  the  hand-shaking  which  ensued 
was  extremely  fervent.  All  the  boys  congratulated 
me  upon  my  good  luck,  but  the  tears  were  in  their 
eyes.  The  sympathy  moved  me,  and  I  felt  half- 
disposed  to  tear  up  my  "  pass  "  and  stay  with  them  to 
see  it  through.  But  they  pushed  me  off.  I  had  a 
hearty  hand-shaking  with  Dr.  Ascher,  who  wished  me 
the  best  of  luck,  and  expressed  the  hope  that  I  would 
soon  get  home.  Although  he  never  admitted  it  I 
found  out  for  a  fact  that  he  had  been  primarily 
responsible  for  my  release.  It  certainly  was  charac- 
teristic of  him.  He  cracked  a  parting  joke,  which 
restored  the  good  humour  and  cheerfulness  of  the  camp, 
and  with  my  few  parcels  under  my  arm  I  left  the  ill- 
famed  field. 

The  boys  cheered  like  mad,  but  I  was  stirred  more 
particularly  by  the  roar  of  cheers  which  burst  from  the 
Tommies,  with  whom  I  had  fraternised  freely,  and  with 
whom  a  curious  chumminess  had  sprung  up.  We  were 
all  companions  in  misfortune,  and  when  the  news  of 
my  release  reached  their  field,  they  clustered  along  the 
fence  to  give  me  a  parting  rouser,  which  they  certainly 
let  go  for  all  they  were  worth. 

I  regained  the  office  within  the  stipulated  ten 
minutes  and  then  to  my  intense  disgust  learned  that  I 
had  three  hours  to  wait  for  a  train.  I  sold  my  watch 
to  secure  a  little  ready  money,  and  as  I  moved  across 
the  camps  to  be  abruptly  challenged  by  the  sentries 
I  was  surprised  to  see  them  change  their  demeanour 
when  I  showed  my  "  pass."  They  shook  hands 
heartily  and  warmly  congratulated  me  upon  my  good 


236  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

fortune.  It  was  a  strange  metamorphosis  and  it 
affected  me  strangely. 

Before  I  left  the  camp  I  was  ushered  into  the  presence 
of  our  arch-fiend,  Major  Bach.  He  rose  from  his  desk 
and  with  a  suavity  and  civility  which  made  my  blood 
surge,  he  remarked : 

"  Herr  Mahoney,  good-bye  !  I  trust  you  will  not 
think  our  treatment  in  the  camp  has  been  unduly 
severe  !  " 

"  I  shall  certainly  not  speak  well  of  it,"  I  retorted 
somewhat  cynically.  "  I  shall  never  forget  my  experi- 
ences and  I  shall  not  omit  to  relate  it  to  others.  But 
there  !  I  think  my  looks  are  sufficient.  I  must  have 
lost  three  stone  in  weight  during  the  past  two  months  !  " 

"•Well,  I  trust  you  will  make  allowances/'  he  went 
on  unctuously.  "  You  must  remember  the  times  ; 
that  we  are  at  war,  and  that  our  arrangements  have 
not  been  organised  for  adequate  accommodation  !  " 

He  extended  his  hand. 

Shaking  my  head  in  a  manner  which  he  could  not 
misunderstand  I  refused  to  take  it. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  resumed  his  work.  I 
left  his  office  without  another  word. 

Two  minutes  later  I  was  striding  rapidly  towards 
the  station,  accompanied  by  another  prisoner,  a  school- 
master named  E ,  who  had  also  been  released  on  a 

"  pass  "  and  whom  I  have  to  thank  for  much  assistance 
subsequently  offered. 

At  last  I  was  free  from  the  torment  and  brutality  of 
Sennelager  Camp.  But  as  I  watched  the  incoming 
train  on  that  morning  of  September  i6th,  1914,  I 
could  not  refrain  from  dwelling  upon  the  lot  of  the 
many  hapless  friends  I  had  left  behind,  the  agonies, 
miseries,  the  hopelessness  of  their  position,  and  their 
condemnation  to  unremitting  brutal  travail  which 
would  doubtless  continue  until  the  clash  of  arms  had 
died  away.  As  Sennelager  vanished  from  sight  my 
companion  and  I  gave  deep  sighs  of  relief.  We  felt 
that  we  had  left  Hell  behind. 


PRISON    THREE— KLINGELPUTZ 


CHAPTER   XVI 

FREE   ON   "  PASS  "   IN   COLOGNE 

IT  was  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  I  saw  the 
last  of  Sennelager  Camp  as  the  train  swung  round  a 
curve  which  blotted  the  Avernus  over  which  Major 
Bach  reigned  supreme  from  sight  if  not  from  memory. 
The  train  in  which  we  were  travelling,  of  course,  was 
wholly  occupied  by  Germans.  I  found  it  impossible 
to  secure  a  seat  owing  to  the  crowded  character  of  the 
carriages,  and  as  misfortune  would  have  it  I  was 
compelled  to  stand  until  I  reached  my  destination. 

Naturally  being  thrown  among  so  many  of  the 
enemy  I  was  regarded  with  a  strange  interest  by  my 
fellow-travellers.  They  could  see  I  was  not  a  German, 
and  although  they  did  not  resort  to  any  provocative 
word  or  deed,  it  would  have  needed  a  blind  man  to 
have  failed  to  detect  their  uncompromising  hostility 
towards  me.  We  travelled  via  Soest,  and  my  position 
was  rendered  additionally  unnerving  because  train 
after  train  labelled  with  the  flaming  Red  Cross  thun- 
dered by,  bearing  their  heavy  loads  of  the  German 
battered  and  maimed  from  the  battlefields.  It  was 
easy  to  see  that  the  number  of  the  train-loads  of 
wounded  was  exercising  a  peculiar  effect  upon  the 
passengers,  for  was  not  this  heavy  toll  of  war  and  the 
crushed  and  bleeding  flower  of  the  German  army 
coming  from  the  front  where  the  British  were  so  severely 
mauling  the  invincible  military  machine  of  Europe  and 
disputing  effectively  their  locust-like  advance  over  the 
fair  fields  of  Belgium  and  Northern  France  ?  Is  it 
surprising  under  the  circumstances  that  they  glowered 

237 


238  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

and  frowned  at  me  in  a  disconcerting  and  menacing 
manner  ? 

As  the  hours  rolled  by  I  began  to  feel  fainter  and 
hungrier.  I  had  had  nothing  since  the  usual  cup  of 
acorn  coffee  at  seven  in  the  morning.  Although  I 
became  so  weak  that  I  felt  as  if  I  must  drop,  I  buoyed 
up  my  flagging  spirits  and  drooping  body  by  the 
thought  that  I  should  soon  meet  and  enjoy  the  company 

of  K .     But  I  was  aboard  a  fourth-class  train  and 

it  appeared  to  be  grimly  determined  to  set  up  a  new 
record  for  slow-travelling  even  for  Germany.  The 
result  was  that  I  did  not  reach  Cologne,  or  Koln,  as 
the  Germans  have  it,  until  one  o'clock  the  following 
morning,  having  stood  on  my  feet  for  eleven  hours  and 
without  a  bite  to  eat. 

I  fell  rather  than  stepped  from  the  train  and  turned 
out  of  the  station.  Again  my  spirits  sank.  The  city 
was  wrapped  in  a  darkness  which  could  be  felt.  There 
was  not  a  glimmer  of  light  to  be  seen  anywhere.  To 
pick  one's  way  through  a  strange  city  in  a  strange  land 
and  without  more  than  a  bare  smattering  of  the 
language  under  conditions  of  inky  blackness  was  surely 
the  supreme  ordeal.  At  every  few  steps  I  blundered 
against  a  soldier  with  his  loaded  rifle  and  fixed  bayonet, 
ready  to  lunge  at  anything  and  everything  which,  to  a 
highly  strung  German  military  mind,  appeared  to 
assume  a  tangible  form  in  the  intense  blackness. 
Since  my  return  home  I  have  experienced  some  striking 
specimens  of  British  darkened  towns,  but  they  do  not 
compare  with  the  complete  darkness  which  prevailed 
in  Cologne  that  night.  Not  a  single  faint  gleam  of 
light  came  from  a  window.  I  am  confident  that  if  I 
had  dared  to  strike  a  match  I  should  have  been 
surprised  by  a  volley  of  bullets  from  all  directions. 

Cologne  was  indeed  a  city  of  darkness  and  of  the 
dead.  Only  the  footfalls  of  the  guard  and  the  clank  of 
rifles  were  to  be  heard.  To  proceed  was  impossible. 
I  concluded  that  before  I  had  gone  very  far  in  my 
wanderings  I  should  be  arrested  and  find  myself  in 


•B 


/;*»fl*«v 
*^&£ 

M  ^ 


I         r      7^7 


fa»tA**i4*» 


7v 

*v 


?€£+**++&**&****  #/.•*&**»*/• 

^m^^^^  ^M*f&£»r  ai^^^€^ 

._!>   ^^^ AJ^^^^^^4^^^- 


tttfttdj* 


Facsimile  of  the  Pass  issued  by  the  German  authorities  to  the 
author  on  his  leaving  Sennelager  for  C6In-on-Rhein. 


238 


FREE    ON    "PASS"    IN    COLOGNE       239 

privacy  of  a  prison  cell.  Moreover  I  was  absolutely 
exhausted.  Sore  at  heart  I  returned  to  the  station, 
and  walking  up  to  the  first  officer  I  saw,  introduced 
myself  as  "  Mahoney,  late  of  Sennelager  Camp." 

At  this  revelation  the  officer  stared  as  if  confronted 
by  an  apparition  and  sternly  demanded  my  authority 
for  being  at  large.  I  drew  out  my  "  pass,"  together 

with  the  address  of  K ,  for  which  I  was  searching 

so  vainly. 

Thrusting  my  "  pass  "  into  his  pocket  the  officer 
gruffly  ordered  me  to  follow  him.  I  demanded  the 
return  of  the  small  piece  of  paper  which  constituted 
my  sole  protection,  but  he  rudely  declined  to  accede 
to  my  request.  I  followed  him  and  we  turned  into  a 
room  at  the  station  which  happened  to  be  the  sleeping 
quarters  of  the  night  guard. 

Here  I  was  again  interrogated  somewhat  sharply, 
but  taking  the  bull  by  the  horns  I  boldly  declared  that 
I  was  an  Englishman  and  had  been  arrested  and 
imprisoned  upon  the  charge  of  being  a  spy  ! 

My  candid  statement  amazed  the  officer,  who  ap- 
peared to  consider  that  he  had  made  a  most  fortunate 
capture.  An  interpreter,  who  understood  only  a  little 
English,  was  summoned  to  my  assistance,  and  we  con- 
trived to  understand  one  another.  He  was  visibly 
impressed  by  my  distressed  and  sickly  appearance  and 
enquired  if  I  were  in  need  of  something  to  eat.  I  said 
I  was  famished  and  he  explained  the  situation  to  the 
officer.  The  upshot  was  that  a  few  of  those  present 
gave  me  some  bread  and  cold  rice,  which  I  devoured 
ravenously. 

I  was  handed  over  to  a  guard  who  was  instructed  to 
take  me — somewhere  ?  We  set  out  through  the  dark 
streets,  and  it  was  an  eerie  journey.  Sentries  were 
stationed  at  intervals  of  a  few  yards  and  in  crossing 
the  bridge  we  were  frequently  stopped  and  not  per- 
mitted to  proceed  until  my  guardian,  although  in 
uniform  and  armed,  had  given  the  password.  In  due 
course  we  reached  a  towering  building  which  I  dis- 


240  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

covered  to  be  the  Polizei  Prasidium.  Here  I  was 
handed  over  to  the  official  in  charge,  my  military  guard 
evidently  explaining  the  whole  circumstances. 

The  official  scrutinised  me  closely.  Bidding  me  to 
follow  him  he  again  plunged  into  the  darkness.  After 
taking  me  to  the  address  of  K ,  which  I  had  pro- 
duced, and  finding  no  one  there,  he  led  me  to  a 
restaurant.  The  proprietor  was  roused  and  ordered 
to  take  me  in  for  the  night.  When  he  learned  that  I 
was  an  Englishman  on  "  pass "  he  commenced  to 
swear  and  curse  in  a  fearful  manner,  finally  declaring 
he  would  not  shelter  any  such  swine  in  his  house. 
The  official  had  a  short  way  with  this  individual.  He 
drew  his  sword,  drove  the  awakened  and  enraged 
German  into  his  restaurant,  and  in  a  tone  which  could 
not  be  misconstrued  demanded  that  accommodation 
and  meals  should  be  found  for  me.  The  threatening 
attitude  of  the  officer  completely  cowed  the  proprietor, 
but  I,  fearing  that  the  latter  would  round  on  me  once 
I  was  at  his  mercy,  intimated  to  the  guard  that  I  was 
not  going  to  spend  the  night  in  this  hotel. 

There  was  a  brief  altercation,  but  at  last  we  returned 
to  the  Prasidium.  Here  I  intimated  that  I  was  per- 
fectly willing  to  sleep  upon  the  floor  of  the  guard-room, 
but  the  official  explained  that  this  was  a  flagrant 
breach  of  the  rules  and  the  idea  could  not  be  enter- 
tained for  a  moment.  We  haggled  for  a  few  minutes 
and  then  a  solution  of  the  distracting  problem  occurred 
to  the  officer.  He  would  lodge  me  for  the  night  in  a 
cell !  I  accepted  the  suggestion  with  alacrity  and 
thereupon  passed  below  where  I  made  myself  com- 
fortable, the  official  assisting  me  as  much  as  he  could. 

It  seemed  as  if  I  had  only  just  dropped  off  to  sleep 
when  I  was  rudely  awakened.  It  was  six  o'clock 
when  prisoners  had  to  be  roused,  and  although  I  was 
not  a  prisoner,  but  had  slept  in  the  cell  from  my  own 
choice,  I  had  to  conform  with  the  regulations.  I  was 
turned  out  into  the  street,  without  a  bite  of  food, 
needless  to  say,  to  kick  my  heels  about  for  some  two 


FREE   ON    "PASS"    IN   COLOGNE      241 

hours  until  the  business  offices  opened.  I  seized  the 
opportunity  to  have  a  shave  and  hair-cut  as  well  as  a 
thorough  wash  and  brush  up. 

About  8.30  I  presented  myself  at  my  friend's  office. 
To  my  surprise  he  responded  to  my  ring  himself  and 
at  once  introduced  me  to  his  wife,  who  had  come  into 
the  city  with  him  that  morning.  I  was  warmly 
greeted  but  my  thin  and  wan  appearance  affected 

them,  especially  Mrs.  K .  I  then  discovered  why 

I  had  failed  to  rouse  him  in  the  early  hours  of  the 
morning  when  accompanied  by  the  officer  from  the 
police  station.  He  did  not  live  in  Cologne  but  in  a 
pretty  and  quiet  little  residential  village  overlooking 
the  Rhine  some  three  miles  out. 

Taking  pity  upon  me  they  insisted  that  I  should  at 
once  proceed  to  their  home,  but  before  this  could  be 
done  certain  formalities  demanded  attention.  My 
"  pass  "  was  only  applicable  to  the  city  of  Cologne  and 
did  not  embrace  the  outlying  places.  We  had  to 
return  to  the  police  headquarters,  corresponding  to  our 
Scotland  Yard,  for  this  purpose.  Here  my  papers 
were  turned  out  and  subjected  to  the  usual  severe 
scrutiny,  while  I  myself  was  riddled  with  questions. 

At  last,  through  the  good  offices  of  K ,  who  was 

well-known  to  the  officials,  I  received  permission  to 
proceed  to  his  residence.  This  necessitated  our  being 
accompanied  to  his  home  by  two  detectives  who 
furthermore  were  to  see  that  I  received  the  necessary 
local  "  pass  "  for  the  villa  in  question. 

Notwithstanding  the  depressing  company  of  the 
detectives  I  thoroughly  enjoyed  that  ride  along  the 
banks  of  the  Rhine.  It  was  a  glorious  morning  and 
the  countryside  was  at  the  height  of  its  alluring 
autumnal  beauty.  Reaching  the  village  I  was  taken 
before  the  Burgomeister,  a  pompous  individual,  to 
undergo  another  searching  cross-questioning,  but 
ultimately  the  "  pass  "  was  granted.  At  the  same  time 
my  "  pass  "  for  Cologne  was  withdrawn.  I  had  either 
to  live,  move,  and  have  my  being  in  one  place  or  the 
Q 


242  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

other — not  both — and  was  not  to  be  permitted  to 
travel  between  the  two  places. 

I  must  digress  a  moment  to  explain  one  feature  of 
German  administration  and  the  much  vaunted  Teuton 
organisation,  which  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a 
huge  joke,  although  it  is  unfortunately  quite  devoid  of 
humour  for  the  luckless  victim.  In  times  of  war, 
Germany  is  subdivided  into  districts,  each  of  which 
receives  the  specific  number  of  an  Army  Corps.  Thus 
.there  is  Army  Corps  No.  i,  Army  Corps  No.  2,  and  so 
on.  It  is  just  as  if,  under  similar  exigencies,  the 
names  of  the  counties  in  Great  Britain  were  abandoned 
for  the  time  being  in  favour  of  a  military  designation, 
Middlesex  thus  becoming  Army  Corps  No.  i,  Surrey 
No.  2,  and  so  on,  the  counties  being  numbered 
consecutively. 

Each  Army  Corps  has  its  commanding  officer  and  he 
has  absolute  control  over  the  territory  assigned  to 
him,  the  movement  of  its  inhabitants,  strangers  and 
visitors.  But  the  strange  and  humorous  fact  about 
the  whole  system  is  that  each  commanding  officer  is 
a  little  autocrat  and  extremely  jealous  of  his  colleague 
in  the  adjacent  Army  Corps.  The  commander  of 
Army  Corps  No.  I  issues  a  "  pass  "  which  entitles  you 
to  move  about  freely  in  his  district. 
.  When  Major  Bach  presented  me  with  my  "  pass," 
he  gravely  warned  me  always  to  have  it  upon  my 
person,  to  show  it  upon  demand,  but  never  to  allow 
it  out  of  my  possession  even  for  a  minute,  and  if  it 
should  be  taken  for  inspection  to  insist  upon  its  return 
at  once.  He  assured  me  that  the  mere  production  of 
the  ";pass  "  and  the  signature  would  permit  me  to  go 
wherever  I  liked,  and  to  move  to  and  fro  throughout 
Germany.  I  firmly  believed  his  statement  until  I 
received  my  first  rude  shock  to  the  contrary.  As  a 
final  warning  he  stated  that  if  I  happened  to  be  stopped 
by  a  soldier  or  anyone  else  and  had  not  my  "  pass  " 
with  me,  I  should  find  myself  in  an  extremely  serious 
position.  Naturally  I  hung  on  to  that  little  piece  of 


FREE    ON    "PASS"    IN    COLOGNE      243 

paper  as  tenaciously  as  if  it  had  been  a  million  pound 
bank-note. 

^:The  Commanding  Officer  of  an  Army  Corps  always 
iterates  this  little  speech,  I  discovered.  Naturally  you 
leave  the  official,  completely  relieved,  thinking  yourself 
virtually  free.  But  the  moment  you  cross  the  bound- 
ary into  another  Army  Corps  you  are  held  up.  The 
official  demands  to  know  why  you  are  walking  about 
a  free  man.  You  flourish  the  "  pass "  signed  by 
"  A  "  in  triumph,  and  with  a  chortle,  point  to  the 
signature.  The  official  scans  the  "  pass,"  shakes  his 
head  sagely,  and  with  a  curt  "  Come  with  me  !  " 
orders  you  to  follow  him.  You  protest  energetically, 
and  point  to  the  signature.  He  shakes  his  head 
emphatically  as  he  growls  "  No  !  No  !  "  and  continues, 
referring  to  the  owner  of  the  signature  on  your  "  pass," 
"  we  know  nothing  about  him  !  You  must  see  my 
Commanding  Officer."  Reaching  this  official,  who 
regards  you  as  a  criminal  who  has  escaped,  you  suddenly 
learn  that  the  "  pass  "  is  not  a  passport  for  your  move- 
ment through  Germany,  but  is  valid  only  for  the  Army 
Corps  in  which  it  was  issued  ! 

Consignment  to  prison  is  the  inevitable  sequel. 
You  may  protest  until  you  are  black  in  the  face,  but 
it  makes  no  difference.  The  papers  which  you  signed 
day  after  day  until  you  became  sick  at  the  sight  of 
them,  but  which  were  necessary  to  secure  your  first 
"  pass,"  commence  their  lengthy  and  tedious  trip 
through  the  German  Circumlocution  Office,  the  trip 
occupying  weeks.  During  this  time  you  are  kept  in 
prison  and  treated  as  if  you  were  a  common  felon, 
until  at  last,  everything  being  declared  to  be  in  order, 
you  receive  a  new  "  pass  "  for  the  Army  Corps  in  which 
you  have  been  arrested.  The  moment  you  venture 
into  another  Army  Corps,  even  if  you  return  into 
that  from  which  you  were  first  released,  arrest  follows 
and  the  whole  exasperating  rigmarole  has  to  be  repeated. 
The  Army  Corps  are  as  arbitrarily  defined  as  anything 
to  be  found  in  tape-tied  Germany. 


244  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

I  do  not  think  that  such  a  wildly  humorous  feature  of 
organisation  to  compare  with  this  is  to  be  found  in  any 
other  part  of  the  world.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
deliberate  misleading,  or  to  term  it  more  accurately, 
unblushing  lying,  upon  the  part  of  the  respective  com- 
manding officers  of  the  respective  Army  Corps,  the 
British  tourists  who  happened  to  be  in  Germany  when 
war  broke  out  would  have  got  home  safely.  Being 
ignorant  of  German  manners,  customs,  and  military 
idiosyncrasies,  and  placing  a  blind  faith  in  German 
assertion  and  scraps  of  paper,  the  unfortunate  travellers 
fell  into  the  trap  which  undoubtedly  had  been  prepared 
to  meet  such  conditions. 

The  British  tourists  who  were  caught  in  eastern 
Germany,  after  their  first  arrest  and  release  upon  one 
of  these  despicable  and  fraudulent  passes,  being 
reassured  by  the  intimation  that  they  were  free  to  go 
where  they  pleased,  naturally  thought  they  would  be 
able  to  hurry  home,  and  straightaway  moved  towards 
the  coast.  But  directly  they  entered  the  adjacent 
Army  Corps  they  suffered  arrest  and  imprisonment 
until  their  papers  were  declared  to  be  in  order  to  permit 
another  "  pass  "  to  be  issued.  Thus  it  went  on,  the 
tourists  being  successively  held  up,  delayed,  and 
released.  Under  these  conditions  progress  to  the  coast 
was  exasperatingly  slow,  and  finally  was  summarily 
prevented  by  the  drastic  order  of  the  German  Govern- 
ment demanding  the  internment  of  every  Britisher  in 
the  country.  It  was  this  senseless  and  ridiculous 
manifestation  of  German  scientific  organisation  gone 
mad  which  contributed  to  the  congested  nature  of 
the  civilian  internment  camps  in  the  country,  and  one 
cannot  resist  the  conclusion  that  the  practice  was 
brought  into  force  with  the  deliberate  intention  of 
hindering  the  return  of  Britishers  who  happened  to  be 
in  the  country  when  war  was  declared. 

At  the  peaceful  residence  of  my  friend  overlooking 
the  Rhine,  of  the  full  beauties  of  which  I  still  cherish 
a  vivid  and  warm  appreciation,  I  mended  very  rapidly. 


FREE   ON  -PASS"    IN   COLOGNE      245 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  K I  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  which 

I  shall  never  be  able  to  repay.  I  entered  their  home 
half-starved,  extremely  weak,  and  practically  at 
death's  door,  but  under  the  careful  nursing  and 

unremitting  attention  of  Mrs.  K and  her  husband  I 

speedily  recovered.  I  had  been  suffering  considerable 
mental  worry,  having  received  news  that  my  wife  at 
home  was  seriously  ill,  but 

I  received  a  letter,  the  first  since  I  had  left 
home  on  August  ist,  which  communicated  the  glad 
tidings  that  she  had  completely  recovered  her  health. 
The  receipt  of  that  letter  banished  all  anxiety  and 
fretfulness  from  my  mind.  Indeed  at  the  end  of  a 
month  I  felt  capable  of  tempting  fate  upon  my  own 
initiative  once  more.  I  felt  that  I  was  encroaching 
upon  the  generosity  and  hospitality  of  my  newly-found 
friends,  and  this  feeling  commenced  to  harass  me. 

One  morning  I  expressed  to  K my  intention  to 

go  into  Cologne  to  look  for  work.  He  endeavoured  to 
dissuade  me,  pointing  out  that  my  "  pass  "  would  not 
permit  me  to  move  beyond  the  limits  of  the  little 
village,  but  I  was  not  to  be  gainsaid.  I  felt  I  could  not 
show  sufficient  appreciation  for  what  they  had  done  on 
my  behalf,  or  discharge  the  debt  of  obligation  which  I 
owed  to  them. 

I  started  off  one  morning,  full  of  hope  and  energy, 
determined  to  get  a  job  at  all  hazards.  But  that 
search  for  work  proved  to  be  the  most  heart-breaking 
quest  I  have  ever  attempted.  I  realised  that  my 
limited  knowledge  of  German  would  bowl  me  out. 
All  that  I  knew  I  had  picked  up  colloquially  while 
interned  at  Sennelager,  and  although  it  was  adequate 
to  enable  me  to  hold  a  general  conversation,  it  was 
hopelessly  insufficient  for  commercial  purposes.  Con- 
sequently I  decided  to  pretend  to  be  deaf  and  dumb. 

I  entered  every  shop  in  the  main  thoroughfare  of 
Cologne  in  succession.  I  was  ready  and  willing  to 
accept  any  position,  irrespective  of  its  character.  I 
blundered  into  an  undertaker's  premises,  which  I 


246  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

subsequently  learned  to  be  the  largest  firm  in  this  line 
in  the  city,  and  patronised  by  the  rank  and  fashion 
of  Cologne.  I  endeavoured  to  explain  the  object  of 
my  visit  to  the  proprietor  by  mimicking  nail-hammering 
and  pointing  to  a  coffin.  He  invited  me  into  his  inner 
office  where,  to  my  alarm,  I  descried  an  officer's  uniform 
hanging  behind  the  door,  and  evidently  belonging  to 
the  proprietor  who  was  about  to  join  the  colours.  I 
decided  to  make  myself  scarce  with  all  speed,  but  I 
had  to  act  warily  to  avoid  suspicion. 

The  proprietor  trotted  out  an  elaborate  catalogue. 
He  thought  I  had  come  to  order  a  coffin  !  Being 
arrayed  in  a  frock  coat  and  somewhat  burnished  up, 
I  suppose  I  had  the  appearance  of  a  possible  customer. 
I  had  led  him  to  believe  that  I  could  not  speak,  but 
now  I  assured  him  that  my  real  infirmity  was  very 
acute  stammering.  I  glanced  through  the  catalogue 
carefully  so  as  to  arouse  no  suspicions,  to  alight  upon 
a  specimen  of  the  handicraft  which  cost  1,000  marks 
— £50 — and  with  apparent  effort  stuttered  that  I 
would  consult  my  brother  upon  the  matter.  I  left 
the  shop  with  my  heart  in  my  mouth,  but  gaining  the 
street  in  safety,  I  put  as  great  a  distance  between  the 
shop  and  myself  as  I  could. 

I  offered  my  services  indiscriminately  to  a  boot- 
maker, grocer,  confectioner — in  fact  I  can  scarcely 
recall  what  trade  I  did  not  strive  to  enter,  but  always 
in  vain.  Finally  I  entered  a  fashionable  hairdresser's 
establishment.  By  signs  and  with  considerable  labour 
I  finally  made  my  mission  known,  and  at  last  ascer- 
tained that  an  assistant  was  required,  and  I  could 
present  myself  the  following  morning.  I  went  off 
treading  on  air,  absolutely  delighted  with  my  success. 
In  fact  I  was  so  elated  as  to  omit  to  notice  that  this 
shop  was  in  one  of  the  three  streets  forming  a  triangle 
and  an  island  in  a  "  Y  "  formed  by  the  two  main 
thoroughfares. 

The  next  morning  I  returned  to  the  city  with  my 
solitary  razor  in  my  pocket — I  had  been  instructed 


FREE   ON    "PASS"    IN   COLOGNE      247 

to  bring  my  own  kit.  I  entered  the  shop  but  was 
decidedly  puzzled  at  the  sight  of  strange  faces.  This 
I  attributed  to  the  rush  which  was  prevailing  having 
brought  men  to  the  front  whom  I  had  not  seen  the  day 
before.  I  proffered  my  razor  to  explain  that  I  had 
come  to  start  work  as  arranged.  The  assistant  took 
it,  and  told  me  it  would  be  ready  on  the  following 
morning.  He  thought  I  wanted  it  to  be  ground  and 
set !  Not  being  able  to  make  myself  understood  I 
went  outside,  looked  at  the  facia,  and  found  I  had  gone 
to  the  wrong  address.  The  shop  for  which  I  had  been 
engaged  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  triangle.  I 
hurried  in,  to  be  received  with  a  scowl  by  the  proprietor, 
who  pointed  significantly  to  the  clock  to  intimate  that 
I  was  very  late. 

However,  the  proprietor  donned  his  hat  and  coat 
and  took  me  to  another  shop  in  a  distant  part  of  the 
city.  It  was  one  of  his  branches.  I  was  to  be  employed 
here,  but  I  knew  no  more  about  hair-dressing  than 
about  the  fourth  dimension.  Still  I  thought  I  could 
fulfil  the  role  of  lather-boy  very  effectively. 

To  my  consternation,  after  lathering  one  or  two 
customers,  I  was  ordered  to  complete  the  shaving 
operation.  My  heart  thumped  because  I  wondered 
how  the  unfortunate  German  client  would  fare  in  my 
unskilled  hands.  Bracing  myself  up  I  completed  the 
task  without  a  hitch,  although  I  do  not  think  the 
customer  looked  any  better  after  I  had  finished  with 
him  than  he  did  before. 

But  the  succeeding  customer  encountered  disaster. 
The  razor  made  a  slip,  inflicting  a  terrible  gash  in  the 
man's  ear. 

Pandemonium  was  let  loose.  The  blood  spurted 
out,  smothering  my  shirt  cuff.  The  customer  raved 
and  swore  like  a  Fury,  while  the  manager,  losing  his 
head,  dashed  up  with  a  handful  of  powdered  alum 
which  he  strove  to  apply  to  the  wound,  but  made  a 
sorry  mess  of  the  effort,  because  it  fell  in  a  shower 
over  the  customer's  immaculate  clothes,  causing  him 


248  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

to  present  the  appearance  which  would  have  ensued 
had  he  fouled  a  bag  of  flour.  I  surveyed  the  scene 
of  the  disaster  for  a  few  seconds,  but  observing  the 
customer  to  be  absorbing  the  complete  attention  of  the 
manager  I  unconcernedly  invited  the  next  customer  to 
take  the  chair,  which  he  politely  declined. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  minutes  an  unsuspecting 
individual  entered  and  took  the  empty  seat.  I 
lathered  him  well,  and  picked  up  a  razor.  But  my 
hand  was  now  exceedingly  unsteady.  I  caught  a  glimpse 
of  my  soiled  shirt  cuff  and  decided  to  incur  no  further 
risks.  I  seized  my  hat  and  bolted  from  the  shop. 

In  my  haste  I  inadvertently  infringed  another 
rigid  regulation — I  boarded  a  tram-car  in  motion. 
For  this  misdemeanour  I  was  rated  severely  by  the 
conductor.  But  as  I  emphasised  my  deaf  and  dumb 
infirmity  he  ceased,  doubtless  feeling  that  his  energy 
was  being  wasted.  To  my  consternation  a  friend  of 
mine  boarded  this  car,  which  was  proceeding  toward 
his  home,  and  he  at  once  commenced  a  conversation. 
I  was  on  my  guard,  and  by  a  surreptitious  whisper,  I 
told  him  of  my  deaf  and  dumb  subterfuge.  When  we 
reached  our  destination  I  related  my  adventure, 
revealing  my  soiled  and  blood-stained  shirt  cuff  as 
corroboration.  As  I  described  the  incident  he  burst 
into  uncontrollable  laughter,  but  then  his  face  became 
grave.  He  felt  convinced  that  a  complaint  would  be 
lodged,  and  that  investigation  would  follow.  If  I 
were  detected  in  the  street  trouble  would  ensue,  so  he 
urged  me  to  return  to  my  new  home  and  to  lie  low  for 
a  few  days  to  permit  things  to  blow  over. 

Another  day  I  was  alighting  from  a  tram,  when  I 
heard  a  voice  calling  quietly  but  firmly,  "  Mein  Herr  ! 
Mein  Herr  !  "  There  was  no  mistaking  the  tones. 
They  were  so  palpably  official  as  not  to  raise  a  moment's 
doubting.  I  refrained  from  looking  round,  proceeding 
as  if  I  had  not  heard  the  hail,  although  I  did  not  quicken 
my  step.  But  the  "  Mein  Herr  !  "  continued  to  ring 
out  persistently,  and  at  last  the  speaker  touched  me  on 


FREE   ON   "PASS"   IN   COLOGNE 

the  arm.  I  turned  and,  as  I  had  anticipated,  was 
confronted  by  an  officer. 

He  demanded  to  know  why  I  was  walking  about 
Cologne.  He  saw  that  I  was  a  Britisher  and  so 
responded  to  the  call  of  his  inquisitorial  duty.  I 
produced  my  "  pass  "  without  a  word  of  comment. 
He  looked  at  it  and  gave  me  a  queer  glance,  but  I 
never  turned  a  hair,  and  while  he  was  looking  at  me  I 
calmly  withdrew  the  "  pass "  from  his  hands  and 
slipped  it  into  my  pocket. 

At  this  action  there  was  an  excited  outburst,  but  I 
firmly  and  resolutely  told  him  that  I  could  not  surrender 
my  "  pass."  I  had  been  told  to  keep  it  at  all  hazards, 
and  I  intended  to  do  so.  It  was  my  sole  protection. 
Not  being  able  to  dispute  the  truth  of  my  assertions, 
he  merely  told  me  to  come  with  him.  I  did  not  like 
the  turn  of  events  but  had  to  obey.  He  stopped  short 
before  a  box,  possibly  a  telephone,  outside  which  a 
sentry  was  standing.  He  said  something  to  the  sentry, 
told  me  to  wait  outside,  and  disappeared  within  the  box. 

I  waited  patiently  for  a  few  minutes,  thinking  hard 
to  discover  some  ruse  to  get  away,  but  retaining  a 
perfectly  calm  and  collected  demeanour.  If  I  moved 
I  feared  the  sentry  would  raise  the  alarm.  Yet  as  I 
stood  there  it  suddenly  occurred  to  me  that  perhaps 
the  sentry,  with  typical  Teuton  denseness  of  thought, 
might  consider  that  I  was  a  friend  of  the  officer,  and 
that  I  was  only  waiting  for  him.  I  glanced  anxiously 
up  and  down  the  street,  listened  at  the  box,  and 
fidgeted  with  papers  as  if  fearing  that  I  should  miss  an 
appointment  unless  my  friend  soon  reappeared. 

The  sentry  appeared  to  consider  my  actions  quite 
natural.  Emboldened  I  withdrew  a  piece  of  paper  from 
my  pocket  and  hurriedly  scribbled,  as  if  jotting  down 
a  hurried  note.  But  I  knew  little  German  and  far 
less  how  to  write  it.  After  finishing  the  note  I  slipped 
it  into  the  sentry's  hand,  telling  him  to  take  it  to  my 
friend  the  officer  in  the  box. 

He  laughed  "  Ja  !    Ja  1  "  and  I  moved  off  to  the 


250  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

tram  which  was  just  starting  in  the  direction  I  desired. 
I  have  often  wondered  what  happened  when  the  officer 
came  out  and  discovered  that  I  had  vanished  !  The 
sentry  must  have  experienced  a  rough  five  minutes, 
because  the  officer  could  not  have  been  mollified  by 
what  I  had  written,  which  was  simply  the  two  words 
"  Guten  Tag  !  "  (Good-day  !). 

I  dismissed  the  incident  from  my  mind  but  the 
following  night  I  received  a  terrible  fright.  I  had 
promised  some  friends  to  accompany  them  to  the 
Opera.  We  boarded  a  car.  As  I  entered  the  vehicle 
I  nearly  sank  through  the  floor.  There,  sitting  on 
the  seat,  was  the  officer  whom  I  had  left  so  abruptly 
and  discourteously  the  previous  day.  In  a  low  voice 
I  related  my  alarming  discovery  to  my  companions, 
but  urged  them  to  proceed  as  if  nothing  had  happened, 
so  they  maintained  a  spirited  conversation  in  German, 
discreetly  monopolising  all  the  talking.  The  officer 
was  glaring  at  me  fiercely  but  I  saw  that  he  \vas  in  a 
quandary.  To  him  my  face  was  familiar  but  he  was 
cudgelling  his  brains  as  to  where  he  had  seen  me 
before.  His  inability  to  place  me  proved  my  salva- 
tion. When  we  got  up,  both  my  companions  and 
myself  wished  him  "  Good-night,"  to  which  he  re- 
sponded cheerfully.  Whatever  his  thoughts  concern- 
ing myself  might  have  been,  my  "  Good-night  "  com- 
pletely removed  all  his  suspicions. 

About  three  weeks  after  my  arrival  at  Cologne, 

K and  I  were  surprised  to  hear  familiar  voices  in 

the  hall  of  his  home.  We  came  out  and  to  our  astonish- 
ment there  were  two  fellow-prisoners  from  Sennelager. 

They  were  R ,  a  British  bank  manager,  and  F , 

both  of  whom  at  the  time  of  writing  are  still  languishing 
in  Ruhleben.  They  had  been  granted  liberty  on  a 

"  pass,"  having  mentioned  K 's  name.  He  was 

delighted  they  had  accepted  his  outstanding  invitation 
and  gave  them  a  hearty  welcome. 

But  before  we  could  settle  down,  K—  -  had  to 
accompany  the  two  new  arrivals  to  the  village  Burger- 


FREE   ON    "  PASS  ;-    IN   COLOGNE      251 


/ 


fliffofdmifij  Im  €xdwi!t?.Ucrfabtm 


Huf  (itanb  bcS  §  20  be§  6c(e6;S  fiber  bit  53ofi;eik)ftBaIhm8  t>o;n  11.  SJarj  1850 
f  esrt.  bc§  g  132  be§  ffiefc^cS  fiter  bit  ongracint  £anbc2t>er»alt!in9  6»nt  30.  3«H 
.  rotrbcii  Sie  permit  aufgeforbcrt  *t^H»....rr^^,...d 


ffr  b!>  «nniinM»fi 


feftntfroil  lam  infitr^aib  jmei  SBo<$en,na<i)  Hugfcanbiauttfi  bcr 
SJefiwcvbe  5ii  bent  SJon'.gR^tn  ©erm.  Canbrat  ju.,^ 


tt.  c«r,  s::,i.  tat.  lii  PJ.  10*. 


252  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

meister's  office  to  secure  permission  for  their  residence 

in  his  home.     K and  this  official  were  on  friendly 

terms,  but  I  could  not  restrain  a  smile  when  the 
official,  with  a  slight  trace  of  waspishness  in  his  voice, 

enquired  if  it  was  K 's  intention  to  establish  a 

British  colony  in  the  village  ?     I  might  mention  that 

within  a  stone's  throw  of  K 's  home  was  a  large 

factory  where  a  number  of  Germans  were  employed, 
which  was  managed  by  three  Englishmen.  It  was  a 
highly  prosperous  and  flourishing  business  and,  the 
three  managers  living  in  the  village,  it  certainly  did 
seem  as  if  the  little  place  were  to  become  colonised. 

On  the  night  of  November  6th,  while  we  were  all 
making  merry  after  the  evening  meal,  there  came  a 
peremptory  knocking  at  the  door.  We  looked  at  one 
another  wonderingly  and  our  hearts  fell  into  our  boots 
as  we  heard  an  ominous  tramping  of  feet  in  the  hall. 
Two  police  officers  entered  the  room  and  called  out 
our  names.  We  answered  affirmatively. 

"  Gentlemen  !     You  will  accompany  us  to  Cologne  !  " 
At  the  pronouncement  we  blanched.     We  knew  only 
too  well  what  the  imperative  summons  conveyed.     We 
were  under  arrest ! 


CHAPTER  XVII 

RE-IMPRISONED   AT   KLINGELPUTZ 

MY  friend,  being  a  well-known  commercial  man  of 
Cologne,  was  acquainted  with  the  two  gendarmes.  He 
recognised  the  futility  of  attempting  to  run  against 
the  decree  of  the  Powers-that-Be,  together  with  the 
fact  that  these  two  officers  were  only  doing  their  duty. 
He  invited  them  to  eat  and  drink.  They  accepted  the 
favour,  our  good  spirits  revived,  and  we  informally 
discussed  the  new  situation  and  its  portent. 

The  two  officers,  not  wishing  to  hurt  K 's  feelings 

more  than  was  absolutely  necessary,  and  residing  in 
the  vicinity,  suggested  that  they  should  meet  us  at  a 
certain  point  at  a  given  time  to  escort  us  into  Cologne. 
The  appointment  being  settled  to  mutual  satisfaction 
they  departed  and  we  at  once  busied  ourselves  with 
preparations  for  another  sojourn  in  prison,  which  we 
considered  to  be  our  certain  fate.  Our  hostess  packed 
a  huge  reserve  of  dainties  of  all  descriptions  sufficient 
to  last  us  several  days,  by  which  time  we  fondly 
concluded  that  any  formalities  demanded  by  the 
authorities  would  be  completed,  and  we  should  once 
more  be  allowed  to  go  free  on  "  passes." 

We  kept  the  appointment  with  the  two  officers  who, 
out  of  respect  for  our  host,  had  discarded  their  uniforms 
for  mufti.  Consequently,  to  the  casual  man  in  the 
street,  we  appeared  to  be  only  a  little  party  going  into 
the  city  for  a  mild  junketing. 

We  were  told  that  the  official  fiat  had  gone  forth 
that  all  Britishers  within  the  German  Empire,  both 
resident  and  touring,  were  to  be  arrested.  All  sorts 
of  reasons  were  advanced  to  explain  this  action  but 
they  were  merely  speculative.  There  is  one  feature 

253 


254  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

about  the  Teuton  Government  which  is  far  from  being 
characteristic  of  the  British  authorities.  The  Germans 
never  do  things  by  halves.  What  they  authorise  to 
be  done  is  carried  out  to  the  letter.  What  they  say 
they  mean  and  there  is  no  delay  in  executing  an  order 
once  it  is  issued.  The  Teuton  system  may  have  short- 
comings but  hesitation  and  vacillation  cannot  be 
numbered  among  them.  Directly  the  order  concern- 
ing the  re-arrest  of  the  British  was  issued,  extreme 
activity  was  displayed  in  carrying  it  out.  Possibly  it 

was  a  mere  temporary  measure,  as  K half  hoped, 

but  that  was  immaterial.  Every  alien  was  rounded 
up  within  a  few  hours  and  placed  safely  under  lock 
and  key. 

We  were  not  kept  in  doubt  as  to  our  future  for  many 
minutes.  We  learned  at  the  Polizei  Prasidium  that 
we  were  to  be  immured  in  Klingelputz  prison.  Many 
of  our  number  were  gathered  there,  having  once  been 
released  on  "  pass,"  and  from  the  circumstance  that 
they  were  business  men  in  practice  and  residence  in 
Germany  the  confident  belief  prevailed  that  after 
re-registration  all  would  be  released.  But  we  were 
speedily  disappointed.  All  of  us  without  the  slightest 
discrimination  were  placed  under  restraint. 

Directly  we  entered  Klingelputz  and  had  passed  into 
the  main  building  I  could  not  restrain  my  curiosity. 
This  penitentiary  was  vastly  dissimilar  from  Wesel. 
It  is  a  huge  building  not  only  covering  a  considerable 
tract  of  ground,  but  is  several  floors  in  height,  thus 
providing  cell  accommodation  for  hundreds  of  prisoners. 

But  it  was  the  method  of  securing  the  prisoners 
which  compelled  my  instant  attention.  Ahead  of  me 
I  saw  what  I  first  took  to  be  an  iron-railed  barrier 
behind  which  a  number  of  men  were  crowding  as  if 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  us.  But  to  my  astonishment  I 
discovered,  as  I  advanced,  that  this  was  not  an  iron 
barrier  keeping  back  a  curiosity-provoked  crowd  but  the 
cells  and  their  inmates.  I  was  startled  to  hear  frantic 
hails,  "  Mahoney  !  Mahoney  !  Hooray  !  Come  on  !  " 


RE-IMPRISONED    AT    KLUNGELPUTZ   255 

I  stepped  forward  to  ascertain  that  I  was  being  called 
by  two  or  three  compatriots  whom  I  had  left  behind 
at  Sennelager,  but  who  had  afterwards  been  released 
on  "  pass  "  and  re-rounded  up  as  aliens.  I  returned 
the  greeting  hilariously,  upon  which  one  of  the  British 
prisoners,  who  was  remarkably  agile,  swarmed  the 
bars,  and  poised  thus  above  his  comrades,  was  emu- 
lating the  strange  and  amusing  antics  of  a  monkey  at 
the  Zoological  Gardens,  thereby  conveying  by  his 
actions  that  he  and  his  friends  were  caged  after  the 
manner  of  our  simian  prizes  at  home. 

The  cells  were  indeed  cages,  as  I  discovered  upon 
closer  inspection,  and  recalled  nothing  so  much  as 
parrot  cages  upon  a  large  scale.  All  sides  were  barred 
in  the  self-same  manner  so  that  from  any  point  one 
could  see  every  corner  of  the  cell  and  discover  what 
the  inmate  or  rather  inmates  were  doing,  because  each 
cell  was  really  six  cells  in  one.  The  cage  was  rectan- 
gular in  plan,  each  cell  measuring  about  seven  feet  in 
length  by  three  feet  in  width,  and  fairly  high.  But  it  was 
the  internal  arrangement  of  the  cell  which  struck  me. 
In  plan  it  was  set  out  something  like  the  following  : — 


B 


256  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

The  middle  gangway  A  not  only  served  as  the 
approach  to  the  sub-divisions  or  cells  B  on  either  side, 
but  also  constituted  the  space  occupied  by  the  prisoners 
during  the  day.  Each  of  the  subdivisions  was  large 
enough  to  receive  a  bed  and  nothing  else.  There  was 
only  sufficient  space  to  stand  beside  the  couch.  Upon 
retiring  for  the  night  the  prisoner  was  compelled  to 
disrobe  in  the  central  space  or  gangway  A,  then, 
picking  up  his  clothes  he  had  to  sidle  round  the  door 
and  climb  over  his  bed  to  get  into  it.  In  the  morning, 
upon  rising,  he  either  had  to  stand  upon  his  bed  to 
dress  or  to  come  out  into  the  central  gangway,  the 
space  beside  his  bed  being  scarcely  sufficient  to  permit 
free  movement. 

Normally,  I  suppose,  each  cell  or  cage  is  designed  to 
receive  six  prisoners,  one  to  each  sub-division,  in 
which  event  circulation  in  the  dividing  open  space 
would  be  possible.  But  the  facilities  of  Klingelputz 
were  so  taxed  at  the  time  that  every  morning  further 
prisoners  were  brought  from  the  masonry  cells  below 
and  locked  in  this  open  space  for  the  day.  The  result 
was  considerable  overcrowding,  there  being  no  fewer 
than  twenty-six  men  in  one  of  the  cages  including  some 
of  our  fellow-countrymen  from  Sennalager  upon  the 
day  I  entered.  But  the  men  from  the  latter  camp 
happened  to  be  some  of  the  most  irrepressible  spirits 
among  us.  They  considered  it  to  be  huge  fun  to  swing 
and  climb  about  the  bars  like  monkeys,  and  their 
quaint  antics  and  badinage  kept  their  comrades 
buoyant. 

While  I  made  application  to  be  put  in  one  of  these 
extraordinary  cells,  merely  to  experience  the  novelty, 
my  four  comrades  expressed  their  sincere  hope  that 
we  should  meet  with  superior  accommodation.  In 
this  we  were  not  disappointed,  if  the  quarters  to  which 
we  were  taken  were  capable  of  being  called  superior. 
We  were  escorted  down  flights  of  steps  which  appeared 
to  lead  to  the  very  bowels  of  the  State  hotel.  Finally 
we  were  ushered  into  a  long  subterranean  apartment, 


RE-IMPRISONED    AT    KLINGELPUTZ    257 

which  was  really  a  cellar,  and  was  evidently  intended 
to  house  five  prisoners  at  one  tune,  seeing  that  there 
were  this  number  of  beds.  Except  for  the  fact  that 
it  was  a  cellar  and  very  little  light  penetrated  its  walls, 
little  fault  could  be  found  with  it.  Certainly  it  was 
scrupulously  clean,  for  which  we  were  devoutly  thank- 
ful, while  on  the  table  an  oil-lamp  was  burning. 

Life  at  Klingelputz  would  have  been  tolerable  but 
for  one  thing — the  prison  fare.  At  six  o'clock  we  were 
served  with  a  basin  of  acorn  coffee  and  a  small  piece  of 
black  bread  for  brsakfast.  At  twelve  we  were  treated 
to  a  small  dole  of  skilly,  the  most  execrable  food  I  have 
ever  tasted  even  in  a  German  prison  camp.  It  was 
skilly  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word.  Whatever 
entered  into  its  composition  must  have  been  used 
most  sparingly ;  its  nutritive  value  was  absolutely 
negligible.  At  five  in  the  afternoon  we  received 
another  basin  of  the  acorn  coffee  together  with  a  small 
piece  of  black  bread,  and  this  had  to  keep  us  going  for 
the  next  thirteen  hours. 

Fortunately  the  food  which  we  had  brought  with  us 
served  as  a  valuable  supplement  to  that  provided  by 
the  State.  It  not  only  kept  us  alive  but  enabled  us 
to  maintain  our  condition.  The  old  fellow  who  was 
our  gaoler  was  tractable  ;  indeed  he  was  somewhat 
apologetic  for  having  to  look  after  such  estimable 
gentlemen,  an  attitude  which  was  doubtless  due  to  the 
fact  that  he  knew  we  should  look  after  him !  We 
endeavoured  to  see  if  he  could  supply  a  little  more 
"  liberty  and  fresh  air  "  but  the  old  warder  shook  his 
head  sorrowfully. 


258  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 


Lights  had  to  be  extinguished  by  nine  o'clock,  and 
it  was  the  evening  which  taxed  our  endurance.  We 
had  to  while  away  the  hours  as  best  we  could.  First 
we  improvised  an  Indian  band,  using  our  basins  as 
tom-toms  and  singing  the  most  weird  music.  As  a 
variety  we  dressed  up  in  our  blankets  to  resemble  Red 
Indians  and  indulged  in  blood-curdling  war-dances. 
Such  measures  for  passing  the  time  may  sound 
extremely  childish  to  readers,  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  there  was  nothing  else  for  us  to  do  unless 
we  were  content  to  sit  down  with  our  chins  in  our  hands, 
with  the  corners  of  our  mouths  drooping,  and  our  faces 
wearing  the  expression  of  undertakers'  mutes.  Had 
we  not  participated  in  the  admittedly  infantile  amuse- 
ments we  should  have  gone  mad. 

When  we  had  demolished  our  food  reserves  and  were 
utterly  dependent  upon  the  prison  diet,  we  speedily 
began  to  betray  signs  of  our  captivity  and  deprivations. 
We  petitioned  for  permission  to  purchase  food  from 
outside  but  this  met  with  a  curt  refusal.  Eventually 
the  prison  authorities  relented  and  we  were  permitted 
to  purchase  our  mid-day  meal  from  a  restaurant,  for 
which  privilege  by  the  way  we  were  mulcted  very 
heavily. 

During  the  day  we  were  permitted  to  stretch  our 
limbs  in  the  exercise  yard  for  about  fifteen  minutes. 
No  steel-bound  rules  and  regulations  such  as  I  had 
experienced  at  Wesel  prevailed  here.  We  were  free  to 
intermingle  and  to  converse  as  we  pleased.  This 
relaxation  was  keenly  anticipated  and  enjoyed  because 
it  gave  us  the  opportunity  to  exchange  reminiscences. 
We  learned  enough  during  this  brief  period  to  provide 
material  for  further  topics  of  conversation.  This, 


RE-IMPRISONED   AT   KLINGELPUTZ    259 

however,  was  the  experience  of  our  party.  Others 
fared  worse  and  were  shut  up  in  single  cells  in  which, 
as  I  had  previously  done  at  Wesel,  they  were  compelled 
to  pace. 

We  only  shared  the  large  underground  cell  together 
at  night  because  of  its  sleeping  accommodation.  We 
were  shut  in  separate  cells  during  the  day,  which 
prevented  interchange  of  conversation  and  inter- 
amusement  during  the  day  except  in  the  exercise  yard. 
But  solitary  confinement  was  rare,  and  in  the  majority 
of  cases  we  learned  that  the  aliens  were  placed  in  small 
parties  of  four  or  five  in  a  single  cell.  After  a  few  days 
our  party  was  swelled  by  five  new  arrivals  from  different 
parts  of  Germany.  We  were  a  cosmopolitan  crowd, 
comprising  every  strata  of  society,  from  wealthy  men 
down  to  stable  lads.  One  boisterous  spirit,  a  Cockney, 
confessed  far  and  wide  that  he  had  once  suffered 
imprisonment  at  home  for  horse-stealing,  and  he  did 
not  care  a  rap  for  anything  or  anybody.  He  was 
always  bubbling  over  with  exuberant  merriment  and 
was  one  of  those  who  can  project  every  situation  into 
its  relative  humorous  perspective.  Another  prisoner 
was  an  Englishman  who  had  been  resident  in  Germany 
for  twenty-five  years,  and  at  the  time  of  his  arrest 
occupied  a  very  prominent  position  in  one  of  the  fore- 
most banking  institutions. 

This  man  felt  his  humiliation  acutely.  He  paced 
his  cell  from  morning  to  night,  peevish  and  nervous, 
brooding  deeply  over  what  he  considered  to  be  an 
atrocity.  He  was  a  well-known  man  and  on  intimate 
terms  with  many  of  the  foremost  members  of  the 
Government  and  of  the  Services.  He  wrote  to  every 
man  whom  he  thought  capable  of  exerting  powerful 
and  irresistible  influence  upon  his  behalf,  but  without 
any  tangible  results.  The  fact  that  this  man,  appar- 
ently more  Teuton,  from  his  long  residence  and  asso- 
ciations in  the  country,  than  British,  had  been  thrown 
into  prison  brought  home  to  us  the  thorough  manner 
in  which  the  Germans  carried  out  their  task  of  placing 


26o  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

all  aliens  in  safety.  It  was  immaterial  how  prominent 
the  position  of  the  Britisher,  his  wealth,  or  his  indis- 
pensability  to  the  concern  with  which  he  was  identified. 
Into  prison  he  went  when  the  general  rounding  up  of 
enemies  order  was  promulgated. 

The  Cockney  who  had  been  imprisoned  for  horse- 
stealing  badgered  this  superior  fellow-prisoner  unmerci- 
fully. He  was  incessantly  dwelling  upon  the  man's 
descent  from  a  position  of  comfort  and  ease  to  "  quod  " 
as  he  termed  it.  He  would  go  up  to  the  prisoner, 
pacing  the  exercise  yard,  and  slapping  him  on  the  back 
would  yap  : 

"  Now  then,  old  sport !  Don't  get  so  down  in  the 
mouth  about  it !  " 

The  prisoner  would  venture  some  snappy  retort. 

"  All  right,  Cocky  !  Crikey,  you'd  look  mighty  fine 
stuck  up  against  a  wall  with  half  a  dozen  bloomin' 
Prussian  rifles  looking  at  yer.  Blime  if  I  don't  believe 
you'd  dodge  the  bullets  by  caving-in  at  the  knees  1  " 

A  fierce  look  would  be  the  response  to  such  torment. 

"  Gawd's  trewth  !  My  fretful  bumble-bee,  I'd  write 
to  old  Tight- Whiskers  about  it  if  I  was  you.  Get  'im 
to  come  an'  bail  yer  out !  " 

At  first  we  wondered  who  the  personality  so  irrever- 
ently described  as  "  Tight- Whiskers "  was,  but 
subsequently  we  were  enlightened.  He  was  referring 
to  Von  Tirpitz,  "  Th'  bloke  wot  looks  arter  th'  Germin 
Navy  !  " 

When  the  Cockney,  who  appeared  to  be  downright 
proud  of  his  ability  to  keep  his  "  pecker  up,"  found 
banter  to  be  unproductive,  he  would  assume  a  tone  of 
extreme  sympathetic  feeling,  but  this  was  so  obviously 
unreal  as  to  be  more  productive  of  laughter  than  his 
outspoken  sallies. 

Once  a  week  there  was  a  sight  from  which,  after  my 
first  experience,  I  was  always  glad  to  escape.  On  this 
day  the  prisoners  were  taken  into  the  exercise  yard  to 
meet  their  wives  and  children.  On  these  occasions 
when  supplies  of  food  were  brought  in,  some  very 


RE-IMPRISONED   AT   KLINGELPUTZ    261 

heart-rending  scenes  were  witnessed,  the  little  toddlers 
clinging  to  their  fathers'  coat-tails  and  childishly 
urging  them  to  come  home,  while  the  women's  eyes 
were  wet  and  red. 

The  sanitary  arrangements  in  Klingelputz  were  on 
a  level  with  those  of  other  prisons.  Two  commodes, 
with  ill-fitting  lids,  sufficed  for  ten  men,  and  in  the 
underground  apartment  to  which  we  were  condemned, 
and  of  which  the  ventilation  was  very  indifferent,  the 
conditions  became  nauseating.  To  make  matters 
worse  the  vile  prison  food  precipitated  an  epidemic 
of  acute  diarrhoea  and  sickness,  so  that  the  atmosphere 
within  the  limited  space  became  so  unbearable  as  to 
provoke  the  facetious  Cockney  to  declare  that  "  'e 
could  cut  it  with  a  knife,"  while  he  expressed  his 
resolve  "  to  ask  th'  gaoler  for  a  nail  to  drive  into  it  " 
to  serve  as  a  peg  for  his  clothes  !  But  it  was  no 
laughing  matter,  and  we  all  grew  apprehensive  of  being 
stricken  down  with  some  fearful  malady  brought  on 
simply  and  purely  by  the  primitive  sanitary  arrange- 
ments. Only  once  a  day  were  the  utensils  subjected 
to  a  perfunctory  cleansing,  a  job  which  was  carried 
out  by  the  criminals  incarcerated  in  the  prison. 

These  criminals  would  do  anything  for  us.  The 
first  night  they  tapped  at  the  door  to  our  cellar,  and, 
peeping  through  the  cracks,  we  saw  a  number  of  these 
degraded  specimens  of  German  humanity  in  their 
night  attire.  They  had  heard  who  we  were  and  begged 
for  a  cigarette.  We  passed  two  or  three  through  the 
key-hole.  The  moment  a  cigarette  got  through  there 
was  a  fearful  din  in  the  fight  for  its  possession, 
culminating  in  a  terrific  crashing.  The  gaoler  had 
appeared  upon  the  scene  1  Quietness  reigned  for  a 
few  minutes, 'when  they  would  stealthily  return  and 
whisper  all  sorts  of  yarns  concerning  the  reasons  for 
their  imprisonment  in  order  to  wheedle  further  cigar- 
ettes from  us. 

We  were  "  clinked  "  in  Klingelputz,  as  the  Cockney 
expressed  it,  on  November  6,  1914,  and  were  kept  in 


262  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

a  state  of  terrible  suspense.  At  last  one  morning  the 
prison  officials  entered  and  called  out  the  name  of  the 
three  managers  of  the  large  works  at  the  village  in 

which  K resided,  who  had  been  imprisoned  with 

us.  My  friend  and  I  naturally  expected  that  then: 
order  for  release  had  arrived,  and  we  waited  expectantly 
for  their  return  to  congratulate  them,  since  their 
release  would  be  a  happy  augury  for  us.  They  returned 
shortly,  laden  with  bulky  parcels  of  food  which  had 
been  sent  to  them,  and  we  all  sat  down  to  a  Gargantuan 
spread.  But  we  had  scarcely  started  the  meal  when  the 
gaoler  entered  and  calling  our  names,  ordered  us  to 
follow  him  to  the  office.  Here  we  had  to  answer  to 
our  names  once  more.  Then  the  Governor,  in  a 
sonorous  voice,  went  on  : 

"  Gentlemen  !  You  are  free  men.  Passes  will  be 
re-issued  to  you,  but  you  will  have  to  go  to  the  Polizei 
Prasidium  to  have  the  requisite  papers  prepared." 

At  this  intelligence  we  became  wilcLly  excited. 

K had  been  anticipating  such  a  development, 

but  the  process  of  deciding  the  issue  had  been  protracted 
from  the  slow  pace  and  roundabout  journey  which 
such  matters  have  to  take  through  the  German  Circum- 
locution Office.  We  started  off  to  the  Prasidium, 
escorted,  strange,  to  say,  by  the  two  officials  who  had 

arrested  us  at  K 's  residence,  and  with  whom  my 

friend  was  now  conversing  gaily.  As  we  passed  the 
cages  the  English  boys  caught  sight  of  me,  and  there 
were  frantic  yells  of  congratulation  and  good  wishes 
upon  our  good  fortune. 

Reaching  the  Prasidium  we  were  ushered  into  an 
outer  room,  the  two  officials  proceeding  into  an  inner 
room  armed  with  our  papers.  While  we  were  waiting 
K turned  to  me  and  remarked  : 

"  I  hope  they'll  get  us  fixed  up  jolly  quickly.  Those 
two  officers  told  me  that  to-morrow  all  aliens  are  to 
be  sent  from  Klingelputz  to  the  internment  camp  at 
Ruhleben.  If  we  get  our  '  passes '  we  shall  dodge 
that  excursion  very  neatly  !  " 


RE-IMPRISONED   AT   KLINGELPUTZ    263 

While  we  were  talking  the  two  officials  came  out  and 
hurriedly  left  the  building.  They  did  not  glance  at 
us,  and  from  their  bearing  I  surmised  that  something 
had  gone  wrong  at  the  last  minute.  I  turned  to  my 
friend. 

"  Did  you  notice  those  fellows'  faces  ?  They  looked 
pretty  solemn.  I'll  bet  you  something's  in  the  wind, 
and  it  won't  be  to  our  advantage." 

At  that  moment  we  were  summoned  into  the  inner 
office.  The  official  called  out  our  names,  to  which  we 
answered,  mine  being  the  last. 

"  Ach  !  Ma-hone-i !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  Englische 
Spion!  Eh?" 

I  acknowledged  the  accusation.  Although  I  was 
fully  accustomed  to  the  repetition  of  these  words  by 
now,  since  they  were  hurled  at  me  at  every  turn,  they 
were  beginning  to  become  somewhat  irksome.  Upon 
each  occasion  when  the  interrogation  was  flung  out 
for  the  first  time  by  a  new  official,  it  was  delivered  with 
a  strange  and  jarring  jerk. 

"  Well,  you  were  to  be  free  on  '  passes/  but  the 
papers  are  not  in  order.  They  have  been  sent  from  the 
wrong  place.  They  should  have  come  from  Coblentz. 
So  they  will  have  to  be  returned  to  be  dispatched 
through  the  correct  channel !  " 

How  we  cursed  that  German  Circumlocution  Office 
and  this  latest  expression  of  Teuton  organisation. 
The  papers  were  correct,  but  because  they  had  happened 
to  come  from  the  wrong  office  they  were  to  be  sent 
back  to  be  re-dispatched  from  Coblentz,  although 
they  would  not  suffer  the  slightest  alteration  or  addition 
in  the  process.  Prussian  red-tape  was  going  crazy 
with  a  vengeance. 

We  were  escorted  to  a  cell  in  the  basement  of  the 
Prasidium.  Were  we  going  to  be  kept  here  until  the 
papers  came  to  hand  again  ?  However,  seeing  that 
the  trip  would  take  some  days,  this  was  scarcely  likely 
unless  something  extraordinary  supervened.  While 
we  were  discussing  this  latest  and  totally  unexpected 


264  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

denouement  we  heard  the  low  rumbling  of  heavy 

wheels.  K cocked  his  ears  with  an  acute 

tension. 

"  Hark  !  "  he  blurted  out.  "  Damn  it  all,  Mahoney, 
that's  the  '  Black  Maria  ! '  We  are  going  back  to 
Klingelputz  or  somewhere  else  !  " 

It  was  indeed  the  Teuton  "  Black  Maria,"  and  we 
were  hurried  upstairs  to  be  tumbled  into  it.  It  was 
a  dismal  vehicle,  there  being  barely  sufficient  space  to 
accommodate  our  party,  which  had  been  further 
encumbered  by  two  German  demi-mondaines,  who  had 
been  arrested  for  some  infraction  of  the  German  law 
as  it  affected  their  peculiar  interests.  We  were  so 
tightly  packed  that  we  had  to  stand  sideways,  and  I 
amused  myself  by  working  out  the  allowance  of  air 
space  per  person.  It  averaged  about  fourteen  cubic 
inches  ! 

We  rumbled  into  the  courtyard  at  Klingelputz, 
dejected  and  somewhat  ill  of  temper  at  our  disappoint- 
ment. We  were  worrying  because  apparently  the 
alien  prisoners  were  to  be  dispatched  to  Ruhleben  on 
the  morrow.  Unless  we  received  our  "  passes  "  in 
time  the  chances  were  a  thousand  to  one  that  we 
should  be  doomed  to  the  self-same  camp. 

As  we  re-entered  the  prison  we  were  greeted  with  a 
deafening  yell.  It  came  from  the  caged  British 
prisoners. 

"  Hullo,  boys  !  What  cheer,  Mahoney  !  "  they 
shrieked.  "  Have  they  dished  you  again  ?  Thought 
you  were  going  home  ?  Well,  we're  mighty  pleased  to 
see  you  back  at  the  '  Zoo  '  !  "  and  there  was  another 
wild  exhibition  of  simian  acrobatics  upon  the  bars 
for  our  especial  amusement. 

But  I  had  become  so  inured  to  the  juggling  tactics 
of  Prussian  officialdom  that  I  was  far  from  showing 
my  inner  feelings  of  chagrin.  I  entered  into  their 
banter  as  energetically,  and  with  a  parting  "  See  you 
to-morrow,  boys !  "  vanished  down  the  steps  with 
their  frantic  hails  ringing  in  my  ears. 


RE-IMPRISONED   AT   KLINGELPUTZ    265 

The  following  morning  we  were  marshalled,  and  as 

K had  been  dreading,  the  worst  had  happened. 

We  were  consigned  "  British  Prisoners  of  War  for 
internment  at  Ruhleben  !  "  Home  was  now  farther 
from  me  than  ever  ! 


PRISON    FOUR— RUHLEBEN 
CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE  CAMP  OF  ABANDONED  HOPE 

IT  was  4.30  in  the  morning  of  November  12  when  the 
blare  of  the  bugle  echoed  through  the  long,  dreary 
passages  of  Klingelputz  Prison.  To  the  British 
prisoners — in  fact  to  all  the  aliens — that  crash  was  of 
fearful  import. 

We  were  commanded  to  parade  at  5  a.m.  in  one  of 
the  long  upper  corridors  flanked  on  either  side  by  cells. 
We  were  formed  in  a  double  line,  and  as  our  names  were 
called  we  had  to  step  forward.  The  roll-call  was 
bawled  out,  not  once,  but  half  a  dozen  times  to  make 
positive  it  had  been  read  correctly.  Then  we  were 
counted,  also  some  half-a-dozen  times,  to  assure  the 
totals  tallying. 

These  preliminaries  completed,  preparations  for  our 
transference  to  Ruhleben  were  hurried  forward.  We 
packed  up  our  belongings,  together  with  all  the  food 
upon  which  we  could  place  our  hands,  and  re-lined  up. 
Under  a  strong  guard  we  were  marched  to  Cologne 
station.  On  the  way,  several  of  us,  anxious  to  com- 
municate with  our  friends  and  relatives,  notifying 
them  of  our  new  address,  dropped  post-cards  into  the 
roadway.  The  idea  was  to  attract  the  attention  of 
the  guards  to  them,  and  then  by  bribe  to  induce  them 
to  place  them  in  the  post.  But  the  officers  were  too 
eagle-eyed.  They  evidently  anticipated  such  a  ruse 
and  accordingly  kept  the  soldiers  under  severe 
surveillance.  One  soldier  who  picked  up  a  post-card, 
which  I  had  dropped  in  this  manner,  was  caught  in 
the  act  and  received  a  terrifying  rating  on  the  spot. 

266 


THE  CAMP  OF  ABANDONED  HOPE  267 

Thus  we  who  dropped  the  cards  had  to  rely  upon  the 
tender  mercies  and  good-natured  feeling  of  whoever 
chanced  to  pick  them  up  to  slip  them  into  the  post, 
but  I  fear  very  few  were  dispatched. 

We  were  huddled  into  the  train  at  Cologne,  but  it 
was  not  until  8.30  that  we  steamed  out  of  the  station. 
We  travelled  continuously  throughout  the  day  until 
we  reached  Hannover  at  9  in  the  evening.  During 
the  journey,  those  who  had  exercised  the  forethought 
to  bring  food  with  them  had  every  reason  to  con- 
gratulate themselves,  because  this  was  all  upon  which 
we  had  to  subsist  during  the  twelve  and  a  half  hours' 
travelling.  The  authorities  did  not  furnish  us  with 
so  much  as  a  crust  of  bread  or  a  spoonful  of  water. 
Moreover,  if  we  chanced  to  pull  up  at  a  station  where 
refreshments  of  any  kind  might  have  been  procur- 
able, we  were  not  allowed  to  satisfy  our  cravings.  At 
one  stop,  owing  to  one  of  our  comrades  falling  ill,  we 
asked  the  Red  Cross  for  a  drop  of  water.  We  paid 
a  mark — one  shilling — for  it,  but  after  taking  the 
money  they  merely  jeered,  spat  at  us,  and  refused  to 
respond  to  our  request. 

At  Hannover  we  were  permitted  to  buy  what  we 
could,  but  I  may  say  that  it  was  very  little  because  the 
buffet  attempted  to  rob  us  unmercifully.  A  tiny 
sandwich  cost  fourpence,  while  a  small  basin  of  thin 
and  unappetising  soup,  evidently  prepared  in  anticipa- 
tion of  our  arrival,  was  just  as  expensive.  Still  the 
fact  remains  that  throughout  the  whole  railway 
journey  the  German  authorities  never  supplied  us 
with  a  mouthful  of  food. 

After  a  wait  of  three  hours  at  Hannover  the  train 
resumed  its  journey,  reaching  the  station  adjacent  to 
the  camp  at  Ruhleben  at  6.0  a.m.  Thus  we  had  been 
confined  to  our  carriages  for  2i£  hours,  suffering  intense 
discomfort  from  the  stifling  atmosphere  and  our 
cramped  quarters. 

Our  first  impression  of  Ruhleben  was  by  no  means 
inspiriting.  The  camp  had  been  started  some  two  or 


268  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

three  months  previous  to  our  arrival  on  November  I4th, 
1914,  but  it  was  in  a  terribly  chaotic  condition. 
German  method  and  organisation  recorded  a  dismal 
and  complete  failure  here. 

Having  reached  the  grounds,  and  registration  com- 
pleted to  the  satisfaction  of  the  authorities,  we  were 
marched  off  to  our  quarters.  The  party  to  which  I 
was  attached  was  escorted  to  a  stable  which  was  of 
the  ordinary  single  floor  type,  characteristic  of  these 
islands,  with  a  row  of  horse-boxes  and  a  loft  for  the 
storage  of  hay  and  other  impedimenta  above.  The 
horse-boxes  measured  ten  feet  square  and  had  only 
been  cleaned  out  perfunctorily.  The  raw  manure  was 
still  clinging  to  the  walls,  while  the  stalls  were  wet 
from  the  straw  which  had  been  recently  removed. 
Indeed  in  some  stalls  it  had  not  been  cleared  out. 

The  atmosphere  had  that  peculiarly  pungent 
ammonia  smell  incidental  to  recently  tenanted  stables. 
The  prisoners  who  were  allotted  to  those  stalls  in  which 
the  wet  straw  still  remained  were  compelled  to  lie 
down  upon  it  so  that  they  had  a  far  from  inviting  or 
savoury  couch.  Yet  there  were  many  who  preferred 
the  unsalubrious  and  draughty  stalls  to  the  loft  over- 
head, and  prices  for  the  former  ruled  high,  as  much  as 
100  marks — £$ — being  freely  given  for  this  accommo- 
dation. This  speculation  in  the  quarters  for  the 
prisoners  constituted  one  of  the  greatest  scandals  of 
the  camp  during  its  early  days,  inasmuch  as  it  acted 
unfairly  against  those  who  were  "  broke."  Who 
pocketed  this  money  we  never  learned,  but  there  was 
a  very  shrewd  suspicion  that  certain  persons  were  far 
from  being  scrupulous  and  did  not  hesitate  to  pursue 
their  usual  shark  tactics,  even  under  such  circum- 
stances. 

K and  myself  were  compelled  to  shake  ourselves 

down  in  the  loft.  It  was  reached  by  a  creaking  and 
crazy  wooden  staircase.  Gaining  the  upper  regions  we 
nearly  encountered  disaster.  The  loft  was  practically 
void  of  natural  illumination,  the  result  being  a  kind  of 


THE   CAMP   OF   ABANDONED    HOPE    269 

perpetual  dismal  gloom,  which  to  us,  coming  out  of  the 
broad  daylight,  appeared  to  be  darkness  until  our  eyes 
grew  accustomed  to  it. 

The  floor  was  of  stone  or  concrete  and  in  the  centre 
of  the  space  the  height  from  floor  to  the  highest  point 
of  the  gable  roof  was  about  7  feet,  sloping  to  4  feet 
6  inches  at  the  sides. 

The  authorities  cannot  be  credited  with  being 
liberal  in  assigning  us  space.  The  roof  rafters  were 
spaced  10  feet  apart  and  between  each  two  of  these 
five  men  had  to  shake  down  their  beds.  Thus  each 
was  given  a  space  2  feet  in  width  by  6  feet  in  length 
in  which  to  make  himself  at  home  and  to  stow 
his  belongings.  The  quarters  were  so  cramped  that 
to  dress  and  undress  it  was  necessary  to  stand  in  the 
centre  of  the  gangway  which  ran  down  the  middle  of 
the  loft.  Once  in  bed  it  was  almost  impossible  to  turn 
over.  To  make  matters  worse  the  roof  was  far  from 
being  watertight  and  when  a  heavy  shower  swept  over 
us  the  water  would  trickle  and  drip  through,  while 
the  slits  in  the  wall  allowed  the  wind  to  whistle  and 
rush  into  the  loft  with  ear-cutting  force. 

When  we  entered  into  possession  the  floor  was 
perfectly  bare,  but  we  were  given  a  miserable  allowance 
of  trusses  of  straw,  each  of  which  was  divided  up 
sparingly  between  so  many  men.  This  we  threw 
loosely  upon  the  floor  to  form  a  couch,  but  the  allow- 
ance was  so  inadequate  that  no  man  could  keep  himself 
warm,  because  the  cold  from  the  stone  drove  through 
the  thin  covering,  while  it  was  quite  out  of  the  question 
to  find  comfort. 

Only  a  few  blankets  were  served  out.  I,  myself, 
made  eighteen  distinct  applications  for  one,  but  was 
denied  the  luxury,  if  such  it  can  be  called,  until  eleven 
months  after  my  arrival  at  the  camp.  Had  it  not  been 

for  the  generosity  of  K ,  who  freely  gave  me  one 

of  his  blankets,  coupled  with  one  or  two  overcoats 
which  I  secured  as  a  result  of  my  trading  operations  in 
the  camp,  to  which  I  refer  later,  I  should  have  been 


270  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

compelled  to  face  the  bone-piercing,  marrow-congealing 
wintry  weather  without  the  slightest  covering  beyond 
the  clothes  in  which  I  stood.  Those  who,  unlike  me, 
were  lacking  a  liberal  friend,  lay  shivering,  depending 
purely  upon  the  warmth  radiating  from  one  another's 
bodies  as  they  laid  huddled  in  rows. 

We  protested  against  this  lack  of  blankets  to  the 
United  States  Ambassador,  time  after  time,  but  it  was 
of  little  avail.  The  authorities  persisted  in  their 
statements  that  a  blanket  had  been  served  out  to 
every  man.  In  fact  it  was  asserted  in  the  British 
papers,  as  a  result  of  the  Ambassador's  investigations, 
that  each  man  had  been  served  with  two  blankets. 
But  for  every  man  who  did  possess  two  blankets  there 
were  three  prisoners  who  had  not  one  !  The  authorities 
endeavoured  to  shuffle  the  responsibility  for  being 
without  blankets  upon  the  prisoners  themselves, 
unblushingly  stating  that  they  had  been  careless  in 
looking  after  them,  had  lost  them,  or  had  been  so  lax 
as  to  let  them  be  stolen.  If  the  Ambassador  had  only 
gone  to  the  trouble  to  make  a  complete  and  personal 
canvass  he  would  have  probed  the  matter  to  the 
bottom.  If  a  parade  with  blankets  had  been  called, 
the  German  Government  would  have  been  fairly 
trapped  in  its  deliberate  lying. 

About  ten  months  after  I  entered  the  camp,  blankets 
were  purchasable  at  the  camp  stores.  They  cost  us 
nine  shillings  apiece  and  they  were  not  our  exclusive 
property.  When  a  prisoner  received  his  release  he 
was  not  permitted  to  take  his  blanket  with  him. 
Neither  had  it  any  surrender  value.  It  had  to  be  left 
behind.  If  the  prisoner  could  find  a  purchaser  for  it 
he  was  at  liberty  to  do  so,  but  if  no  sale  could  be  con- 
summated then  it  had  to  be  presented  to  a  comrade. 
The  blanket  was  not  allowed  to  leave  the  camp  because 
it  contained  a  certain  amount  of  wool ! 

The  food  supplied  by  the  authorities  did  not  vary 
very  pronouncedly  from  what  I  had  received  in  other 
camps,  but  if  anything  it  was  a  trifle  better,  especially 


THE   CAMP   OF   ABANDONED    HOPE    271 

in  the  early  days,  when  Germany  was  not  feeling  the 
pinch  of  the  British  blockade.  For  breakfast  there 
was  the  eternal  acorn  coffee  and  a  hunk  of  black  bread. 
The  mid-day  repast  comprised  a  soup  contrived  from 
potatoes,  cabbage,  and  carrots  with  traces  of  meat. 
One  strange  mixture  which  the  authorities  were  fond 
of  serving  out  to  us  was  a  plate  of  rice  and  prunes 
garnished  with  a  small  sausage  !  I  invariably  traded 
the  sausage  with  a  comrade  for  prunes,  this  so-called 
German  dainty  not  appealing  to  my  palate  in  the 
slightest.  After  a  while,  however,  this  dish  vanished 
from  the  limited  menu.  Tea  was  merely  a  repetition 
of  the  morning  meal. 

Our  first  emphatic  protest  was  in  connection  with 
our  sleeping  accommodation  in  the  loft.  A  representa- 
tive came  from  the  American  Embassy  and  we  intro- 
duced him  forthwith  to  our  sleeping  quarters.  We  not 
only  voiced  our  complaints  but  we  demonstrated  our 
inability  to  get  warm  at  night  owing  to  the  cold  floor 
striking  through  the  straw.  He  agreed  with  us  and 
ordered  the  authorities  to  provide  us  with  sleeping 
arrangements  somewhat  more  closely  allied  to  civilized 
practice.  The  Germans  obeyed  the  letter  but  not  the 
spirit  of  the  Representative's  recommendations.  They 
sent  us  in  a  few  boards  spaced  an  inch  or  two  apart 
and  nailed  to  thin  cross  battens.  In  this  way  our 
bodies  were  lifted  about  two  inches  off  the  floor  ! 

The  straw  when  served  out  to  us  was  perfectly  clean 
and  fresh,  but  it  did  not  retain  this  attractiveness  for 
a  very  long  time.  The  soil  in  the  vicinity  of  Ruhleben 
is  friable,  the  surface  being  a  thick  layer  of  fine  sand 
in  dry,  and  an  evil-looking  slush  in  wet,  weather. 
As  the  prisoners  when  entering  the  barracks  were 
unable  to  clean  their  boots,  the  mud  was  transferred 
to  the  straw.  Not  only  did  the  straw  thus  become 
extremely  dirty  but  the  mud,  upon  drying,  charged  it 
heavily  with  dust.  When  a  tired  man  threw  himself 
down  heavily  upon  his  sorry  couch  he  was  enveloped 
for  a  few  seconds  in  the  cloud  of  dust  which  he  sent 


272  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

from  the  straw  into  the  air.  Whenever  we  attempted 
to  shake  up  our  beds  to  make  them  slightly  more 
comfortable,  the  darkness  of  the  loft  was  rendered 
darker  by  the  dense  dust  fog  which  was  precipitated. 
Naturally  violent  coughing  and  sneezing  attended  these 
operations  and  the  dust,  being  far  from  clean  in  itself, 
wrought  fearful  havoc  with  our  lungs.  I  recall  one 
prisoner  who  was  in  perfect  health  when  he  entered 
the  camp,  but  within  a  few  weeks  he  had  contracted 
tuberculosis.  He  declined  so  rapidly  as  to  arouse  the 
apprehensions  of  the  authorities,  who  hurriedly  sent 
him  home  to  Britain. 

After  lying  upon  this  bare  straw  for  three  months 
we  were  given  some  coarse  sacking  and  were  peremp- 
torily ordered  to  fill  these  bags  with  the  straw.  This 
task  gave  the  sand  and  dust  a  spirited  opportunity  to 
penetrate  our  systems.  Had  a  stranger  outside  the 
building  heard  our  violent  coughing  he  would  have 
been  pardoned  had  he  construed  our  loft  to  be  a 
hospital  for  consumptives. 

We  had  been  lying  for  quite  six  months  upon  this 
straw  when  we  were  suddenly  paraded  to  receive  the 
order  to  re-appear  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later  with  our 
beds.  Re-parading  we  were  commanded  to  empty  the 
sacks  to  form  a  big  pile,  and  it  was  a  repulsive-looking 
accumulation.  But  we  observed  this  straw  was 
collected  and  carted  away  very  carefully,  although  at 
the  time  we  paid  little  attention  to  the  incident. 

Naturally  we  concluded  that  we  were  to  be  given  a 
supply  of  new  straw,  and  not  before  it  was  wanted. 
But  we  were  not  to  be  treated  as  milksops.  We  were 
marched  off  to  the  railway  station  where  there  was  a 
quantity  of  wooden  shavings  which  we  were  told  to 
pack  into  our  sacks.  When  we  attacked  the  bundles 
we  recoiled  in  horror.  The  material  was  reeking  wet. 
The  authorities  might  just  as  well  have  served  us  with 
soddened  sponges. 

What  could  be  done  ?  Visions  of  rheumatic  fever 
and  various  other  racking  maladies  arising  from 


THE  CAMP  OF  ABANDONED  HOPE  373 

sleeping  upon  a  wet  bed  haunted  us.  However,  the 
day  being  fine  we  rapidly  strewed  the  bedding  material 
out  in  the  hope  that  the  sun  would  dry  it  somewhat. 
This  precaution,  however,  was  only  partially  successful. 
Our  couches  were  damp  that  night. 

We  thought  no  more  about  the  straw  which  we  had 
been  compelled  to  exchange  for  the  shavings  until  we 
learned  that  a  German  newspaper  was  shrieking  with 
wild  enthusiasm  about  Teuton  resourcefulness  and 
science  having  scored  another  scintillating  economic 
triumph.  According  to  this  newspaper  an  illustrious 
professor  had  discovered  that  straw  possessed  decidedly 
valuable  nourishing  qualities  essential  to  human  life, 
and  that  it  was  to  be  ground  up  and  to  enter  into  the 
constitution  of  the  bread,  which  accordingly  was  now 
to  be  composed  of  at  least  three  constituents — wheat- 
meal,  potato  flour,  and  straw.  Some  of  us  began  to 
ponder  long  and  hard  over  the  straw  which  had  so 
suddenly  been  taken  away  from  us,  especially  myself, 
as  I  had  experienced  so  many  of  the  weird  tactics 
which  are  pursued  by  the  Germans  in  their  vain  efforts 
to  maintain  their  game  of  bluff. 

I  asked  every  member  of  our  party,  in  the  event  of 
discovering  a  foreign  article  in  his  bread,  to  hand  it 
over  to  me  because  I  had  decided  to  become  a  collecting 
fiend  of  an  unusual  type.  Contributions  were  speedily 
forthcoming,  and  they  ranged  over  pieces  of  dirty 
straw,  three  to  four  inches  in  length,  fragments  of 
coke,  pieces  of  tree-bark,  and  odds  and  ends  of  every 
description — in  fact  just  the  extraneous  substances 
which  penetrated  into  our  loft  with  the  mud  clinging 
to  our  boots  and  which,  of  course,  became  associated 
with  the  loose  straw.  I  cherished  this  collection,  which 
by  the  time  I  secured  my  release  had  assumed  some- 
what impressive  proportions.  I  left  these  relics  hi 
safe  keeping  near  the  border,  and  they  will  come  into 
my  hands  upon  the  conclusion  of  the  War  if  not  before. 
HFrom  these  strange  discoveries  I  was  prompted  to 
make  inquisitive  enquiries.  I  discreetly  and  in  ap- 


274  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

parent  idleness  cross-questioned  the  guards  and  any 
other  sources  of  information  which  were  likely  to  prove 
fruitful.  My  interrogations  were  so  seemingly  innocent 
as  to  draw  immediate  and  comprehensive  replies. 
Stringing  these  fragments  of  information  together,  it 
was  impossible  to  come  to  any  conclusion  other  than 
that  I  had  formed  in  my  own  mind,  namely,  that  the 
straw  upon  which  we  had  been  lying  for  six  months 
had  been  whisked  off  to  the  granary  and  had  re- 
appeared among  us  in  the  guise  of  the  staff  of  life  ! 
It  was  not  conducive  to  our  peace  of  mind  to  think 
we  had  probably  been  eating  our  beds  ! 


During  the  early  days,  owing  to  the  insufficiency  of 


THE  CAMP  OF  ABANDONED  HOPE  275 

nutritious  food,  we  were  hard-pressed.  There  were 
no  canteens,  but  presently  these  appeared  and  we  were 
able  to  purchase  further  limited  supplies  of  food,  at 
an  all  but  prohibitive  price  I  might  mention,  because 
the  rascally  German  speculators  had  paid  heavily  for 
the  privilege  of  being  able  to  fleece  the  British.  When, 
at  a  later  date,  we  received  a  weekly  allowance  of  five 
shillings,  the  plight  of  everyone  became  eased  materi- 
ally,  although,  unfortunately,  this  sum  went  a  very 
short  way  owing  to  the  extortionate  prices  which 
prevailed. 

One  particularly  atrocious  scandal  was  associated 
with  the  arrival  of  some  big  crates  of  comforts  sent  out 
to  us  by  one  of  the  philanthropic  missions  at  home. 
The  local  stores  suddenly  blossomed  forth  with  a  huge 
and  extremely  varied  stock  of  wearing  apparel — 
mufflers,  socks,  and  other  articles  of  which  we  were  in 
urgent  need.  I,  among  others,  did  not  hesitate  to 
renew  my  wardrobe,  which  demanded  replenishment, 
particularly  as  the  prices  appeared  to  be  attractive. 
We  were  ignorant  as  to  the  origin  of  this  stock,  but  it 
did  not  trouble  our  minds  until  my  purchase  of  a  pair 
of  socks.  This  precipitated  an  uproar,  because  within 
one  of  the  socks  I  found  a  small  piece  of  paper  on  which 
was  written,  undoubtedly  by  the  hand  which  had 

diligently  knitted  the  article,  "  With  love  from . 

To  a  poor  British  prisoner  of  war  in  Germany,"  followed 
by  the  name  of  the  Mission  to  whom  the  articles  had 
been  sent,  doubtless  in  response  to  an  appeal. 

This  discovery  revealed  the  maddening  circumstance 
that  what  had  been  sent  out  to  Ruhleben  for  free 
distribution  among  the  prisoners  was  actually  being 
sold.  There  was  an  enquiry  which  yielded  a  more  or 
less  convincing  result  according  to  one's  point  of  view. 

There  was  also  an  outcry  over  the  crates  in  which 
these  articles  were  sent  to  us.  The  party  of  which  I 
was  a  member  had  removed  from  the  loft  to  a  horse- 
box beneath  which  had  been  vacated.  When  we 
entered  this  attractive  residence  the  walls  were  still 


276  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

covered  with  manure — th^v  were  not  given  a  dressing 
of  whitewash  until  later — while  lying  upon  the  bare 
floor,  with  onlv  a  thin  sack  of  doubtful  shavings 
between  us  and  the  stone,  did  not  heighten  our  spirits. 
But  as  we  were  becoming  reconciled  to  our  captivity, 
we  derided  to  make  our  uninviting  stall  as  homely  as 
we  could.  We  decided  upon  a  wooden  bed  apiece. 
The  authorities,  after  persistent  worrying,  only  partially 
acceded  to  our  demands  by  providing  three  primitive 
single  beds  for  occupation  by  six  men. 

As  we  could  not  persuade  the  authorities  to  serve 
us  with  a  bed  apiece,  we  decided  to  build  the  three 
extra  beds  ourselves.  But  we  were  faced  with  the 
extreme  difficulty  of  procuring  the  requisite  wood  ! 
The  authorities  had  none  to  give  away  and  very  little 
to  sell.  When  we  saw  these  empty  packing  cases, 
which  were  of  huge  dimensions,  we  thought  luck  had 
come  our  way  at  last,  so  we  approached  the  proprietor 
of  the  stores  for  permission  to  break  them  up.  But 
to  our  disgust  he  informed  us  that  he  had  already 
parted  with  them — for  a  consideration  we  discovered 
afterwards.  Two  had  been  secured  by  a  German 
sentry  in  the  camp  to  be  converted  into  wardrobes, 
while  the  others  were  in  the  hands  of  the  camp  car- 
penter. We  approached  this  worthy,  but  he  ridiculed 
the  suggestion  that  he  should  give  some  of  the  wood 
to  us  for  our  intended  purpose.  We  could  buy  the 
boards  if  we  liked.  As  there  was  no  alternative  source 
of  supply  we  did  so,  and  the  price  of  purchase  showed 
that  the  carpenter  cleared  nine  shillings  on  each  crate  ! 
With  much  difficulty  we  built  our  three  extra  beds 
between  us,  but  the  outlay  for  materials  alone  was 
eighteen  shillings  ! 

The  cold  during  the  winter  affected  us  very  severely 
because  the  barrack  was  absolutely  devoid  of  any 
heating  facilities.  When  the  snow  was  carpeting  the 
ground  to  a  depth  of  from  six  to  eight  inches,  and  the 
thermometer  was  hovering  several  degrees  below  zero 
we  lay  awake  nearly  the  whole  night  shivering  with 


THE  CAMP  OF  ABANDONED  HOPE  277 

cold.  Indeed  on  more  than  one  occasion,  I  with  others, 
abandoned  all  attempts  to  sleep  and  trudged  the  loft 
to  keep  warm. 

We  appealed  to  the  American  Ambassador  in  the 
hope  that  he  would  be  able  to  rectify  matters.  When 
he  came  upon  the  scene  there  was  another  outburst  of 
indignation.  He  ordered  the  authorities  to  instal  a 
heating  system  without  further  delay.  By  driving 
through  our  sole  protector  in  this  manner,  we,  as 
usual,  received  some  measure  of  respite.  But  the 
heating  was  useless  to  those  living  in  the  horse-boxes. 
The  side  partitions  of  the  latter  were  not  carried  up 
to  the  ceiling,  but  a  space  of  some  two  feet  was  left. 
To  protect  ourselves  from  the  fierce  ear-cutting  draught 
which  swept  through  the  stables  we  blocked  these  spaces 
with  brown  paper.  But  the  means  which  somewhat 
combated  the  onslaughts  of  the  draughts  also  shut 
out  the  heat,  so  that,  in  our  case,  and  it  was  typical 
of  others,  we  really  did  not  benefit  one  iota  from  the 
"  complete  heating  system  "  with  which,  so  the  German 
press  asserted,  Ruhleben  Camp  was  lavishly  equipped. 

Christmas  Day,  1914,  was  an  unholy  nightmare. 
Our  fare  could  not,  by  any  stretch  of  imagination, 
be  described  as  Christmassy.  We  had  several  pro- 
Germans  among  us — they  preached  this  gospel  in  the 
hope  of  being  released  if  only  on  "  passes,"  but  the 
thoroughbred  Prussian  is  not  to  be  gulled  by  patriots 
made-to-order — and  they  kept  up  the  spirit  of  Yule 
Tide  with  candles  and  what  not,  somewhat  after  the 
approved  Teuton  manner.  It  was  impressive,  but  so 
palpably  artificial  and  shallow  as  merely  to  court 
derision  and  mockery  among  the  Britishers. 

The  great  meal  of  the  Day  of  Days  was  a  huge  joke  1 
One  barrack  received  what  might  be  excusably 
described  as  something  like  a  chop,  with  potatoes  and 
gravy.  The  next  barrack  had  a  portion  of  a  chop 
and  potatoes,  but  no  gravy.  By  the  time  this  barrack 
had  been  served  apparently  all  supplies  had  been 
exhausted,  thanks  to  the  wonderful  perfection  of 


278  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

German  method,  organisation,  and  management.  The 
result  was  that  a  third  barrack  had  to  be  content  with 
a  raw  rasher  of  bacon,  while  a  further  barrack  received 
only  potatoes  swimming  in  a  liquid  which  was  un- 
doubtedly set  down  officially  as  gravy.  But  barrack 
six  got  nothing  !  This  barrack  is  occupied  by  members 
of  the  Jewish  persuasion,  but  only  those  who  partook 
of  Jewish  food  received  anything  to  eat  that  day. 
The  Jews  generally  fared  better,  because  they  were 
tended  by  the  Rabbi,  who  indeed  exerted  himself 
untiringly  upon  their  behalf.  He  drove  into  the  camp 
every  day  in  his  motor  car,  accompanied  by  his  wife, 
and  they  went  diligently  around  the  members  of  their 
flock,  ascertaining  the  requirements  of  each  man,  and 
doing  all  in  their  power  to  satisfy  him  so  far  as  the 
rules  and  regulations  of  the  camp  permitted.  The 
Jews  who  supported  their  Rabbi  had  no  complaint  to 
offer  on  the  score  of  food,  because  they  received  it  in 
variety  and  plenty  through  the  munificence  of  their 
co-religionists  in  Berlin. 

In  the  evening  we  attempted  a  sing-song  to  keep  up 
the  spirit  and  atmosphere  of  the  season  as  far  as 
practicable  within  our  modest  limitations,  but  this  was 
promptly  suppressed  by  our  taskmasters.  We  were 
compelled  to  spend  the  evening  in  miserable  silence  or 
to  crawl  into  bed  to  muse  over  our  unhappy  lot.  So 
far  as  Ruhleben  was  concerned,  the  sentiment  of 
"  Good- will  to  all  men  "  had  sped  by  on  the  main  line, 
and  had  forgotten  all  about  us  poor  wretches  in  the 
siding. 

While  in  Cologne  on  "  passes  "  I  and  my  friends 
frequently  learned  from  the  Berliner  Tageblatt  and 
other  leading  newspapers  that  the  foremost  artistes 
performing  in  Berlin  paid  visits  to  Ruhleben  in  the 
evening  to  amuse  the  prisoners.  At  that  time  we  were 
somewhat  prone  to  envy  the  good  time  our  compatriots 
were  evidently  having  at  the  internment  camp  and  the 
bed  of  roses  upon  which,  according  to  the  press,  they 
were  lying.  But  when  we  entered  the  camp  and  made 


THE  CAMP  OF  ABANDONED  HOPE  279 

enquiries,  we  discovered  that  the  newspaper  assertions 
were  not  merely  gross  exaggerations,  but  unblushing 
fabrications. 

To  satisfy  ourselves  upon  this  point  we  went  to  the 
corner  of  the  camp  where  the  delightful  entertainments 
were  said  to  be  given,  but  the  only  artistes  we  dis- 
covered were  a  dozen  hungry  prisoners  trying  to  coax 
a  tune  out  of  a  rebellious  mouth  organ  !  Our  belief 
in  German  statements  received  another  shattering 
blow.  During  my  twelve  months  in  this  camp  I  never 
caught  a  glimpse  of  or  heard  a  note  from  an  eminent 
German  impressario  or  artiste  of  any  description. 
All  the  amusements  we  ever  obtained  were  due  to  our 
own  efforts,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  they  evidently 
were  vastly  superior  to  any  that  the  much-vaunted 
city  could  offer  to  its  estimable  citizens.  At  least  this 
was  the  only  impression  we  could  gather  from  the 
statements  of  visitors  who  were  occasionally  permitted 
to  attend  our  theatrical  and  vaudeville  performances 
and  concerts.  We  had  nothing  for  which  to  thank 
the  Germans  in  the  way  of  diversion  than  we  had  in 
any  other  direction. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

ORGANISING  THE  COMMUNAL  CITY  OF  RUHLEBEN 

WHEN  I  reached  the  internment  camp  it  was  in  a  wildly 
chaotic  condition.  Every  semblance  of  management 
was  conspicuous  by  its  absence,  while  the  German 
authorities  never  lifted  a  finger  or  uttered  a  single  word 
towards  straightening  things  out.  Some  of  the 
enlightened  spirits  among  us  maintained  that  the 
Germans  would  not  assist  us,  but  it  is  my  firm  impression 
that  they  could  not :  it  was  a  problem  beyond  then- 
capacities.  Such  a  state  of  affairs  seems  remarkable 
when  one  recalls  how  persistently  the  Teuton  flaunts 
his  vaunted  skill  in  organisation,  scientific  manage- 
ment and  method  before  the  world  at  large.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  it  is  only  when  one  secures  a  position 
behind  the  scenes  in  Germany,  to  come  into  close  con- 
tact with  the  Hun  as  he  really  is,  when  he  has  been 
stripped  of  the  mask  and  veneer  which  he  assumes  for 
parade  and  to  impress  his  visitors,  that  the  hollowness 
of  the  Teuton  pretensions  is  laid  bare  in  all  its  ghastly 
nakedness. 

The  result  in  Ruhleben  camp  was  terrible.  It  was 
every  man  for  himself  and  the  Devil  take  the  hindmost. 
If  one,  in  desperation,  approached  the  authorities  for 
a  word  of  suggestion  to  improve  this  or  that,  officialdom 
merely  shrugged  its  shoulders  and  candidly  admitted 
impotence  to  recommend  a  remedy.  So  we  had  to 
depend  essentially  upon  our  own  exertions  and 
initiative. 

Each  barrack  elected  a  captain,  whose  position  was 
somewhat  analogous  to  that  of  the  Governor  of  a 
State,  while  over  the  camp  as  a  whole  reigned  a  super- 

280 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY   OF   RUHLEBEN  281 

captain.  Seeing  that  there  were  several  thousand 
prisoners  at  the  time  of  my  arrival  on  November  12, 
1914,  accommodated  in  twelve  barracks,  which  pre- 
sented a  ghastly  exhibition  of  congestion,  and  that 
neither  law  nor  order,  except  as  interpreted  and  main- 
tained by  the  rifle  and  the  bayonet  of  the  unscrupulous 
German  sentries,  prevailed,  the  necessity  to  turn  the 
colony  inside  out  and  to  inaugurate  some  form  of 
systematic  control  and  operation  was  only  too  obvious. 

In  the  early  days  we  were  entirely  dependent  upon 
the  authorities  for  our  food  supplies,  and  they  were 
invariably  inadequate,  while  still  more  often  the 
victuals  were  disgustingly  deficient  in  appetising 
qualities.  There  were  no  facilities  whatever  for  supple- 
menting the  official  rations  by  purchases  from  a  canteen 
such  as  we  had  enjoyed  for  a  time  at  Sennelager.  At 
last  a  German  frau,  animated  by  desire  to  improve  the 
shining  hour  at  the  expense  of  the  interned  civilians, 
opened  a  small  booth  where  some  extras  such  as  we  so 
urgently  desired  could  be  procured.  This  booth, 
about  as  large  as  the  bathing  machine  common  to.  our 
seaside  resorts,  was  situate  in  the  centre  of  the  camp. 
The  diminutive  dimensions  of  the  "  shop  "  prevented 
the  woman  carrying  extensive  stocks,  and,  as  a  rule 
she  was  cleared  right  out  before  mid-day.  Her 
specialities  were  sweets,  fruit,  canned  foods,  herrings, 
and  such  like,  but  in  extremely  limited  quantities. 

This  shop  became  known  throughout  the  colony  as 
the  "  Pond-side  "  stores,  and  the  nickname  was  apt. 
Why,  constitutes  a  little  story  in  itself.  It  virtually 
occupied  the  centre  of  the  main  thoroughfare,  and 
certainly  became  the  busiest  corner  in  the  community* 
But  at  this  point  the  land  made  a  sudden  dip.  Con- 
sequently, when  we  were  visited  by  rainstorms,  and 
it  does  rain  in  Germany,  rendering  a  British  torrential 
downpour  a  Scotch  mist  by  comparison,  the  rain  water, 
unable  to  escape,  gathered  in  this  depression,  forming 
a  respectable  pond,  with  the  booth  or  stores  standing, 
a  dejected  island,  in  the  middle. 


282  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

If  the  storm  were  unduly  heavy  this  pond  assumed 
imposing  dimensions.  One  day  I  decided  to  measure 
it,  so  arming  myself  with  a  foot-rule  I  waded  deliber- 
ately through  its  length  and  width  with  my  crude 
measuring  device  to  find  that  it  was  133^  feet  long  by 
25  feet  wide,  and  ranged  from  6  inches  to  2j  feet  in 
depth.  While  engaged  in  this  occupation  I  was 
surprised  by  an  officer,  who,  catching  sight  of  my  rule, 
sharply  demanded  what  I  was  doing  ?  I  told  him 
frankly,  and  there  was  a  lively  breeze  between  us. 


Naturally  one  will  ask  how  it  was  that  such  a  pond 
could  form  in  the  heart  of  the  camp.  To  the  British 
mind,  saturated  as  it  is  with  blind  faith  in  German 
superior  abilities  in  every  ramification  of  human 
endeavour,  it  may  seem  incomprehensible,  and  the 
formation  of  the  lake  may  be  charitably  attributed  to 
the  rain-water  drainage  system  becoming  choked,  thus 
effectively  preventing  the  escape  of  the  water.  But 
there  was  no  drain  to  cope  with  this  water,  and  what  is 
more  to  the  point  the  nuisance  was  never  overcome  until 
the  British  prisoners  themselves  took  the  matter  in 
hand. 

When  the  water  was  lying  in  this  depression  a  trip 
to  the  Stores  became  an  adventure.  To  obviate  the 
necessity  of  wading  through  the  noisome  water  we 
secured  a  plank  gangway  upon  boxes  and  barrels. 
The  pathway  thus  formed  was  only  a  few  inches  in 
width  and  precarious.  The  gangway  ran  out  from  one 
bank  to  the  stores,  thence  on  to  the  opposite  bank,  so 
that  it  was  possible  for  the  men  to  pass  to  the  shop  and 
to  dry  land  in  single  file.  If  one  were  at  the  extreme 
end  of  the  queue  one  might  confidently  expect  to  wait 
from  two  to  three  hours  before  reaching  the  shop,  only 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY   OF   RUHLEBEN  283 

then  to  be  disappointed  because  it  had  been  cleared  out 
of  everything  edible. 

When  the  water  was  up,  the  German  frau,  acting  as 
shopkeeper,  would  perch  herself  on  a  box  or  barrel 
with  the  murky  fluid  swishing  and  snarling  around 
her,  because  her  stores  always  suffered  inundation  at 
such  times.  Walking  the  plank  to  make  a  purchase 
was  highly  exciting  and  mildly  diverting.  No  little 
effort  was  required  to  maintain  one's  balance,  while 
time  after  time  the  crazy  foundations,  as  represented 
by  the  boxes  and  barrels,  would  give  way,  precipitating 
a  long  string  of  patient  customers  into  the  dirty  water. 

The  inadequacy  of  these  stores  was  felt  very  severely. 
At  last,  after  a  short  and  determined  deliberation,  it 
was  resolved  to  run  the  colony  upon  communal  lines. 
This  was  the  only  feasible  form  of  control  in  order  to 
protect  the  prisoners  against  scandalous  robbery, 
extortionate  prices,  and  to  ensure  a  sufficiency  of  the 
essentials  which  were  in  such  urgent  demand.  A 
simple,  although  comprehensive  form  of  civic  govern- 
ment was  drawn  up,  involving  the  formation  of 
educational  facilities,  a  police  force,  a  fire  brigade,  the 
establishment  and  maintenance  of  shops  and  canteens, 
all  of  which  were  operated  by  the  community  for  the 
benefit  of  the  community,  the  receipts  being  pooled 
in  the  camp  treasury. 

Such  a  system  was  absolutely  imperative.  Some  of 
the  prisoners  were  without  money  and  were  denied  the 
receipt  of  contributions  from  home,  their  relatives 
and  friends  doubtless  being  too  poor  to  help  them. 
Naturally  these  luckless  prisoners  were  speedily 
reduced  to  extremely  straitened  circumstances  and 
distress  among  them  became  very  acute.  Furthermore 
parcels  of  clothing  and  other  articles  were  being  sent 
in  bulk,  addressed  merely  to  the  camp  as  a  whole, 
instead  of  to  individuals,  the  objects  of  the  senders 
being  the  fair  and  equitable  distribution  of  the  articles 
among  the  prisoners  indiscriminately.  The  handling 
of  these  supplies  led  to  frequent  and  unblushing  abuses, 


284  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

the  men  who  were  not  in  need  of  such  contributions 
receiving  them  at  the  expense  of  those  who  sorely 
wanted  them. 

After  our  civic  government  had  been  reduced  to 
practical  application  and  was  working  smoothly,  the 
task  of  distributing  these  unaddressed  bulk  supplies 
was  entrusted  to  the  captains  of  the  barracks.  The 
captain  was  selected  for  this  responsibility  because  he 
knew  all  the  deserving  cases  in  his  own  party  and  was 
able  to  see  they  received  the  alleviation  of  their 
distress.  When  a  crate  of  goods  came  in  the  captain 
compiled  a  list  setting  out  the  names  and  precise  needs 
of  every  man  in  his  party.  If  you  were  in  a  position 
to  do  so  you  were  expected  to  pay  a  small  sum  for  the 
articles,  the  price  thereof  being  fixed,  although  you 
were  at  liberty  to  pay  more  if  you  felt  disposed.  This 
money  was  paid  into  the  camp  treasury.  But  if  you 
were  "  broke,"  no  money  was  expected.  Consequently 
every  man  was  certain  to  secure  something  of  what  he 
needed,  irrespective  of  his  financial  circumstances. 

The  camp  government  also  embarked  upon  trading 
operations.  Shops  were  erected,  one  or  two  at  a  time, 
until  at  last  we  had  a  row  of  emporiums.  The  requisite 
material  was  bought  from  the  Germans  or  from  home 
with  money  drawn  from  the  camp  treasury.  It  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  the  Teuton  authorities  resolutely 
refused  to  supply  us  with  a  single  thing,  declined  to 
participate  in  any  improvements,  and  refused  to 
contribute  a  penny  to  defray  the  cost  of  any  enterprise 
which  was  considered  imperative  to  ameliorate  our 
conditions.  Indeed  they  robbed  us  right  and  left,  as 
I  will  narrate  later.  By  building  shops  in  this  manner 
we  were  able  to  boast  a  Bond  Street,  from  which  in  a 
short  time  radiated  other  thoroughfares  which  were 
similarly  christened  after  the  fashionable  streets  of 
London — we  had  a  strange  penchant  for  the  West-End 
when  it  came  to  naming  our  streets.  The  result  is 
that  to-day  Ruhleben  can  point  to  its  Fleet  Street,  its 
Trafalgar  Square,  and  so  on. 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY   OF   RUHLEBEN  285 

Goods  were  purchased  for  the  various  departments 
according  to  the  specialities  of  the  shops — boots  for 
the  boot  shop,  clothes  for  the  clothiers  and  groceries 
for  the  provision  stores.  The  communal  government 
selected  competent  men  to  take  charge  of  these 
establishments  at  a  weekly  salary  of  five  shillings. 
Every  shop  in  the  camp,  with  the  exception  of  a  very 
few,  such  as  mine  in  which  I  specialised  in  engraving, 
the  ticket-writers  and  so  forth,  belonged  to  the  com- 
munity and  were  run  by  the  community  for  the  benefit 
of  the  community.  No  prisoner  was  permitted  to 
launch  out  upon  his  own  account  as  a  shopkeeper  if  he 
intended  to  deal  in  a  necessity.  Only  those  trades 
which  involved  no  stock  or  might  be  described  as 
luxuries  were  permitted  to  be  under  individual  manage- 
ment for  individual  profit. 

As  the  inter-trading  in  the  camp  developed  we  were 
able  to  purchase  large  stocks  of  essentials,  and  it  was 
astonishing  to  observe  the  prosperity  with  which  our 
trading  endeavours  flourished.  Great  Britain  has 
always  been  contemptuously  described  by  our  com- 
mercial rivals  as  a  nation  of  shop-keepers,  and  in 
Ruhleben  Camp  we  offered  our  German  authorities, 
right  under  their  very  noses,  the  most  powerful  illustra- 
tion of  this  national  characteristic,  and  brought  home 
to  them  very  conclusively  the  fact  that  our  national 
trait  is  no  empty  claim.  Thousands  of  pounds  sterling 
were  passed  over  the  counters  every  week. 

While  the  shops  dealt  only  in  what  might  be  termed 
necessities  for  our  welfare,  we  were  able  to  procure 
almost  any  article  we  desired.  A  "  Special  Order 
Department  "  was  created  to  which  we  took  our  orders 
for  special  articles  not  stocked  in  the  camp.  If  the 
order,  upon  scrutiny  by  the  authorities,  was  deemed 
to  be  reasonable  and  did  not  infringe  the  prohibited 
list,  the  arrival  of  the  goods  in  .due  course  was 
certain. 

The  value  of  this  system  of  managing  the  colony 
may  be  illustrated  from  one  example,  typical  of  many, 


286  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

which  reflects  credit  upon  the  captains  and  civic 
organising  committee.  Butter  was  a  luxury  and  could 
not  be  purchased  in  the  camp  for  less  than  33.  2d.  per 
pound.  Yet  this  figure  was  decidedly  below  that 
ruling  in  the  shops  of  Berlin  for  this  article  of  food. 
Under  these  circumstances  one  might  wonder  how  we 
were  able  to  sell  butter  at  a  cheaper  figure  than  the 
native  tradesmen,  and  readers  might  be  disposed  to 
entertain  the  opinion  that  here,  at  all  events,  we  did 
receive  a  valuable  concession  from  the  German 
authorities.  But  it  was  no  such  thing.  The  camp 
treasury  secured  a  quotation  for  butter  and  at  once 
realised  that  the  terms  were  far  too  high  for  the 
prisoners  as  a  whole.  Consequently  they  decided  to 
place  this  and  margarine  upon  sale  at  attractive  and 
possible  prices.  The  purchasing  department  was 
allotted  a  certain  figure  for  purchasing,  but  as  this  was 
insufficient  the  difference  in  the  prime  cost  was  taken 
from  the  common  fund.  Hence  we  never  paid  more 
than  33.  2d.  per  pound  retail  in  the  camp,  although 
the  price  was  soaring  in  Berlin,  so  long  as  the  article 
was  obtainable.  This  division  of  the  cost  between 
the  communal  shop  and  the  common  fund  brought 
butter  within  the  reach  of  those  who  otherwise  would 
have  had  to  be  content  with  dry  bread,  because 
very  few  of  us  could  have  afforded  the  luxury  had 
Berlin  prices  prevailed  in  Ruhleben.  Incidentally  the 
price  of  butter  serves  to  convey  a  tangible  idea  of  the 
economic  conditions  reached  in  Germany  and  that 
within  nine  months  of  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  ! 

When  the  prisoners  discovered  that  they  could 
obtain  the  majority  of  things  which  serve  to  make  life 
bearable  even  under  depressing  and  oppressive  con- 
ditions they  commenced  to  launch  out  in  the  acquisition 
of  things  for  improving  creature  comfort.  With  the 
money  drawn  from  the  banks  and  other  institutions 
they  purchased  beds,  cupboards,  utensils,  electric 
reading  lamps,  clothes,  and  what  not  to  render  their 
living  quarters  attractive  and  to  improve  their  personal 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY   OF   RUHLEBEN  287 

appearance  and  conditions.  This  extra  work  threw  a 
heavy  strain  upon  the  clerical  department  which, 
within  a  short  time,  demanded  organisation.  The 

position    of    auditor    was    assumed    by    J ,    who 

gathered  a  competent  staff,  and  they  worked  like 
Trojans  on  behalf  of  the  camp.  Many  times,  while  on 

night  patrol  as  a  policeman,  I  found  J and  his 

assistants  burning  the  midnight  oil  at  i  a.m.,  straighten- 
ing out  the  accounts  and  posting  the  books  of  the 
treasury.  He  and  his  staff  deserve  the  greatest  credit 
for  the  high-spirited  manner  in  which  and  the  hours 
they  worked  on  behalf  of  their  fellow-prisoners. 

The  shop-keeping  industry  received  a  decided 
impetus  when  the  British  Emergency  Relief  Fund  was 
inaugurated.  Under  this  scheme,  five  shillings  per 
week  were  paid  regularly  through  the  American 
Embassy  to  all  prisoners  who  were  in  need  of  financial 
assistance. 


288  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 


Notwithstanding  the  elaborate  precautions  which 
had  been  brought  into  operation  to  ensure  that 
this  relief  should  get  only  into  deserving  hands,  the 
fact  remains  that  up  to  the  day  of  my  departure  it 
was  being  paid  directly  into  the  pockets  of  some  of 
our  enemies.  The  scheme  had  been  brought  into 
operation  some  little  while,  when  one  morning,  upon 
parade,  the  authorities  requested  all  those  who 
sympathised  with  the  German  cause  to  step  out. 
Many,  doubtless  thinking  that  here  was  the  oppor- 
tunity to  secure  preferential  treatment  or  the  golden 
chance  to  obtain  release  from  the  Prison  Camp  of 
Abandoned  Hope,  answered  the  call.  The  numbers 
were  appreciable,  but  as  they  advanced  from  the  lines 
they  were  assailed  by  vicious  hooting,  groaning  and 
hissing  from  the  others  who  were  resolved  to  maintain 
their  patriotism  at  all  hazards.  Still  it  was  an  excellent 
move  upon  the  part  of  the  Germans.  It  eliminated 
dangerous  enemies  from  our  midst. 

But  if  the  pro-Germans,  now  chuckling  merrily  and 
rubbing  their  hands  with  childish  delight,  considered 
their  release  to  be  imminent  they  received  a  very  rude 
awakening.  The  German  authorities  are  not  readily 
gulled.  To  them  a  pro-German  is  every  whit  as 
dangerous  as  an  avowed  enemy.  They  merely 
marched  these  traitors  to  another  part  of  the  camp 
where  they  were  forced  to  re-establish  themselves  in 
their  own  isolated  barrack  quarters.  They  received 
no  improvement  in  treatment  or  food.  The  only 
difference  between  the  two  divisions  of  what  is  now 
described  as  the  "  split  camp  "  is  that  whereas  the 
true  Britishers  are  free  to  sing  "  Rule,  Britannia," 
"  God  Save  the  King/1  and  other  patriotic  songs,  the 
traitors  have  to  while  away  their  time  singing  "  Die 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY   OF   RUHLEBEN  289 

Wacht  am  Rhein,"  "  Deutschland  Uber  Alles,"  and 
other  German  jingo  melodies. 

The  position  of  the  traitors  became  aggravated  a 
little  later,  when  they  learned  that  the  German 
authorities  were  quite  ready  to  release  them  upon  one 
simple  condition — -that  they  joined  the  German  Army  ! 
I  am  ashamed  to  say  that  some  of  them  even  took 
advantage  of  this  infamous  avenue  of  escape.  But 
the  majority,  after  their  dropped  jaws  and  long  faces 
resumed  their  normal  positions,  thought  they  might 
just  as  well  change  their  national  coat  once  more. 

Some  of  these  scoundrels,  after  openly  enlisting  under 
the  German  banner,  did  not  disavow  their  pension  but 
coolly  continued  to  draw  the  five  shillings  per  week. 
Moreover,  in  one  instance  at  least,  one  of  these  scape- 
goats after  declaring  his  pro-German  proclivities 
was  enabled  to  return  to  England  as  an  exchanged 
prisoner.  I  could  reveal  unpalatable  truths  concerning 
the  laxity  of  our  authorities  in  dealing  with  the 
exchange  of  prisoners,  but  the  moment  is  not  oppor- 
tune. 

One  day  one  of  these  renegades  came  to  my  booth 
to  have  some  engraving  carried  out.  He  asked  me  a 
price  and  I  quoted  half  a  crown.  To  my  surprise  he 
urged  me  to  make  it  five  shillings.  Somewhat  aston- 
ished I  suggested  that  the  work  was  not  worth  five 
shillings  and  that  my  estimate  was  perfectly  fair. 

"  Oh,  it  doesn't  matter/'  he  replied,  laughing  gaily. 
"  I  draw  five  shillings  from  the  British  Prisoners' 
Relief  Fund,  which  I  never  spend  because  I  don't  want 
it,  and  one  week's  draw  might  just  as  well  pay  for  this 
job  !  " 

I  was  so  exasperated  by  this  cool  confession  from 
the  "  P.-G." — our  colloquialism  for  a  pro-German — 
that  I  whipped  round  my  bench  and  confronted  the 
amiable  traitor.  We  commenced  to  argue,  I  told  him 
what  I  thought  about  him,  words  grew  hot  and  soon 
the  fur  commenced  to  fly.  He  landed  out  at  me  and 
then  I  pitched  into  him  unmercifully.  It  was  useless 


FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

for  him  to  appeal  for  help.  We  knew  every  "P.-G." 
among  us  and  he  was  now  fairly  in  the  hands  of  the 
Philistines.  My  colleagues  merely  gathered  round, 
jeering  and  cheering  like  mad  as  I  got  some  stinging 
blows  home.  The  renegade  subsequently  slunk  off 
rather  badly  battered,  only  to  act  quite  up  to  his 
traitorous  principles.  After  being  thrashed  in  fair 
fight  he  crawled  off  to  one  of  the  German  officers  to 
whom  he  explained  in  a  wheedling,  piteous  voice  that 
he  had  been  assaulted  and  went  in  fear  of  his  life. 

The  officer  came  over  to  me  and  accused  me  of 
fighting.  I  explained  the  whole  circumstances, 
emphasising  the  fact  that  the  sneaking,  drivelling 
humbug  was  drawing  five  shillings  from  the  British 
Pension  Fund  and  yet  was  parading  and  voicing  his 
anti-British  sentiments  far  and  wide,  when  there  were 
many  admitted  and  honourable  British  prisoners 
walking  about  and  in  greater  need  of  the  money.  The 
officer  was  evidently  impressed  with  my  point  of  view 
and  undoubtedly  concurred  in  my  contention  that  my 
attitude  was  perfectly  justified. 

At  all  events  he  unostentatiously  and  unconsciously 
betrayed  his  opinion  of  a  pro-German.  He  never 
uttered  a  word  of  reprimand  to  me  ;  the  discomfited 
"  P.-G."  was  advised  to  make  himself  scarce  ;  and 
although  I  had  been  guilty  of  the  grave  offence  of 
fighting  I  never  heard  another  word  about  the  incident. 
It  is  evident  that  the  officer  in  his  own  mind  concluded 
that  the  less  he  said  about  the  episode  the  better. 
Still  I  had  got  satisfaction.  I  had  given  one  of  our 
enemies  a  drubbing  which  he  would  not  forget  in  a 
hurry. 

Yet  the  one  fact  remains.  At  the  time  I  left  the 
camp  there  were  several  of  these  whimpering,  cold- 
footed,  British  Judas  Iscariots  still  drawing  unblush- 
ingly  their  five  shillings  per  week  !  I  might  add  that 
this  constituted  one  of  the  greatest  scandals  of  the 
camp,  and  precipitated  a  feeling  of  smouldering 
rebellion,  not  against  the  German  authorities,  but 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY   OF   RUHLEBEN  291 

against  the  traitors  who  did  not  refrain  from  attempting 
to  fraternise  with  us  after  the  diabolical  repudiation 
of  their  nationality.  It  was  fortunate  these  back- 
boneless,  long-faced  and  drooping-mouthed  Britons 
were  forced  to  live  away  from  us ;  otherwise  I  am 
afraid  there  would  have  been  some  tragedies  and 
endless  fighting. 

Another  rule  of  the  camp  somewhat  grated  upon 
our  nerves.  We  opened  several  canteens  which  we 
stocked  with  our  own  goods,  and  operated  upon 
communal  lines  so  that  the  prisoners  might  secure 
ample  food-stuffs.  Naturally  these  articles  were  sold 
to  the  men  at  the  lowest  possible  prices.  But  to  our 
dismay  we  learned  afterwards  that  they  might  have 
been  sold  at  a  lower  figure  had  the  German  military 
not  demanded  a  commission,  or  perhaps  it  should  be 
called  a  "  royalty  "  upon  the  turnover  of  7^  per  cent.  ! 
This  applied  equally  to  the  "  Special  Order  Depart- 
ment/* and  I  am  afraid,  if  the  subject  were  probed  to 
the  bottom,  it  would  be  found  that  every  article  sold 
in  Ruhleben — fully  ninety  per  cent,  of  which  probably 
would  be  construed  as  articles  saleable  from  the  canteen 
if  shops  were  unavailable — contributes  its  toll  of  seven- 
and  a-half  per  cent,  to  the  German  authorities.  When 
one  recalls  the  thousands  sterling  which  pass  through 
the  shops  and  canteens  during  the  course  of  the  week, 
the  German  officials  must  have  derived  a  handsome 
revenue  from  this  iniquitous  practice.  If  all  the 
camps  were  mulcted  in  the  manner  of  Ruhleben, 
looking  after  the  British  prisoners  must  be  an  extremely 
lucrative  occupation. 

This  scandalous  impost  hit  us  at  every  turn.  It 
meant  that  we  had  to  pay  for  every  article  and  through 
the  nose  at  that.  For  instance,  the  Camp  Committee 
laid  down  a  house  equipped  with  four  large  boilers  to 
supply  boiling  water,  which  we  had  to  fetch,  and  with 
which  we  were  able  to  brew  beverages  and  soups  in 
the  secrecy  of  our  barracks.  We  purchased  this 
convenience,  of  which  the  Germans  took  a  proportion. 


292  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

so  that  we  really  paid  a  prohibitive  price  for  the  water 
which  we  consumed !  The  supply  of  hot  water,  no 
matter  for  what  purpose,  was  construed  by  the  Germans 
as  coming  within  the  business  of  the  canteen  !  Shower 
baths  were  also  introduced,  the  cost  being  defrayed 
out  of  the  camp  treasury.  I  wonder  if  the  British 
authorities  follow  a  similar  practice  among  the  German 
internment  camps  in  this  country  ?  It  is  an  excellent 
method  of  making  the  prisoner  pay  for  his  own  board 
and  lodging. 

The  educational  classes  proved  a  complete  success. 
Almost  every  language  under  the  sun  could  be  heard 
among  the  prisoners.  The  classes  were  absolutely 
free,  of  course,  although  you  could  contribute  some- 
thing, if  you  desired.  Individual  tuition  was  given, 
but  in  this  instance  the  tutors  were  free  to  levy  fees. 
The  mastery  of  languages  became  one  of  the  most 
popular  occupations  to  pass  the  time.  I  myself  had  a 
class  of  dusky  members  of  the  British  Empire,  drawn 
from  various  Colonies,  and  speaking  as  many  dialects, 
to  whom  I  undertook  to  teach  English,  reading,  writing, 
drawing,  and  other  subjects.  At  the  time  the  class 
was  formed,  they  could  only  muster  a  few  English 
words,  conducting  conversation  for  the  most  part  by 
signs  and  indifferent  German.  But  my  pupils  proved 
apt  and  industrious,  and  by  the  time  I  left  they  had 
mastered  our  tongue  very  effectively,  as  the  many 
letters  they  sent  me,  before  leaving  Ruhleben,  striving 
to  thank  me  for  what  I  had  done,  testify. 

Camp  life  was  not  without  its  humour.  Around  the 
boiler-house  stretched  a  large  wooden  hoarding  which 
served  as  a  notice-board.  Every  day  there  were 
posted  the  names  of  prisoners,  set  out  in  alphabetical 
order,  for  whom  parcels  had  arrived.  The  remaining 
space  was  covered  with  advertisements  of  a  widely 
varied  order.  The  humour  unconsciously  displayed 
upon  that  board  probably  has  never' been  equalled  in 
the  pages  of  a  humorous  journal  yet  printed.  It  is 
impossible  to  narrate  every  quaint  announcement  as 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY   OF   RUHLEBEN  293 

they  were  so  prolific,  but  I  have  never  forgotten  some 
of  them.  One  I  recall  was  an  advertisement  of  a  tutor 
setting  forth  his  terms  for  teaching  English.  But 
only  one  word  in  the  announcement  was  spelled 
correctly !  Another,  posted  by  a  sailor,  ran,  Talking 
Parrot  for  Sale.  Guaranteed  not  to  swear  1  "  It 
remained  up  for  three  days  and  apparently  there  was 
nothing  doing.  Such  an  article  was  evidently  a  drug 
upon  the  Ruhleben  market.  After  the  bird  prisoner 
had  been  in  the  camp  a  while  the  advertisement 
reappeared,  but  the  word  "  not "  was  blotted  out ! 
The  advertisement  disappeared  almost  instantly,  which 
led  one  to  surmise  that  someone  had  purchased  Polly 
to  repeat  Ruhleben  conversation  at  a  later  date,  beside 
the  fireside  of  an  Englishman's  home,  as  a  reminder 
of  the  times  and  the  vernacular  of  a  German  prison 
camp. 

The  various  reports  which  have  been  published  in 
the  German  and  British  newspapers  from  time  to  time, 
relative  to  life  at  Ruhleben,  have  dwelt  at  length  upon 
the  social  amenities  of  that  imposing  colony.  People 
at  home  have  read  about  the  tennis  courts,  our  football 
field,  the  theatre,  and  other  forms  of  recreation. 
Possibly  they  think  that  the  Germans  have  been  very 
generous  and  sympathetic  in  this  direction  at  least. 
But  have  they  ?  For  the  use  of  a  section  of  the  cinder 
track  to  serve  as  tennis  courts  the  German  authorities 
demanded  and  received  £50  !  We  paid  them  another 
£50  for  the  football  field,  while  for  the  use  of  the  hall 
under  the  Grand  Stand  which  had  never  been  used 
since  the  outbreak  of  war,  and  which  we  converted 
into  a  theatre,  we  were  forced  to  hand  over  a  third 
£50.  The  camp  treasury  met  these  demands,  and 
probably  an  examination  of  the  books  would  reveal 
many  other  disbursements  of  a  similar  character  for 
other  facilities.  The  Germans  have  never  spent  a 
penny  on  our  behalf,  and  have  never  given  us  anything. 

When  the  camp  is  broken  up  and  the  prisoners  are 
released,  there  will  be  a  pretty  problem  for  some  person 


394  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

to  unravel.  By  now  Ruhleben  has  the  appearance 
of  a  healthy  and  thriving  little  town.  The  prisoners 
have  toiled  unceasingly  to  improve  their  surroundings. 
When  we  entered  into  occupation  of  our  horse-box, 
its  solitary  appointment  was  the  manger.  We  needed 
a  shelf,  and  had  to  pay  heavily  for  the  wood.  As  time 
went  on  our  ingenuity  found  expression  in  many  other 
ways.  We  made  tables,  chairs,  wardrobes,  sideboards, 
and  other  furniture.  In  some  instances  these  embellish- 
ments were  purchased  from  German  firms.  The 
result  is  that  to-day  some  of  the  quarters  are  as 
attractive  and  as  comfortable  as  a  flat.  When  the 
camp  is  broken  up  these  articles  will  have  to  be  left 
behind.  Although  under  the  hammer  prices  will  and 
must  rule  low,  in  the  aggregate  many  thousands  of 
pounds  will  be  realised.  What  is  to  be  done  with  this 
money  ?  Who  is  to  have  it  ?  Scores  of  buildings 
have  been  erected  with  money  drawn  from  the  common 
fund.  Is  any  compensation  going  to  be  paid  by  the 
German  authorities  for  the  fruits  of  our  labour  and 
ingenuity  which  will  fall  into  their  hands  ?  We  have 
paid  for  all  the  materials  used  out  of  our  own  pockets, 
and  the  work  carried  out  upon  these  lines  already 
represents  an  expenditure  of  tens  of  thousands  sterling. 
Are  the  prisoners  to  lose  all  that  ? 

The  community  is  run  upon  the  most  rigid  business- 
like lines.  Nothing  is  given  away  at  Ruhleben.  This 
explains  how  we  have  built  up  such  a  wealthy  camp 
treasury.  The  Camp  Authorities  govern  the  concerts, 
theatrical  and  vaudeville  entertainments,  troupes, 
band,  newspapers,  programmes — in  short  everything. 
Individual  enterprise  has  but  a  negligible  scope  in 
Ruhleben.  The  initial  outlays  have  admittedly  been 
heavy,  but  the  receipts  have  been  still  larger,  so  that 
there  must  be  a  big  balance  somewhere.  It  has  not 
all  been  spent,  and  the  question  arises  as  to  what  will 
be  done  with  the  accumulated  funds. 

To  convey  some  idea  of  the  possible  and  profitable 
sources  of  income  it  is  only  necessary  to  explain  the 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY   OF   RUHLEBEN  295 

system  of  handling  the  prisoners'  parcels.  These  are 
sorted  in  a  large  building.  I  learned  that  a  parcel 
was  waiting  for  me  by  perusing  the  notice-board.  I 
presented  myself  at  the  office  window  to  receive  a  ticket 
which  I  exchanged  for  the  parcel,  the  ticket  serving  as 
a  receipt  for  due  delivery.  But  the  ticket  cost  me 
one  penny !  Seeing  that  the  average  number  of 
parcels  cleared  every  day  is  3,000,  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  sale  of  the  necessary  tickets  alone  yields  roughly 
£12  per  day  or  over  £4,000  a  year.  Recently  the  price 
of  the  ticket  has  been  reduced  fifty  per  cent.,  but 
even  at  one  halfpenny  the  annual  income  exceeds 
£2,000.  This  one  branch  of  business  must  show  a 
handsome  profit,  and  there  are  scores  of  other  prosperous 
money-yielding  propositions  in  practice  in  the  camp. 

No  matter  how  spendthrift  the  treasury  may  be 
the  accumulated  funds  must  now  represent  an  imposing 
figure,  because,  with  only  one  or  two  exceptions,  every- 
thing is  run  at  a  profit.  Will  the  camp  treasury  carry 
the  precepts  of  communal  trading  to  the  logical  con- 
clusion ?  Will  it  distribute  the  accumulated  funds 
among  the  prisoners,  pro  rata  according  to  the  term 
of  imprisonment,  at  the  end  of  the  war  ?  If  that  is 
done  it  will  serve  as  some  compensation  for  the  break- 
up of  homes  in  Britain  and  other  countries  which  has 
taken  place,  because  those  who  were  left  behind  were 
deprived — through  no  fault  of  aught  but  the  German 
authorities  and  their  ridiculous  regulations — of  their 
wage-earners. 

As  the  result  of  frequent  representations  the  German 
authorities  permitted  us  to  inaugurate  our  civil  police 
force  for  the  maintenance  of  law  and  order  throughout 
the  camp.  After  this  force  came  into  being  and  had 
proved  satisfactory,  the  military  guards  were  with- 
drawn, and  we  were  encircled  only  by  the  cordon  of 
sentries  outside.  We  suffered  no  military  interference 
whatever.  The  force,  of  which  I  became  a  member, 
numbered  forty  all  told.  Our  badge  of  office  was  an 
armlet — blue  and  white  bands  similar  to  that  worn  by 


296  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

the  British  constabulary,  and  carried  upon  the  left 
wrist  over  our  private  clothes — together  with  a  button 
inscribed  "  Police.  Ruhleben  Camp.''  The  selection 
of  the  police  force  was  carried  out  upon  extremely 
rigorous  lines  to  ensure  that  only  the  most  capable 
men  were  secured  for  this  exacting  duty.  We  patrolled 
the  camp  night  and  day,  the  duty  under  the  former 
conditions  being  two  hours,  at  the  conclusion  of  which 
we  reported  ourselves  to  the  police  station,  and  then 
proceeded  to  our  barracks  to  rest,  waking  up  our 
successor  on  the  way,  who  thereupon  went  on  duty. 

All  things  considered  the  camp  was  extremely  well- 
behaved,  the  British  naturally  being  amenable  to 
discipline.  One  or  two  thefts  occurred,  the  offenders, 
when  caught,  being  handed  over  to  the  German 
authorities  to  receive  punishment.  At  times  there 
were  manifestations  of  rowdiness,  but  they  were 
speedily  and  readily  quelled.  The  police  required  to 
be  unconscionably  patient,  tactful,  and  sympathetic, 
because  we  were  all  chafing  under  restraint,  and  our 
nerves  were  strained,  while  tempers  were  hasty.  In- 
deed, the  German  authorities  marvelled  at  the  manner 
and  the  ease  with  which  we  kept  the  camp  upon  its 
best  behaviour,  and  I  think  we  taught  them  many 
valuable  lessons  concerning  the  enforcement  of  law  and 
order  without  the  parade  of  any  force  or  badgering, 
judging  from  the  assiduity  with  which  they  studied 
our  methods.  Even  the  tf  drunks  " — and  they  were 
not  strangers  to  Ruhleben,  despite  the  fact  that 
alcoholic  liquor  was  religiously  taboo,  the  liquor  being 
smuggled  in  and  paid  heavily  for,  a  bottle  of  Red  Seal 
costing  fifteen  shillings — never  gave  us  the  slightest 
cause  for  anxiety. 

One  day  there  was  a  serious  explosion  of  discontent. 
We  had  been  served  at  our  mid-day  meal  with  a  basin 
of  evil-looking  skilly.  We  took  it  back,  and  protested 
that  we  ought  not  to  be  served  with  prison  fare. 

"  Skilly  ?  "  repeated  the  cook.  "  That  isn't  skilly. 
It's  Quaker  Oats." 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY   OF   RUHLEBEN  297 

"  'Strewth  !  "  yapped  a  sailor,  "  That's  the  bloomin' 
funniest  Quaker  Oats  I've  tasted.  Quaker  Oats  will 
keep  you  alive,  but  that  bloomin'  muck  'd  poison  a 
rat  ! "  saying  which  he  disdainfully  emptied  the 
noisome  contents  of  his  basin  upon  the  ground. 

We  were  told  we  should  get  nothing  else,  which 
infuriated  us.  We  gathered  round  the  cook-house, 
and  the  discontented,  grumbling  sailors  and  fishermen, 
unable  to  make  any  impression  by  word  of  mouth, 
commenced  to  bombard  the  kitchen  with  bricks, 
stones,  and  clods  of  earth.  The  fusillade  grew  furious, 
and  the  cat-calls  vociferous. 

The  turmoil  had  been  raging  for  some  time  when  a 
mounted  officer  dashed  up.  Securing  silence  he 
ordered  us  all  into  barracks.  There  was  an  ominous 
growl.  Then  he  told  us  he  had  brought  a  battalion 
of  soldiers  and  a  machine  gun  section  from  Spandau, 
and  if  we  did  not  disperse  in  five  minutes  he  would  fire 
on  us. 

We  looked  round,  thinking  he  was  bluffing,  but 
there,  sure  enough,  were  the  soldiers  with  their  rifles 
ready,  and  we  discovered  afterwards  that  the  machine 
guns  had  been  brought  up  to  the  gates  ready  for  use 
at  a  moment's  notice.  We  shuffled  for  a  few  minutes, 
frowning,  glowering,  mumbling,  cursing  and  swearing, 
but  as  the  Germans  always  mean  what  they  say,  we 
sullenly  moved  off  as  ordered. .  Still  the  protest  bore 
fruit ;  no  further  attempts  were  made  to  serve  us  with 
that  fare. 

The  highways  of  the  camp  were  in  a  deplorable 
condition.  They  were  merely  tracks  trodden  down 
by  our  feet  and  carts,  heavily  rutted,  uneven,  and 
either  a  slough  of  mud  and  water,  or  a  desert  of  dust, 
according  to  the  weather.  We  persistently  urged  the 
German  authorities  to  improve  these  roads,  but  they 
turned  a  deaf  ear  to  all  our  entreaties. 

At  last  the  Camp  Authorities  decided  to  carry  out 
the  work  themselves.  There  was  a  call  for  labourers, 
who  were  promised  a  steady  wage  of  five  shillings  per 


29S  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

week.  Although  enrolled  in  the  first  instance  to  build 
roads,  this  force  was  afterwards  kept  on  as  a  working 
gang  to  carry  out  any  jobs  which  became  necessary. 
These  men  laid  out  and  built  an  excellent  road  system, 
following  the  well-accepted  British  lines  with  a  high 
camber  and  a  hard  surface  so  that  the  water  could 
run  into  the  gutters. 

These  roads  aroused  intense  interest  among  our 
captors.  They  used  to  come  in  and  follow  the  men 
at  work,  studying  the  method  of  building  up  the  fabric, 
and  upon  its  completion  they  inspected  and  subjected 
it  to  tests.  A  little  later  they  coolly  sent  in  a  request 
to  the  road-builders  to  go  outside  to  continue  urgent 
work  of  a  similar  character.  However,  investigation 
revealed  the  disconcerting  fact  that  these  men  were 
required  to  take  the  places  of  those  Germans  generally 
associated  with  this  task,  who  had  been  called  up  for 
service  at  the  front.  Needless  to  say  the  suggestion 
met  with  a  unanimous  and  determined  refusal. 

As  time  went  on  our  conditions  became  worse. 
Bread  became  unobtainable  at  almost  any  price. 
Pathetic  advertisements  commenced  to  steal  upon  the 
notice-board,  some  of  which  I  vividly  remember.  One 
in  particular  revealed  a  poignant  story  of  silent  suffer- 
ing. It  ran  "  Good  Swan  Fountain  Pen.  Will  ex- 
change for  loaf  of  bread."  Yet  it  was  only  typical  of 
scores  of  others  couched  in  a  similar  vein.  All  sorts 
of  things  were  offered  in  exchange  for  food.  Our 
treasury  redoubled  its  efforts,  but  food  could  not  be 
got  even  at  famine  prices.  This  was  early  in  March, 
1915,  so  that  the  country  was  speedily  being  compelled 
to  concede  the  strangling  force  of  the  British  blockade. 

One  morning  we  were  paraded,  and  every  man  was 
ordered  to  produce  any  bread  he  might  have  in  his 
possession.  Some  of  us  had  been  storing  the  official 
rations  against  the  rainy  day  which  we  felt  must  come 
sooner  or  later.  This  had  to  be  surrendered.  The 
guards  also  carried  out  a  thorough  search  to  assure 
themselves  that  none  had  been  left  behind  or  concealed 


THE   COMMUNAL   CITY    OF    RUHLEBEN  299 

under  beds.  When  the  bread  had  been  collected 
the  authorities  calmly  cut  it  up  and  served  us  with  a 
small  piece  each — that  is  they  gave  us  back  a  portion 
of  what  was  already  our  property,  and  which  we  had 
not  eaten  merely  because  we  had  been  making  ourselves 
content  with  purchases  from  the  canteens. 

This  proceeding  brought  home  to  us  the  vivid  prospect 
of  being  reduced  to  a  perilous  position  within  a  very 
short  time.  So  in  our  letters  home  we  emphasised 
the  need  to  send  us  bread  and  other  food-stuffs.  As 
about  three  weeks  elapsed  before  we  received  a  loaf 
after  it  had  been  dispatched,  we  kept  it  another  week, 
then  soaked  it  in  water  and  took  it  to  the  cook-house 
to  be  re-baked,  for  which  we  were  charged  one  penny. 

Some  of  the  unfortunate  members  of  the  party  had 
no  bread  come  from  home.  But  with  true  camaraderie 
those  prisoners  who  were  in  the  land  of  plenty  invari- 
ably divided  their  prizes,  so  that  one  and  all  were 
reduced  to  a  common  level.  In  this  way  considerable 
misery  and  discontent  were  averted.  Of  course,  when 
stocks  ran  out,  we  had  to  revert  to  the  official  rations. 
Here  and  there  would  be  found  a  few  hard-hearted 
and  unsympathetic  gluttons.  They  would  never 
share  a  single  thing  with  a  comrade.  A  prisoner  of 
this  type  would  sit  down  to  a  gorgeous  feast  upon 
dainties  sent  from  home,  heedless  of  the  envious  and 
wistful  glances  of  his  colleagues  who  were  sitting  around 
him  at  the  table  with  nothing  beyond  the  black  bread 
and  the  acorn  coffee.  He  would  never  even  proffer 
a  spoonful  of  jam  which  would  have  enabled  the 
revolting  black  bread  to  be  swallowed  with  greater 
relish. 

There  is  one  prisoner  of  this  type  whom  I  particularly 
recall.  He  had  plenty  of  money  in  his  pockets,  and 
was  the  lucky  recipient  of  many  bulky  hampers  at 
regular  intervals.  Yet  he  never  shared  a  crust  with  a 
less  fortunate  chum.  But  this  individual  did  not 
refuse  the  opportunity  to  trade  upon  the  hospitality 
of  a  fellow-prisoner  when  he  himself  was  in  a  tight 


300  FOUR    GERMAN    PRISONS 

place.  He  became  the  most  detested  man  in  the  camp, 
and  to  this  day,  with  the  rest  of  his  selfish  ilk,  he  suffers 
a  rigid  boycott,  and  at  the  same  time  is  the  target  of 
every  practical  joke  which  his  colleagues  can  devise. 
To  quote  the  vernacular,  we  had  "  Some  jokes  with 
him,"  and  often  stung  him  to  fury,  when  we  would 
laugh  mercilessly  at  his  discomfiture. 

At  the  time  I  left  the  camp  the  outlook  had  assumed 
a  very  black  aspect,  and  now  we  hear  things  have 
reached  a  climax.  Money  is  worse  than  useless  now 
because  it  can  purchase  nothing.  The  prisoners  are 
reduced  to  subsist  upon  what  meagre  rations  the 
authorities  choose  to  dole  out  to  them,  and  essentially 
upon  what  they  receive  from  home.  Starvation 
confronts  our  compatriots  suffering  durance  vile  in 
Ruhleben,  The  dawn  of  each  succeeding  day  is 
coming  to  be  dreaded  with  a  fear  which  baffles 
description  because  it  is  unfathomable. 


CHAPTER  XX 

HOW  I  MADE  MONEY  IN  RUHLEBEN  CAMP 

THE  aimless  life,  such  as  it  was  generally  pursued  in 
Ruhleben  Camp,  became  exceedingly  distasteful  to 
me.  It  conduced  to  brooding  and  moping  over  things 
at  home,  to  fretting  and  becoming  anxious  as  to  how 
one's  wife  and  family  were  faring  ?  While  recreation 
offered  a  certain  amount  of  distraction,  it  speedily 
lost  its  novelty  and  began  to  pall.  There  were  many 
of  us  who  were  by  no  means  sufficiently  flush  in  pocket 
to  indulge  wildly  in  amusements,  and  yet  money  was 
absolutely  indispensable,  because  with  the  sinews  of 
war  we  were  able  to  secure  supplementary  food  from 
the  canteen. 

Some  of  the  methods  which  were  practised  to  improve 
the  shining  hour  were  distinctly  novel.  There  was  a 
young  Cockney  who,  upon  his  return  home,  will  un- 
doubtedly blossom  into  a  money-making  genius,  that 
is  if  his  achievements  in  Ruhleben  offer  any  reliable 
index  to  his  proclivities.  He  would  gather  a  party  of 
seventy  or  eighty  prisoners  round  him.  Then,  producing 
a  five-mark  piece,  he  would  offer  to  raffle  it  at  ten 
pfennigs — one  penny — apiece.  The  possibility  of 
picking  up  five  shillings  for  a  penny  made  an  irre- 
sistibly fascinating  appeal.  It  struck  the  traditional 
sporting  chord  of  the  British  character  and  a  shower 
of  pennies  burst  forth.  The  deal  was  soon  completed, 
and  everyone  was  content  with  the  result.  Someone 
bought  the  five-shilling  piece  for  the  nimble  penny, 
while  the  Cockney  chuckled  with  delight  because  he 
had  raked  in  some  seven  shillings  or  so  for  his  five 
mark  piece ! 


302  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

When  I  decided  to  experiment  in  commerce  I  was 
in  some  doubt  as  to  what  would  offer  the  most  promis- 
ing line.  After  due  reflection  I  decided  to  start  as  a 
launderer,  specialising  in  washing  shirts  at  ten  pfennigs, 
or  one  penny,  apiece.  A  shirt  dresser  was  certainly 
in  request  because  the  majority  of  the  prisoners, 
possessing  only  a  severely  limited  stock,  were  compelled 
to  wear  the  one  garment  continuously  for  several 
weeks.  At  the  end  of  that  time  it  was  generally 
discarded  once  and  for  all.  But  the  shirts  I  found  to 
be  extremely  soiled,  and  demanded  such  hard  and 
prolonged  scrubbing,  in  which  operation  an  uncons- 
cionably large  amount  of  soap  was  consumed,  that  I 
found  the  enterprise  to  be  absolutely  unprofitable, 
while  I  received  little  else  than  a  stiff,  sore  back  and 
soft  hands.  So  this  first  venture,  after  bringing  in  a 
few  hard-earned  shillings,  was  abandoned. 

Then  I  undertook  to  wash  up  the  table  utensils, 
charging  a  party  twopence  per  meal.  This  would 
have  brought  me  greater  reward  had  I  adhered  to  my 
original  intention.  But  one  day  the  member  of  a  party 
genially  suggested,  "  We'll  toss  for  it  !  Twopence 
or  nothing  1"  I  accepted  the  offer  good-humouredly 
and — lost  !  By  accepting  this  sporting  recommenda- 
tion I  unfortunately  established  a  ruinous  precedent. 
The  practice  became  general,  and  I,  having  a  wretched 
run  of  bad  luck,  found  that,  all  things  considered,  it 
would  be  better  for  my  hands  and  pocket  if  I  were  to 
look  farther  afield  for  some  other  enterprise. 

My  third  attempt  to  woo  Fortune  was  to  set  myself 
up  as  a  dealer  in  cast-off  boots  and  shoes,  my  idea 
being  to  buy,  sell  and  exchange.  To  my  chagrin  I 
speedily  discovered  that  this  calling  demanded  un- 
limited capital,  because  it  was  easier  to  buy  than  to 
sell  or  to  exchange.  Seeing  that  the  average  price  I 
was  prepared  to  pay  was  one  shilling  per  pair,  and  the 
state  of  excruciating  depression  which  prevailed  in  this 
field,  I  conjured  visions  of  immense  stocks  of  second- 
hand boots,  representing  a  heavy  investment  of  capital, 


HOW   I   MADE   MONEY  303 

which  would  lie  idle  for  an  indefinite  period.  So  I 
retired  discreetly  from  the  second-hand  boot  and  shoe 
trade  to  seek  more  promising  pastures. 

While  pondering  over  the  situation  a  happy  idea 
struck  me.  In  my  younger  days  I  had  practised 
engraving,  intending  to  adopt  it  as  a  trade.  I  devoted 
some  six  years  to  the  craft  and  had  achieved  a  measure 
of  success  and  dexterity.  Thereupon .  I  decided  to 
launch  out  in  this  direction.  Although  I  felt  that  my 
hand  had  lost  some  of  its  cunning  through  lack  of 
practice — I  had  not  touched  an  engraving  tool  for 
about  thirteen  years — I  decided  to  take  the  risk, 
feeling  sure  that  it  would  soon  return  when  I  settled 
down  to  the  fascinating  work  in  grim  earnest. 

I  confided  my  intention  to  one  or  two  of  my  friends, 

but  the  majority,  except  my  bosom  chum  K ,  who 

is  a  far-seeing  business  man,  with  their  innate  shrewd- 
ness, wanted  to  know  where  I  was  going  to  get  any 
custom  in  such  a  place  as  Ruhleben  Camp.  I  explained 
that  my  idea  was  to  engrave  watches,  coins,  studs 
links,  indeed  any  article  which  the  prisoners  possessed, 
thus  converting  them  into  interesting  souvenirs  of 
their  sojourn  in  a  German  prisoners'  camp  during  the 

Great  War.     But  with  the  exception  of  K they 

declined  to  see  eye  to  eye  with  me.  Still  I  was  not  to 
be  dissuaded,  and  consequently  decided  to  commence 
operations  upon  my  own  initiative. 

I  was  in  a  quandary.     I  had  not  sufficient  capital 

to   buy   the   necessary   tools.     However,    K ,    as 

usual,  came  to  my  assistance  by  financing  me  to  the 
extent  of  seven-and-six  pence  !  This  money  I  laid  out 
upon  tools, 

Now  I  was  con- 
fronted with  another  problem.  How  was  I  to  keep  the 
tools  in  the  necessary  sharpened  condition.  The  only 
stone  I  could  borrow  was  quite  useless  for  engraving 
tools,  while  cutting  plays  such  havoc  with  the  edges 
of  the  tools  as  to  demand  frequent  recourse  to  sharpen- 
ing operations.  However  this  obstacle  did  not  daunt 


304  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

me.  I  found  that  with  a  sufficient  expenditure  of 
energy  I  could  get  a  passably  sharp  edge  for  my  purpose 
by  grinding  the  tools  on  the  floor  and  finishing  them 
off  upon  a  razor  strop  which  I  borrowed. 

Now  I  had  to  seek  for  eligible  premises.  I  sauntered 
round  the  camp  to  alight  upon  a  tiny  vacant  building. 
As  it  appeared  to  have  no  owner,  and  was  fulfilling  no 
useful  purpose  I  entered  into  possession.  Directly 
I  had  installed  myself  the  authorities  came  along  and 
unceremoniously  ejected  me,  bag  and  baggage.  As 
soon  as  their  backs  were  turned  I  re-entered  into 
occupation.  I  was  thrown  out  a  second  time,  but 
still  as  resolutely  determined  as  ever  to  continue  my 
project  I  cast  around  and  ultimately  found  an  empty 
kiosk,  standing  forlorn  and  neglected,  a  silent  memory 
of  the  brisk  racing  days  at  Ruhleben  in  pre-war  times. 
I  installed  myself  therein,  not  caring  two  straws  whether 
the  authorities  endeavoured  to  turn  me  out  or  not. 
They  would  have  to  smash  the  place  over  my  head 
before  they  evicted  me  this  time,  but  they  were  scarcely 
likely  to  proceed  to  such  extreme  measures  seeing  that 
they  would  have  had  to  break  up  their  own  property. 

Numerous  jealous  individuals  attempted  to  eject 
me  time  after  time  but  I  sat  tight.  I  remember  one 
tender  and  amiable  official  who  endeavoured  to  convince 
me  that  the  kiosk  and  other  similar  buildings  were 
under  his  charge,  and  that  he  was  responsible  for  them. 
As  he  narrated  the  situation  I  observed  that  he  kept 
the  open  palm  of  his  hand  extended  before  me.  When 
he  found  this  broad  hint  to  be  of  no  avail  he  ordered 
me  out  of  the  building.  Turning  to  him  I  suggested, 
in  as  suave  a  voice  as  I  could  command,  that  he  should 
accompany  me  to  the  "  Wachter  "  to  ascertain  the 
extent  of  his  responsibilities  and  to  have  the  matter 
thrashed  out  once  and  for  all.  Needless  to  say  he 
declined  this  invitation,  protesting  that  it  was  un- 
necessary. He  invited  me  to  retain  occupation  of  the 
kiosk.  My  bluff  completely  outwitted  the  official  in 
question,  while  I  achieved  my  end  for  once  without 


HOW   I   MADE   MONEY  305 

recourse  to  bribery  and  corruption  of  the  official 
Teuton  mind. 

Several  subsequent  attempts  were  made  to  coax  me 
out  of  my  tenancy,  but  I  may  say  that  in  sticking  to 
the  building  I  played  the  Germans  at  their  own  game. 
When  the  guard  came  up  and  authoritatively  demanded 
by  what  manner  of  right  or  permission  I  had  taken 
possession  of  the  kiosk  I  politely  referred  him  to  a 
certain  officer  in  the  camp.  When  the  latter,  upon 
receiving  the  complaint,  interrogated  me  in  a  similar 
vein,  I  referred  him  to  another  official.  When  this 
third  individual  appeared  upon  the  scene  I  switched 
him  off  to  another  officer.  By  playing  off  the  officials 
one  against  the  other  in  this  manner  I  precipitated 
such  a  tangle  among  them  that  no  single  official  could 
say  whether  he  had  or  had  not  given  me  permission. 
WThile  these  tactics  were  being  pursued  I  was  gaining 
the  valuable  time  I  desired,  and  took  the  opportunity 
to  entrench  myself  firmly  in  my  position.  The  out- 
come was  that  when  finally  the  matter  had  been  trotted 
through  the  Ruhleben"  German  Circumlocution  Office, 
and  my  eviction  was  officially  sealed,  I  warded  off  the 
fate'J  by  announcing  that  I  was  overwhelmed  with 
engraving  orders  for  the  military  officers  of  the  camp. 
It  was  a  desperate  bluff,  but  it  succeeded.  Officialdom 
apparently  decided  that  I  was  better  left  alone,  so  I 
suffered  no  further  molestation. 

The  whole  of  the  night  before  opening  my  engraving 
business  I  sat  up  writing  flaring  signs  and  tickets  to 
advertise  my  intentions  far  and  wide,  and  soliciting 
the  favour^of  orders  which  under  my  hand  would 
convert  this  or  that  object  into  a  priceless  souvenir  of 
our  novel  experience.  I  also  canvassed  the  camp  to 
explain  my  ideas,  and,  as  I  expected,  orders  commenced 
to  flow  in.  The  souvenir  idea  caught  on  to  such  fa 
degree  as  to  compel  me  to  take  in  two  fellow-prisoners, 
who  evinced  an  aptitude  for  the  work,  as  apprentices, 
and  they  speedily  blossomed  into  craftsmen.  My(first 
week  told  me  I  had  struck  the  correct  money-making 


306  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

line  at  last.  I  found  I  had  scooped  in  200  marks — 
£10  I  This  was  not  bad  for  the  first  week's  trading 
and  I  entertained  no  apprehensions  concerning  the 
future.  Out  of  this  sum  I  was  able  to  repay  many 
little  debts  I  had  incurred. 

The  business  developed  so  rapidly  that  an  extension 
of  premises  became  urgent.  I  rigged  up  an  addition 
to  the  kiosk,  but  it  had  to  be  of  a  portable  character, 
so  that  it  could  be  taken  down  every  evening.  As  I 
found  my  time  was  so  occupied  I  reluctantly  decided 
to  keep  only  to  the  kiosk.  I  dressed  its  interior  with 
shelves  and  further  improved  my  premises  by 
contriving  show  cases  for  attachment  outside. 

When  I  felt  my  feet  I  blossomed  out  in  various 
directions.  I  bought  a  small  stock  of  odds  and  ends 
in  the  cheap  jewellery  line,  which  were  suitably 
engraved.  Button  decorations  was  one  line  I  took  up 
and  these  sold  like  wildfire.  There  was  plenty  of 
money  in  the  camp,  some  of  the  prisoners  being 
extremely  wealthy,  and  this  explains  why  my  trade 
flourished  so  amazingly.  Indeed,  the  results  exceeded 
even  my  most  sanguine  anticipations. 

One  branch  of  my  fertility  nearly  landed  me  into 
serious  trouble.  I  fashioned  souvenirs  out  of  German 
coins.  I  erased  the  Imperial  head  and  in  its  place 
engraved  a  suitable  inscription.  When  the  deface- 
ment of  the  money  was  discovered  there  was  a  fearful 
uproar,  but  as  usual  I  contrived  to  escape  the  terrible 
punishment  which  was  threatened. 

Naturally  one  will  wonder  how  it  was  I  secured  my 
supplies,  seeing  that  purchases  outside  the  camp  were 
forbidden  except  through  the  officially  approved 
channels.  While  it  is  inadvisable  for  me  to  relate  how 
I  did  secure  my  varied  stocks  I  may  state  that  I  never 
experienced  any  disappointment  or  even  a  hitch  in 
this  connection.  Time  after  time  I  was  taxed  by 
military  individuals,  eager  to  secure  incriminating 
evidence,  but  although  they  cajoled,  coaxed  and 
threatened  I  could  not  be  induced  to  betray  my  secret. 


HOW   I    MADE   MONEY  307 

Indeed,  at  last,  I  point-blank  refused  to  furnish  any 
information  upon  this  matter  whatever,  and  with  this 
adamantine  decision  they  were  forced  to  remain  con- 
tent. Doubtless  they  had  their  suspicions  but  it  was 
impossible  to  bring  anything  home  to  me  and  so  I  was 
left  in  peace. 

From  cheap  jewellery  I  advanced  to  more  costly 
articles.  I  purchased  a  job  lot  of  silver  wrist  watches 
from  a  Jew  who  had  gone  "  broke/'  and  these  I  cleared 
out  within  a  very  short  time.  I  always  paid  spot  cash 
and  that  was  an  overwhelming  factor  in  my  favour. 
Indeed,  my  trading  operations  became  so  striking  that 
my  name  and  business  proceeded  far  beyond  the 
confines  of  the  camp.  Within  a  few  weeks  of  opening 
my  shop  I  was  receiving  calls  from  men  in  the  camp 
who  were  acting  as  representatives  for  some  of  the 
foremost  Jewish  wholesale  houses  in  Germany,  and 
they  were  almost  fighting  among  themselves  to  secure 
my  patronage.  My  biggest  individual  purchasing  deal 
was  a  single  lot  of  jewellery  for  which  I  paid  nearly 
1,000  marks — £50  !  From  this,  bearing  in  mind  the 
difficulties  which  I  had  to  overcome  in  securing 
delivery,  it  is  possible -to  gain  some  idea  of  the  brisk 
trade  I  was  doing. 

Everything  and  anything  capable  of  being  converted 
into  a  souvenir  by  the  dexterous  use  of  the  engraving 
tool  was  handled  by  me  indiscriminately.  I  bought  a 
large  consignment  of  briar  pipes.  Upon  the  bowls  of 
these  I  cut  a  suitable  inscription  and  filled  the  incisions 
with  enamel.  These  caught  the  fancy  of  the  smokers 
and  I  soon  found  my  stock  exhausted.  As  things 
developed  I  became  more  ambitious,  although  not 
reckless,  until  at  last  I  had  articles  ranging  up  to  £30 
in  price  upon  my  shelves,  in  the  disposal  of  which  I 
experienced  very  little  difficulty. 

My  shop  became  my  one  absorbing  hobby  although 
it  boasted  no  pretensions.  I  contrived  attractive 
show  cases,  some  from  egg-boxes,  emblazoning  the 
exterior  with  striking  show  cards  and  signs  which  I 


308  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

executed  in  the  confines  of  my  horse-box  in  the  barracks 
after  my  comrades  had  gone  to  sleep.  Not  satisfied 
with  this  development  I  lighted  the  building  brilliantly 
by  means  of  electric  lamps  and  a  large  flame  acetylene 
lamp. 

I  did  not  confine  myself  to  any  one  line  of  goods,  but 
handled  any  thing  capable  of  being  turned  into  money 
quickly.  Tn  some  instances  I  had  to  resort  to  extreme 
subterfuge  to  outwit  the  authorities.  On  one  occasion 
I  purchased  a  consignment  of  silk  Union  Jacks  for 
wearing  in  the  lapel  of  the  coat.  I  knew  full  well  that 
if  I  placed  these  on  sale  in  my  shop  the  stern  hand  of 
authority  would  swoop  down  swiftly  and  confiscate 
the  hated  emblem  without  the  slightest  compunction. 
So  I  evolved  a  special  means  of  clearing  them  out  and 
that  within  a  very  few  minutes. 

I  went  round  to  each  barrack  and  button-holed  a 
capable  man  to  undertake  to  sell  a  certain  number  of 
the  flags  among  the  prisoners  domiciled  in  his  building. 
On  the  offer  of  a  good  commission  the  man  was  ready 
to  incur  great  risks,  although  there  was  no  risk  in  my 
plan.  Each  man  thus  received  a  territorial  right  as  it 
were,  and  was  protected  against  competition.  The 
price  was  fixed  and  the  arrangements  for  effecting  the 
sale  carefully  drawn  up.  After  the  morning  parade, 
the  custom  was  to  dismiss  us  to  our  barracks  a  few 
minutes  before  nine  o'clock.  We  were  compelled  to 
stay  within  doors  for  some  twenty  minutes  or  so.  This 
I  decided  to  be  the  opportune  occasion  to  unload  my 
stock.  I  enjoined  every  vendor,  when  I  handed  him 
his  stock  overnight,  to  be  on  the  alert  in  the  morning, 
and  as  the  clock  struck  nine  to  pass  swiftly  from  man 
to  man  with  his  flags.  The  favour  was  a  distinct 
novelty  and  I  was  positive  they  would  sell  like  hot 
cakes. 

The  scheme  proved  a  howling  success.  Within  five 
minutes  after  the  appointed  hour  every  man  had  been 
cleared  out.  The  flags  were  triumphantly  pinned  to 
the  lapels  of  the  coats.  When  the  prisoners  re 


HOW   I    MADE   MONEY  309 

emerged  from  the  barracks  the  guards  were  astounded 
by  the  brilliant  display  of  Union  Jacks.  The  array 
was  so  imposing  that  the  authorities  even  realised  the 
futility  of  stopping  each  prisoner  in  turn  to  rob  him 
of  his  prize.  In  this  manner  I  got  rid  of  several 
hundreds  of  the  little  trophies  in  one  swoop. 

As  may  be  imagined  there  was  an  enquiry  to  ascertain 
how  these  flags  had  been  introduced  into  the  camp. 
The  prisoners  were  interrogated,  but  no  prisoner 
appeared  to  know  anything  about  the  matter.  He 
invariably  retorted  that  he  had  purchased  it  from 
"  some  fellow  or  other  "  and  had  stuck  it  in  his  button- 
hole. Never  for  a  moment  did  the  authorities  suspect 
that  I  had  anything  to  do  with  the  transaction.  It 
was  out  of  my  ostensible  line,  so  that  I  escaped 
suspicion.  The  chortling  which  took  place  at  the  com- 
plete discomfiture  of  the  authorities  and  the  manner 
in  which  they  had  been  outwitted  is  recalled  vividly 
to  this  day.  It  was  one  of  many  incidents  which 
served  to  vary  the  monotony  of  camp  life. 


310  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 


On  August  Bank  Holiday,  1915,  the  authorities 
considerately  permitted  us  to  have  a  day's  junketting. 
We  were  to  be  at  liberty  to  do  exactly  as  we  pleased. 
Indeed,  we  were  urged  to  enjoy  ourselves  thoroughly 
and  we  did  not  require  a  second  urging.  The  football 
ground  was  converted  into  a  fair.  No  restrictions 
whatever  were  imposed  upon  us.  The  authorities 
themselves  were  so  enthused  with  this  concession  to 
us  as  to  give  us  several  days'  notice  of  their  intentions 
to  enable  us  to  make  any  preparations  we  considered 
fit,  while  we  were  not  faced  with  any  obstacles  in  the 
rigging  up  of  side-shows,  gambling  halls  and  what  not. 

The  concession  was  particularly  attractive  to  me,  as 
I  recalled  that  it  was  upon  the  previous  August  Bank 
Holiday  I  had  been  arrested  on  the  charge  of  espionage 
and  consigned  to  Wesel  Prison.  The  rivalry  amongst 
us  was  astonishing,  while  there  were  many  wonderful 
manifestations  of  fertility  and  ingenuity.  One 
prisoner  spent  1,000  marks — £50 — in  rigging  up  his 
booth,  which  was  somewhat  reminiscent  of  an  Aunt 
Sally  at  home.  My  two  friends,  K and  F , 


HOW   I   MADE   MONEY 

contrived  a  golfing  game  which  proved  a  huge  financial 
success.  I  myself  rigged  up  a  billiard  table  on  which 
was  played  a  very  unorthodox  game  of  billiards,  and 
which,  because  of  its  departure  from  conventionality, 
created  a  sensation.  It  was  really  a  revival  of  a 
game  or  wheeze  which  I  had  learned  many  years 
before. 

The  billiard  table  was  contrived  from  the  wooden 
sides  to  my  bed.  I  secured  them  side  by  side  to  give 
a  flat  surface  6  feet  long  by  5  feet  wide.  Over  the 
upper  surface  I  stretched  and  tacked  down  a  sheet  to 
form  the  cloth.  I  bought  a  broomstick  and  with  the 
assistance  of  the  camp  carpenter  shaved  it  down  to 
form  a  passable  cue,  tipping  the  end  with  a  small  piece 
of  leather  cut  from  my  boot.  The  table  was  rigged  up 
in  the  open  air,  boxes  and  barrels  serving  as  the  legs, 
while  it  was  levelled  as  far  as  practicable.  There  was 
only  one  ball.  At  the  opposite  end — on  the  spot — I 
placed  two  match-boxes  set  at  an  angle  to  one  another 
and  just  sufficiently  far  apart  to  prevent  the  ball 
passing  between  them.  The  unusual  game  was  to 
play  the  ball  at  the  boxes  in  such  a  manner  as  to  knock 
both  of  them  over  together.  It  seems  a  simple  thing 
to  do,  but  I  would  merely  advise  the  reader  to  try  it. 
Probably  he  will  learn  something  to  his  advantage. 

I  assumed  fancy  dress.  I  secured  a  big  top  hat,  a 
pair  of  trousers  much  too  baggy  and  big  for  me,  a 
swallow-tail  coat  with  tails  formed  of  white  and  red 
strips — a  regular  Uncle  Sam's  costume — had  a  big 
flaming  bow  about  twelve  inches  in  width  and  a 
ridiculous  monocle.  I  think  my  rig-out  transformed 
me  into  a  hybrid  of  Brother  Jonathan,  Charlie  Chaplin 
and  an  English  dude.  My  dress  was  completed  by  a 
biscuit  tin  suspended  by  a  band  from  my  shoulder  and 
in  which  I  rattled  my  money.  On  the  face  of  the  tin 
I  wrote — 

Come  along  !     Come  along  1  !    Come  along  !  !  ! 

Always  open  to  make.    Always  open  to  lose. 
Come  along  B'hoys  ! 


312  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

I  then  stood  on  a  box  and  told  the  tale  characteristic 
of  a  man  at  the  fair  for  the  first  tune  in  my 
life. 

Seeing  that  I  was  the  only  man  attired  in  fancy  dress 
I  became  the  centre  of  attraction  as  I  desired  and  as 
much  among  the  guards  who  mixed  and  joked  with  us 
freely  on  this  Great  Day,  as  among  my  fellow-prisoners. 
It  also  served  as  a  striking  advertisement  for  my  game 
of  unconventional  billiards,  which  was  my  intention. 
My  terms  were  ten  pfennigs — one  penny — a  shot  and 
round  my  table  the  fun  grew  fast  and  furious.  It 
seemed  so  absurdly  easy  to  knock  the  two  boxes  down 
at  once,  but  when  the  billiard  experts  settled  down  to 
the  game  they  found  that  only  about  one  shot  in  fifty 
proved  successful.  Indeed  the  ability  to  knock  the 
two  boxes  over  simultaneously  was  found  to  be  so 
difficult  as  to  be  exasperatingly  fascinating,  and  as  a 
result  of  their  repeated  and  abortive  efforts  I  made 
money  quickly.  The  table  was  kept  going  hard  the 
whole  day,  by  the  end  of  which  I  found  I  had  raked  in 
several  pounds  in  nimble  pennies. 

The  other  side-shows  also  did  excellent  business, 
especially  the  gambling  tables  where  roulette  was  in 
full  swing.  At  the  end  of  the  day  all  the  roulette 
boards  and  other  gambling  impedimenta  were  con- 
fiscated. This  was  the  arrangement.  But  between 
sunrise  and  sunset  we  did  not  suffer  the  slightest 
interference  with  our  enjoyment  and  merriment.  This 
unexpected  spell  of  free  action  revived  the  spirits  of 
the  prisoners  to  a  remarkable  degree,  and  we  were  all 
warmly  grateful  to  the  German  authorities  for  allowing 
us  to  do  and  to  enjoy  ourselves  exactly  as  we  pleased 
for  even  one  brief  day.  It  was  a  Bank  Holiday  accord- 
ing to  the  British  interpretation  of  the  term,  and  I, 
in  common  with  all  my  fellow-prisoners,  must  certainly 
admit  that  it  was  the  j  oiliest  day  I  remember  during 
the  whole  period  of  my  incarceration,  and  the  only  day 
on  which  we  were  allowed  to  indulge  in  sport  ad  lib. 
and  according  to  the  dictates  of  our  fancies.  I  mention 


HOW   I   MADE   MONEY  3*3 

this  concession  because  I  am  anxious  to  give  credit  to 
the  Germans  where  it  is  due. 


3T4  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 


I  was  not  only  making  sufficient  money  out  of  my 
various  commercial  transactions  to  keep  myself  in 
clover  within  the  camp,  but  I  was  successful  in  finding 
means  to  remit  some  of  my  income,  earned  in  Ruhleben, 
to  England  "  To  keep  the  Home  Fires  Burning."  This 
I  considered  to  be  a  distinct  achievement,  especially 
as  I  was  making  it  at  the  expense  of  my  captors. 

Only  once  did  I  have  an  acute  shock.  It  was  at 
the  time  when  the  Germans  were  making  such  frantic 
efforts  to  rake  in  all  the  gold  upon  which  they  could 
place  their  hands.  In  my  stock  was  a  certain  gold 
article  which  had  cost  me  £30,  as  well  as  another  item 
also  of  this  metal  which  I  had  secured  at  the  low  price 
of  £20.  An  officer  swooped  down  upon  my  kiosk  and 
went  through  my  stock.  I  trembled  as  to  what  would 
happen  when  he  alighted  upon  the  two  valuable  articles. 
He  picked  up  the  first  named  article,  examined  the 
metal  critically,  and  then  asked  me  how  much  I  wanted 
for  it. 

"  Three  marks  !  "  I  ventured  nonchalantly,  with  a 
view  to  taking  him  off  his  guard. 

"  But  it's  gold,"  he  persisted,  staggered  at  the  idea 
of  being  able  to  buy  such  an  adornment  for  the  trivial 
sum  of  three  shillings. 

My  heart  thumped  as  he  held  the  article  hesitatingly. 
If  he  offered  me  throe  shillings  for  it  I  should  be  bound 


HOW   I    MADE   MONEY  315 

to  accept  it  in  which  event  I  should  be  a  heavy  loser 
over  the  deal.  So  I  went  on  desperately  : 

"  Well,  if  you  think  it's  gold  why  don't  you  buy  it 
for  three  marks  ?  I  will  give  no  guarantee,  so  don't 
come  back  and  say  it's  only  metal !  "  Then  assuming 
a  deprecating  tone  I  continued :  "  It  is  got  up  only 
for  show.  It  looks  very  pretty,  but  you  couldn't 
give  it  to  a  lady  !  " 

jiyie  appeared  to  be  quite  satisfied  because  he  replaced 
it~  while  when  he  picked  up  the  other  item  I  pitched  a' 
corresponding  yarn.  After  he  had  taken  his  departure 
I  promptly  transferred  the  two  articles  to^a  place  of 
safety  in  case  he  should  take  it  into  his  head  to  make 
another  examination. 

It  was  on  June  i  when  I  embarked  upon  my  engraving 
venture,  and  my  two  apprentices  and  myself  were  kept 
hard  at  it  the  livelong  day,  the  pressure  of  business 
being  so  great.  My  own  working  hours,  so  long  as 
daylight  permitted,  were  from  5  a.m.  to  9  p.m.  About 
September  I  concluded  the  moment  to  be  ripe  to  con- 
summate my  one  absorbing  idea — to  get  home.  I 
was  now  in  a  position  financially  to  complete  the  plans 
I  had  laid  long  since.  I  had  to  tread  warily,  but  by 
the  end  of  October  I  was  secure  in  my  position.  Still, 
although  confident  of  success,  I  did  not  relax  my  interest 
in  business,  because  my  plans  were  just  as  likely  to  go 
wrong  as  to  succeed  at  the  last  minute.  Moreover 
at  the  end  of  November  I  had  the  intense  satisfaction 
of  learning  that  my  profit  as  a  result  of  five  months' 
trading  was  £150  !  I  considered  this  to  be  extremely 
satisfactory.  An  average  profit  of  £j  los.  per  week 
exceeded  my  rosiest  anticipations,  and  it  now  seems 
additionally  remarkable  when  I  recall  the  limited 
confines  and  the  restricted  clientele  of  Ruhleben  Camp. 
But  the  greatest  satisfaction  I  have  is  knowing  that  I 
completely  outwitted  my  oppressors,  because  I  was  not 
supposed  to  trade  as  I  did.  It  was  a  telling  example 
ef  stolen  fruits  being  the  sweetest. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

HOW  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  WAS  DECEIVED 

As  is  well  known  the  British  prisoners  in  Germany 
have  only  one  person  within  the  Central  Empires  to 
whom  they  can  appeal  for  protection,  and  through 
whose  good  offices  alone  they  are  able  to  secure  redress 
of  their  grievances.  This  is  Mr.  Gerard,  the  Ambassador 
of  the  United  States  of  America  to  Germany.  Mr. 
Gerard  has  toiled  indefatigably  and  unremittingly 
upon  our  behalf.  In  his  magnanimity  and  determina- 
tion to  give  a  square  deal  all  round,  he  has  made  the 
signal  error  of  accrediting  the  Germans  with  being  a 
highly-developed,  civilised,  and  cultivated  race. 

Unfortunately  for  Mr.  Gerard's  sense  of  duty  the 
German  does  not  accept  the  principles  of  the  precept, 
"  Do  unto  others  as  you  would  others  should  do  unto 
you,"  but  has  evolved  a  code  of  his  own  construction 
which  is  peculiarly  Teutonic — "  Do  unto  others  as 
you  know  others  will  not  dare  or  deign  to  do  unto  you  1  " 
The  American  Ambassador  has  always  responded 
promptly  to  any  calls  for  his  intercession  and  has  ever 
listened  courteously  and  patiently  to  tales  of  woe. 
Whenever  he  has  considered  the  complaint  to  be  well- 
founded  he  has  spared  no  effort  to  secure  an  immediate 
improvement  in  conditions.  Yet  it  is  to  be  feared 
that  many  of  his  recommendations  have  never  been, 
or  have  only  been  partially  and  indifferently,  carried 
into  effect. 

In  his  determination  to  hold  the  scales  of  justice 
evenly  Mr.  Gerard  has  been  prone  to  accept  the  German 
at  his  own  valuation.  Every  prisoner  in  Germany 
to-day  knows  from  painful  experience  that  the  Teuton's 

316 


AMERICAN   AMBASSADOR   DECEIVED  317 

word  counts  for  nothing ;  it  is  not  worth  the  breath 
expended  upon  its  utterance,  or  the  paper  upon  which 
it  is  written.  The  German  is  an  unprincipled  liar 
and  an  unmitigated  bluffer,  in  which  art,  if  such  it 
may  be  called,  he  has  become  a  super-master. 

The  German  has  always  laughed,  and  still  is  laughing 
up  his  sleeve  at  the  courteous  American  diplomat. 
The  imperial  authorities  have  never  hesitated  to  throw 
dust  in  his  eyes  and  to  outwit  him  when  the  occasion 
suited  their  purpose.  Indeed,  they  scheme  deliber- 
ately and  unceasingly  to  side-track  him  and  to  prevent 
the  true  conditions  and  affairs  penetrating  to  his  know- 
ledge. 

I  had  one  striking  instance  of  this  carefully  premedi- 
tated and  unscrupulous  gulling  and  thwarting  of  the 
American  Embassy.  The  accidental  discovery  of  the 
circumstance  that  the  baseless  charge  of  espionage 
levelled  against  me  was  still  hanging  over  my  head 
somewhat  worried  me.  I  ascertained  one  exceedingly 
disturbing  fact  which  was  communicated  to  me  within 
the  camp.  Had  I  committed  any  offence,  no  matter 
how  trivial,  while  in  the  camps,  I  should  not  have 
been  arraigned  upon  that  particular  delinquency,  but, 
in  all  probability,  would  have  had  the  original  charge 
retrumped  up  against  me.  I  learned  that  this  was  the 
German  practice.  Moreover,  the  old  charge  was 
liable  to  be  trotted  out  at  any  odd  moment  at  the  caprice 
of  my  oppressors.  The  authorities  had  never  acquitted 
me  of  being  a  spy.  On  the  other  hand  they  had  never 
pronounced  me  guilty.  I  was  forced  to  accept  the 
former  interpretation  from  my  transference  to  the 
internment  camps,  as  if  I  had  been  merely  a  detained 
civilian.  My  reasons  for  believing  that  I  had  been 
acquitted  of  the  grave  charge  were  supported  by 
the  fact  that  in  Germany,  a  person  who  has  been  found 
guilty  of  espionage,  and  who  escapes  the  death 
penalty,  is  condemned  to  solitary  confinement  in  a 
military  prison. 

The  charge  of  espionage  being  in  a  condition  of 


3i8  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

suspended  animation  as  it  might  be  termed,  coupled 
with  the  fact  that  no  one  knew  whenever,  wherever, 
and  how  it  might  suddenly  be  revived  to  my  detri- 
ment, did  not  conduce  to  my  peace  of  mind.  On  one 
occasion  I  received  a  pretty  rude  shock.  I  filled  up 
an  application  for  release  upon  medical  grounds,  but 
upon  being  summoned  before  the  authorities  I  was  told 
point-blank  that  I  should  be  kept  a  prisoner  until 
the  end  of  the  war,  exchange  or  no  exchange. 

The  uncertainty  became  intolerable.  I  wrote  a 
lengthy  letter  to  the  American  Ambassador  explaining 
my  unfortunate  and  doubtful  position  and  expressing 
the  hope  that  he  might  be  able  to  bring  the  matter 
to  a  decision.  In  common  with  my  fellow-prisoners, 
I  had  always  cherished  the  belief  that  a  letter  addressed 
to  the  American  Embassy  was  regarded  as  confidential 
and  inviolable  ;  at  all  events  was  not  to  be  opened, 
except  with  the  express  permission  of  the  prisoner  or 
the  Ambassador.  But  my  faith  was  rudely  dispelled. 
I  dispatched  my  communication  only  to  receive  a 
curt  summons  to  appear  before  an  officer,  who  bluntly 
informed  me  that  my  letter  could  not  be  sent  to  the 
Embassy  because  it  was  sealed.  It  was  handed  back 
to  me  with  the  injunction  that  the  envelope  must  be 
left  open. 

Now,  if  letters  containing  complaints  and  addressed 
to  our  sole  Protector  are  sent  unsealed  it  is  only  logical 
to  assume  that  the  German  officials  apprise  themselves 
of  the  character  of  the  "  grouse."  By  so  doing  they 
become  as  wise  as  the  Ambassador — if  the  letter  ever 
reaches  him.  By  having  access  to  all  communications, 
a  letter  is  permitted  to  go  forward  if  it  suits  the  officials, 
but  not  before  they  have  made  a  note  of  the  grievance 
in  order  to  be  able  to  take  the  necessary  remedial  steps 
before  the  Ambassador  intervenes. 

In  my  particular  instance  I  prepared  a  lengthy 
explanatory  communication,  requesting  an  audience 
if  at  all  possible.  The  letter  was  so  worded  as  to  compel 
an  acknowledgment,  unless  the  Germans  were  disposed 


AMERICAN   AMBASSADOR   DECEIVED  319 

to  suffer  exposure  of  their  methods  and  duplicity. 
In  due  course  a  representative  appeared.  He  seemed 
to  have  only  a  hazy  recollection  of  my  communication 
so  I  related  all  the  essential  details  to  him.  I  was  more 
than  positive  that  the  German  authorities  had  filed  a 
copy  of  my  letter  because  their  attitude  towards  me 
changed  suddenly  and  adversely,  and  by  a  strange 
coincidence  this  metamorphosis  agreed  with  the  date 
on  which  I  had  dispatched  my  communication  to  the 
Embassy. 

I  urged  the  representative  to  ascertain  whether  I 
had,  or  had  not,  been  acquitted  of  the  espionage 
charge.  I  particularly  desired  the  official  acquittal  in 
writing  from  Wesel,  because  it  would  be  of  far-reaching 
value  in  the  event  of  my  being  haled  before  the  authori- 
ties upon  some  other  flimsy  offence.  He  listened 
attentively  and  sympathetically,  appreciated  the 
situation  as  it  affected  me  personally  and  promised 
to  do  everything  he  could  on  my  behalf.  But  evidently, 
subsequent  conversation  with  the  Teuton  authorities 
exercised  the  desired  German  effect.  A  few  days  later 
I  received  a  curt  acknowledgment  saying  that  my 
affair,  which  was  somewhat  unusual,  was  purely  one  for 
military  decision.  I  was  also  informed  that  the 
papers  referring  to  my  case  were  at  Wesel  fortress,  and 
I  was  advised  to  write  direct  to  the  Commandant  at 
the  military  centre  for  them.  With  this  consolation, 
if  such  it  can  be  called,  I  had  to  rest  content. 

The  fact  that  I  have  never  heard  another  word 
upon  the  subject  from  that  day  to  this  proves  conclu- 
sively that  the  authorities,  although  doubtless  profuse 
in  their  apologies  and  regrets  to  the  Ambassador 
over  the  delay,  and  unctuous  in  their  promises  to  settle 
the  issue  immediately,  never  really  intended  to  stir 
another  finger  in  this  direction.  No  one  disturbed 
the  official  serenity  and  forthwith  the  whole  question 
was  permitted  to  slide  and  to  be  forgotten  in  accordance 
with  German  machinations. 

Upon  the  receipt  of  the  ambassadorial  letter  I  was 


320  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

inclined  to  stir  up  the  whole  issue  for  all  I  knew  how, 
but  upon  second  thoughts  I  refrained  from  pursuing 
the  matter  any  further.  I  had  thoroughly  made  up 
my  mind  as  to  the  course  of  action  which  I  would 
take,  and  so  concluded  that  it  would  be  far  better 
from  my  point  of  view  to  "  let  sleeping  dogs  lie." 
I  think  my  attitude  must  have  completely  disarmed 
the  Germans.  To  them  I  assumed  an  air  of  complete 
resignation,  but  all  the  time  I  was  working  silently 
and  zealously  towards  my  own  salvation. 

At  frequent  intervals  the  emissary  from  the  Embassy 
visited  us.  He  was  invariably  received  graciously 
by  Baron  von  Taube,  whom  we  facetiously  dubbed 
Baron  von  Facing-both-ways,  and  other  members  of 
his  staff  to  form  as  escort  through  the  camp.  The 
representative  thus  saw  and  heard  exactly  as  much 
as  the  authorities  determined  should  be  the  case 
and  nothing  more.  Whenever  he  was  disposed  to 
become  uncomfortably  inquisitive  he  was  deftly  steered 
clear  of  the  troubled  waters.  We  were  told  that  we 
were  quite  at  liberty  to  speak  to  the  Ambassador  if 
we  desired,  but  unofficially  we  were  warned  to  think 
twice  before  we  took  such  a  step,  the  hint  being  thrown 
out  that  it  would  be  better  for  us  to  refrain  from 
talking  to  him  unless  first  questioned.  The  shallow- 
ness  of  the  official  decree  was  vividly  brought  home 
to  us  when  we  were  forcibly  confined  to  barracks,  and 
this  frequently  occurred  while  the  ambassadorial 
visitor  was  in  the  camp. 

On  one  occasion  complaints  concerning  the  living 
quarters  were  made.  The  representative  came  and 
explained  the  object  of  his  mission  to  the  Commanding 
Officer.  Ostensibly  this  worthy  was  overwhelmed  with 
surprise  at  any  such  grievance  having  been  formulated, 
although,  as  a  matter  of  fact  he  knew  full  well  why 
the  representative  had  called,  owing  to  the  rule  con- 
cerning all  letters  being  posted  unsealed. 

The  Commanding  Officer  protestingly  laughed  at 
the  suggestion  that  the  living  quarters  were  untenable. 


AMERICAN   AMBASSADOR   DECEIVED  321 

But  there  !  The  representative  could  see  for  himself. 
With  every  semblance  of  complete  complaisance  the 
representative  was  escorted  into  the  camp.  With 
unassumed  unconcern,  but  with  deliberate  intention, 
he  was  accompanied  to  Barracks  i  or  2,  to  see  with  his 
own  eyes  a  typical  illustration  of  the  living  quarters 
provided  within  the  camp. 

The  situation  was  exceedingly  ludicrous,  although 
it  was  of  considerable  moment  to  us  who  had  lodged 
the  complaint.  The  representative  could  not  have  been 
taken  to  more  convenient  buildings  from  the  German 
point  of  view.  They  are  the  show-barracks  of  Ruhleben, 
and  certainly  are  excellent  specimens  of  the  prisoners' 
quarters.  They  indubitably  served  as  a  powerful 
illustration  of  how  prisoners  could  make  themselves 
comfortable.  They  were  held  up  far  and  wide  through- 
out Ruhleben  as  a  pattern  for  all  others  to  copy. 
One  and  all  of  us  would  willingly  have  emulated  this 
attractive  model — if  we  had  possessed  the  money  to 
spend  upon  luxuries  I  Barrack  No.  2  is  the  domicile 
of  the  elite  and  wealthy  of  Ruhleben.  The  prisoners, 
flush  of  funds,  have  been  permitted  to  gratify  every 
whim  and  fancy.  They  have  expended  large  sums  of 
money  upon  the  purchase  of  furniture  and  knick- 
knacks,  the  result  being  favourably  comparable  with 
a  smart  and  fashionable  flat,  that  is  if  a  flat  can  be 
squeezed  into  a  horse-box  ten  feet  square  ! 

The  representative  was  solemnly  assured  that  these 
barracks  were  only  typical  of  the  other  buildings  in 
the  camp.  But  had  the  American  visitor  walked  a  few 
dozen  yards  upon  his  own  initiative,  to  enter  Barrack 
3  or  5,  he  would  have  received  a  convincing  demonstra- 
tion of  unprincipled  German  lying.  There  the  inmates 
were  compelled,  willy-nilly,  to  lie  upon  the  floor. 
At  that  time  beds  had  not  been  served  to  more  than 
one-half  of  the  prisoners. 

During  one  of  these  visits  the  prisoners  of  Barrack  6 
defied  authority.  They  had  petitioned  the  officials 
incessantly  to  improve  their  quarters  but  to  no  pur- 
w 


322  FOUR   GERMAN    PRISONS 

pose.  The  cause  for  the  greatest  discontent  was  the 
absolute  lack  of  light.  The  loft  was  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  a  "  Black  Hole/'  On  this  occasion  the 
tenants  had  been  sent  to  barracks  with  the  strict 
injunction  that  they  were  not  to  come  out  again  until 
the  ambassadorial  inspection  had  been  completed. 
But  the  prisoners  were  not  disposed  to  permit  this 
deliberate  hoodwinking  of  our  protector  to  continue 
indefinitely.  The  representative  had  been  taken  to 
a  typical  [sic]  barrack  to  observe  the  appointments  and 
to  satisfy  himself  concerning  the  German  efforts  which 
had  been  made  to  render  the  tenants  comfortable. 
As  usual  he  found  no  apparent  justification  for  the 
complaints  which  had  been  made. 

He  was  being  escorted  to  inspect  some  new  latrines 
which  had  recently  been  completed.  To  reach  the 
latter  point  he  had  to  pass  Barrack  6,  in  which  the 
boys  were  on  the  alert  to  seize  the  opportunity  for 
which  they  had  been  waiting  quietly.  When  the 
representative  was  but  a  few  yards  distant  up  went 
the  shout  in  unison,  "  Come  and  see  our  barrack  1 
Come  and  see  our  barrack  I  " 

The  guards  endeavoured  to  smother  the  hail,  but 
for  once  they  were  too  slow.  The  representative  heard 
the  cry,  stopped,  and  doubtless  impressed  by  the  vehe- 
mence of  the  invitation,  expressed  his  intention  to 
make  an  investigation.  I  mention  this  incident  to 
emphasise  the  point  that  the  Embassy  was  always 
ready  to  deal  fairly  with  the  prisoners,  and  to  prove 
that  a  great  deal  more  would  have  been  done  on  our 
behalf  had  the  visitors  been  given  a  freer  hand. 

The  chagrin  of  the  German  entourage  escorting 
the  ambassadorial  deputy  was  amusing  to  observe. 
Behind  his  back  they  frowned,  glowered,  and  glared 
fiercely,  shook  their  fists,  and  muttered  stifled  inco- 
herent curses,  but  when  he  turned  to  them  they  assumed 
a  meekness  and  pleasantry  which  quite  disarmed  sus- 
picion. Still,  their  anger,  as  they  followed  him  into 
the  building,  was  so  intense  as  to  defy  being  masked 


AMERICAN   AMBASSADOR   DECEIVED  323 

and  afforded  us,  who  were  witnessing  the  episode,  the 
most  complete  satisfaction  and  ill-disguised  delight. 

The  expected  happened.  The  representative  entered 
Barrack  6.  He  climbed  the  rickety  staircase  leading 
to  the  loft  with  difficulty  to  dive  into  the  "  Black  Role." 
He  condemned  it  in  unmeasured  terms.  Apparently 
he  realised  how  neatly  he  had  been  hoodwinked, 
he  became  furious,  and  in  tones  which  brooked  no 
argument  or  discussion,  ordered  the  instant  removal 
of  the  prisoners  to  more  congenial  surroundings.  The 
officials  were  beside  themselves  with  rage  at  the  turn 
which  events  had  taken,  but  they  hesitated  to  give 
offence.  They  were  profuse  in  lame  excuses  and 
pleaded  that  the  accommodation  in  this  loft  was  only 
temporary.  The  German  interpretation  of  the  word 
"  temporary  "  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that 
this  particular  loft  had  been  occupied  for  nearly  six 
months.  But  the  representative  gained  the  day. 
The  loft  was  forthwith  vacated  and  subsequently, 
when  certain  improvements  had  been  carried  out, 
was  used  only  as  a  schoolroom. 

About  March,  1915,  as  previously  narrated,  we 
commenced  to  experience  a  severe  shortage  of  bread. 
We  were  not  receiving  sufficient  of  the  staff  of  life 
to  keep  us  alive.  The  representative  drove  into  the 
camp  one  day  to  investigate  some  other  matter.  When 
he  had  departed  upon  his  mission,  accompanied  by  the 
inevitable  entourage,  some  of  us  gathered  around  his 
motor-car  which  was  covered  with  dust.  While  one 
or  two  were  chatting  with  the  chauffeur  one  of  the 
party  slipped  a  letter,  pointing  out  our  dire  straits 
and  describing  how  famished  we  were,  beneath  the 
ambassador's  seat,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  to  compel 
his  attention  upon  re-entering  the  automobile.  Another 
prisoner,  with  his  finger,  scrawled  in  the  dust  upon  the 
rear  of  the  tonneau,  "  We  want  bread  !  "  while  other 
notices  were  chalked  up  in  commanding  positions, 
so  as  to  arrest  instant  attention,  "  For  God's  sake, 
give  us  bread  !  " 


324  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

When  the  German  guards  spotted  the  flaming  appeal 
upon  the  rear  of  the  car  they  fussed  up  in  indignant 
rage.  One  advanced  to  obliterate  the  damning  words, 
but  the  chauffeur  whipped  round  the  car.  He  caught 
sight  of  the  mute  request,  and  intercepting  the  officious 
sentry  remarked : — 

"  You  mustn't  touch  this  car  !  It's  the  property 
of  the  United  States  Government !  " 

The  guard  pulled  himself  up  sharply,  glaring  fiercely 
and  evidently  contemplating  defiance  of  the  warning. 
The  chauffeur  was  a  white  man.  He  eyed  us  quizzic- 
ally for  a  moment  or  two.  Realising  from  our  faces 
that  we  were  not  playing  a  joke,  but  ventilating  a 
serious  grievance,  he  stood  between  the  officious  sentry 
and  the  vehicle  until  the  representative  returned. 
The  Embassy  car  drove  out  of  the  camp  with  the 
letters  still  staring  out  in  a  gaunt  appeal  from  the  thick 
dust.  Evidently  the  chauffeur  drew  the  representative's 
attention  to  our  cry,  while  it  is  only  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  the  emissary  from  the  Embassy  discovered 
the  letter  which  we  had  secreted  beneath  his  seat, 
because  an  improvement  in  the  allowance  of  bread 
immediately  ensued. 

And  so  it  went  on.  No  trick  was  too  knavish  or  too 
despicable  to  prevent  our  guardian  learning  the  truth 
concerning  our  plight.  He  very  rarely  walked  about 
unaccompanied.  Tongue  in  cheek,  the  Germans, 
who  always  were  cognisant  of  the  object  of  his  visit, 
and  who  had  always  taken  temporary  measures  to 
prove  the  grievance  to  be  ill-founded,  strode  hither 
and  thither  with  him,  throwing  knowing  glances  and 
winks  among  themselves  behind  the  representative's 
back.  Doubtless  it  was  the  successful  prosecution 
of  these  tactics  which  persuaded  the  Embassy  to  believe 
that  the  majority  of  our  complaints  were  imaginary 
and  arose  from  the  circumstance  that  the  inhabitants 
of  Ruhleben  would  persist  in  ignoring  the  fact  that 
they  were  the  victims  of  war  and  not  pampered  pets. 

One  of  the  most  glaring  instances  of  the  effective 


AMERICAN   AMBASSADOR   DECEIVED  325 

manner  in  which  the  Germans  sought  to  disarm  and 
to  outwit  an  official  visitor  was  narrated  to  me  by  a 
fellow-prisoner  who  had  been  been  transferred  from 
Sennelager  to  Ruhleben.  I  conclude  that  the  incident 
must  have  happened,  during  the  interregnum  when  I 
was  "  free  on  Pass  "  in  Cologne.  I  cannot  vouch  for 
the  accuracy  of  the  statement,  but  I  do  not  think  there 
is  the  slightest  reason  to  doubt  the  word  of  our  com- 
patriot, because  he  was  in  Sennelager  at  the  time 
and  actually  passed  through  the  experience.  Further- 
more it  is  typical  of  Teuton  methods  in  matters  per- 
taining to  the  treatment  of  prisoners. 

X stated  that,  despite  the  havoc  wrought  during 

the  "  Bloody  Night "  of  September  n,  all  the  prisoners 
were  still  herded  on  the  field  at  Sennelager  until  long 
after  my  departure.  They  were  exposed  to  the  heavy 
rains  and  were  all  reduced  to  a  miserable  condition. 
Suddenly  an  order  came  up  commanding  all  prisoners 
to  return  instantly  to  their  old  barracks.  This  sudden 
manifestation  of  a  humane  feeling  upon  the  part  of 
the  Commandant  provoked  widespread  amazement. 
What  had  happened  ? 

The  surprise  of  the  prisoners  became  accentuated 
when  they  regained  the  permanent  buildings  which 
had  formerly  comprised  our  home.  They  were  hurried 
into  their  quarters  and  shaken  down  with  incredible 
speed.  Fires  were  set  going  and  the  unhappy  prisoners 
made  themselves  comfortable  confident  that  their 
trials  now  were  over,  and  that  they  were  destined  to 
prolonged  residence  under  weathertight  roofs. 

The  following  day  an  august  visitor  arrived  at  the 
camp.  Whether  he  was  an  emissary  from  the  American 
Embassy  or  not  my  informant  was  unable  to  say,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  no  one  knew  his  identity,  and 
every  precaution  was  observed  to  prevent  any  informa- 
tion upon  this  matter  from  becoming  known  among 
the  prisoners.  Be  that  as  it  may  he  made  a  detailed 
tour  of  the  camp,  investigating  the  arrangements  and 
accommodation  provided  for  the  hapless  inhabitants' 


326  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

welfare.  Under  no  circumstances  whatever  were  the 
British  prisoners'  permitted  to  speak  to  the  mysterious 
stranger.  Any  attempt  in  this  direction  was  sternly 
and  forcibly  suppressed  by  the  guards  who  swarmed 
everywhere.  Evidently,  judging  from  his  demeanour, 
the  stranger  was  deeply  impressed — and  satisfied — • 
with  what  he  saw  with  his  own  eyes. 

But  the  moment  he  had  left  the  camp  the  prisoners 
were  paraded  and  re- transferred  to  the  field.  This 
story,  if  accurate,  and  I  see  no  reason  to  doubt  its 
veracity,  is  interesting  from  one  circumstance.  When 
we  were  summarily  turned  out  upon  the  field  by  the 
inhuman  Major  Bach,  he  advanced  as  his  reason  for 
such  action  that  vast  numbers  of  German  recruits 
were  momentarily  expected,  and  that  the  buildings 
were  required  to  house  them.  But  according  to  the 
foregoing  incident  the  barracks  were  still  empty.  The 
lying  Commandant  of  Sennelager  Camp  was  thus 
condemned  out  of  his  own  mouth,  while  the  minute 
precautions  he  observed  to  prevent  the  mysterious 
stranger  from  learning  a  word  about  our  experiences 
on  the  field  proves  that  he  merely  turned  us  out  into 
the  open,  herded  like  animals  in  a  corral,  to  satisfy 
his  own  personal  cravings  for  dealing  out  brutality 
and  torture. 

But  the  most  glaring  example  of  German  duplicity 
and  astuteness  in  throwing  our  protector  off  the  track 
provoked  Ruhleben  to  hilarious  merriment,  despite 
the  seriousness  of  our  position.  Leastways,  although 
the  Teutons  may  have  regarded  the  movement  as  one 
of  serious  intention,  we  regarded  it  as  a  deliberate 
piece  of  hoodwinking.  One  morning  we  were  solemnly 
informed  that  the  authorities  had  completed  arrange- 
ments whereby  every  prisoner  was  to  receive  a  good 
substantial  meat  meal  once  a  week.  It  was  to  com- 
prise a  chop,  potatoes,  some  other  vegetable,  and  gravy. 
It  sounded  so  extraordinarily  luxurious  and  appetising 
as  to  provoke  incredulity  and  caustic  comment.  Those 
who,  like  myself,  had  suffered  internment  in  other 


AMERICAN   AMBASSADOR   DECEIVED  327 

camps  and  who  had  become  thoroughly  grounded  in 
Teuton  shiftiness  and  trickery  divined  that  something 
unusually  crafty  and  cunning  was  afoot. 

I  might  mention  that  by  this  time  Ruhleben  com- 
prised a  small  town  of  twenty-three  barracks  housing 
a  round  4,000  prisoners.  This  represented  an  average 
of  174  men  to  a  barrack,  although,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
some  of  the  buildings  accommodated  over  200  men. 
The  culinary  arrangements  were  fulfilled  by  only  two 
kitchens.  Now,  the  problem  which  presented  itself 
to  the  minds  of  the  more  sophisticated  and  suspicious 
prisoners  was  this — How  would  the  authorities  grapple 
with  the  preparation  and  serving  of  4,000  chops  in  one 
day  with  the  cooking  facilities  available  ?  Were  we  to 
be  treated  to  another  staggering  example  of  Germany's 
wonderful  powers  of  organisation  and  management  ? 

The  glamour  of  the  proposition  suddenly  disappeared. 
We  learned  that  the  "  tuck-in  "  was  not  to  be  general 
throughout  the  camp  on  a  certain  day.  The  delight 
was  to  be  dealt  out  in  instalments,  and  in  such  a 
manner  that  so  many  men  would  be  able  to  partake 
of  the  gorgeous  feast  upon  each  successive  day  of  the 
week. 

So  far  so  good.  We  in  Barrack  5  were  among  the 
first  to  receive  the  promised  meat  meal,  which  we  had 
been  anticipating  with  ill-disguised  relish.  It  reached 
us  on  the  Tuesday.  The  meal  was  swallowed  greedily 
and  keenly  enjoyed,  although  the  meat  was  of  inferior 
quality.  But  I  never  saw  another  chop  in  our  barrack 
for  a  month  1  Crash  went  another  alluring  Teuton 
promise. 

We  became  inquisitive  and  to  our  amusement  learned 
what  the  more  shrewd  and  doubting  among  us  had 
suspected.  Sufficient  chops  were  being  cooked  every 
day  to  ensure  so  many  men  regularly  receiving  the 
meat  meal.  Every  man  received  his  chop  as  promised 
although  he  was  perhaps  compelled  to  wait  an  inor- 
dinate time  for  his  turn.  As  there  were  twenty- 
three  barracks  with  two  kitchens  to  fulfil  their  demands 


328  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

meat  dinners  were  being  prepared  every  day.     Indeed, 
the  Germans  appeared  to  be  always  cooking  chops  I 

It  was  a  masterpiece  of  German  cunning.  Whenever- 
a  visitor,  animated  by  desires  to  ascertain  how  the 
prisoners  were  being  treated,  visited  the  camp  he  was 
piloted  to  the  kitchen.  There  could  be  seen  an  imposing 
array  of  chops  sizzling  and  spitting  gaily,  and  emitting 
an  appetizing  aroma.  Were  prisoners  of  war  ever 
treated  so  sumptuously  as  those  at  Ruhleben  ?  The 
visitor  was  gravely  assured  that  the  chops  he  saw 
represented  but  a  portion  of  what  were  being  prepared 
for  the  prisoners,  in  which  statement  the  Germans 
were  perfectly  correct,  but  they  artfully  refrained  from 
saying  that  only  a  certain  number  of  men  received 
the  dainty  dish  each  day,  the  idea  being  to  convey  the 
impression  that  this  was  merely  the  daily  routine  for 
the  whole  of  the  camp. 

It  did  not  matter  when  the  American  representative 
or  any  other  visitor  came  into  the  camp — chops  were 
being  cooked.  The  visitors  naturally  concluded  that 
we  were  being  treated  in  a  right  royal  manner, 
and  one  quite  in  accordance  with  the  most  noble 
traditions  of  the  German  nation.  It  never  occurred 
to  these  visitors,  apparently,  to  make  enquiries  among 
the  prisoners  to  ascertain  how  they  enjoyed  their  daily 
meat  meal  ?  Had  they  done  so  they  would  have  been 
surprised. 

The  German  explanations  were  so  verbose  and  osten- 
sibly so  sincere  as  to  be  received  without  the  slightest 
cavil.  Naturally  our  task-masters  studiously  declined 
to  extend  any  enlightenment  upon  the  matter, 
preferring  to  lull  the  visitors  into  a  false  haven  of 
credibility.  Unfortunately  we  discovered  that  we 
had  to  pay  indirectly  for  the  delectable  dainty  and 
Teuton  liberality — the  dinners  upon  the  other  days 
steadily  grew  worse  in  quantity,  quality,  and  variety  1 

We  all  admire  the  unceasing  efforts  which  the 
American  Ambassador  has,  and  still  is  exerting  upon 
our  behalf,  and  we  are  extremely  thankful  for  the 


AMERICAN   AMBASSADOR   DECEIVED  329 

many  and  far-reaching  improvements  he  has  wrought. 
His  work  is  one  of  extreme  difficulty,  demanding 
unremitting  patience,  tact,  and  impartiality.  It  must 
be  remembered  that  he  was  submitted  to  an  unceasing 
bombardment  of  complaints  from  4,000  prisoners, 
overwrought  from  their  incarceration,  and  ready  to 
magnify  the  slightest  inconvenience  into  a  grievance. 
Unfortunately  his  task  is  aggravated  by  the  unprin- 
cipled lying,  bluffing,  and  crafty  tactics  of  the  German 
authorities.  They  have  no  more  compunction  in 
fooling  the  American  Ambassador  than  they  have  in 
depriving  the  prisoners  of  sufficient  food  to  keep  body 
and  soul  together.  The  task  of  Mr.  Gerard  in  the 
immediate  future  is  certain  to  become  more  perplexing, 
intricate,  and  delicate,  but  we  hope  that  he  will  prove 

equal  to  the  occasion. 

*  *  *  #  * 

Early  in  November,  1915,  my  arrangements  for 
leaving  Ruhleben  were  so  far  advanced  that  I  could 
scarcely  restrain  my  excitement.  On  December  6  I 
disposed  of  my  business.  It  was  of  no  further  use 
to  me.  The  day  for  which  I  had  been  waiting  so 
patiently  and  longingly  had  dawned  at  last  and — 

/  got  home  safely  ! 

Although  arrested  and  tried  upon  the  false,  frivolous, 
trumped-up  charge  of  being  a  British  spy,  I  have  never 
been  acquitted  of  that  indictment.  It  still  hangs 
over  my  head. 

Shortly  after  reaching  home  I  received  a  letter  from 
a  friend  with  whom  I  had  been  interned.  He  secured 
his  release  some  months  before  I  shook  the  dust — and 
mud — of  Ruhleben  from  my  feet.  On  the  day  we 
parted  he  sympathised  deeply  with  me  at  the  prospect 
of  being  condemned  to  languish  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy  until  the  clash  of  arms  had  died  down.  I  did 
not  seek  to  disillusion  him,  although,  even  at  that  time, 
I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  get  away  by  hook  or  by 
crook. 

This  former  fellow-prisoner  had  heard  of  my  safe 


330  FOUR   GERMAN   PRISONS 

return  to  my  own  fireside.  The  envelope  contained 
nothing  beyond  his  visiting  card,  across  the  back  of 
which  he  had  scrawled,  "  How  the  devil  did  you  get 
out  ?  " 

But  that  is  another  story. 


THE   END 


IHE  LONDON  AND  NORWICH   PKE-S  LIMITED,  LONDON  AND  NORWICH,   ENGLAkiD 


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motor-car  along  the  firing-lines.  It  can  be  said  without 
exaggeration  that  this  collection  of  genuine  narratives  is 
amongst  the  most  notable  books  that  have  yet  been  inspired 
by  the  war,  and  one  that  will  deeply  stir  every  Britisher. 

Mr.  Frederic  Coleman's  testimony  as  an  American  and  an 
old  War  Correspondent  is  exceedingly  valuable.  He  says 
in  the  preface  :  "  My  unbounded  admiration  for  the  splendid 
soldiers  of  the  British  Army,  gained  in  the  darker  days 
of  the  Great  Retreat  from  Mons,  has  never  wavered  in  its 
allegiance  to  them.  Never  have  I  had  occasion  to  change  my 
opinion,  formed  in  the  first  few  weeks  of  the  war,  that  the 
British  Tommy  is  worth  five  or  six  of  any  German  soldier 
with  whom  he  has  yet  come  into  contact." 

This  work  will  have  a  special  interest  for  those  who  have 
fought  themselves  or  have  had  friends  fighting  from  January 
to  May,  1915,  at  Nieuport-les-Bains — the  Sand  Dunes — 
Vermelles — Poperinghe — Ypres — The  Menin  Road — Hooge 
dug-outs — Zillebeke — Neuve  Chapelle — St.  Eloi — Ploegsteert 
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St.  Julian — Lizerne — Wormhoudt — Fromelles  Road — Potijze 
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The  following  Regiments  and  Officers  are  specially  referred 
to  :  General  De  Lisle — ist  Cavalry  Division  Staff — Colonel 
Tom  Bridges — General  Robertson — General  Haig — Rifle 
Brigade — Lord  Kitchener — The  Red  Cross — The  Flying 
Corps — The  splendid  work  of  the  Canadian  Division — 
General  Rawlinson — ist  Cavalry  Division — The  Princess 
Pats — The  Northumberland  Brigade — The  York  and  Durham 
"  Terriers  " — Colonel  Budworth — Queen's  Bays — Life  Guards 
— Armoured  Cars — i8th  Hussars — "  Flues  " — loth  Hussars 
— Essex  Yeomanry — The  6th  Brigade — 28th  Division — gth 
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A    PERSONAL    NARRATIVE 
BY    FREDERIC    COLEMAN 

Author  of  "With  Cavalry,  1915." 

Attached  to  Sir  John  French's  Headquarters 
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1st  Cavalry  Division  Headquarters  during  the 
fighting  on  the  Lys,  at  Ploegsteert,  Messines, 
and  Ypres,  and  at  the  Front  in  France  and 
Flanders  until  June,  1915. 

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LORD  CROMER,  in  the  Spectator,  says:  "Mr.  Frederic 
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A   SOLDIER'S   SKETCHES 
UNDER  FIRE. 

By    HAROLD    HARVEY. 

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able Artillery  Company),  author  of  "  Saturday  Island," 
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AUTHOR  KILLED  IN  THE  TRENCHES. 

Contingent  Ditties 

and  other  Soldier  Songs  of  the  Great  War. 
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JANE'S    HUSBAND 

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TWO    IN    A    CARAVAN, 

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The    Beautiful   Alien 

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"THE  BEAUTIFUL  ALIEN"  is  a  work  of 
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UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO  LIBRARY 


D  Mahoney,  Henry  Charles 

627  Sixteen  months  in  four 

G3M35         German  prisons