THE "GREY GHOST'

Grey River Argus, 5 March 1918, Page 3

THE "GREY GHOST'

> «•» -. - [ A STRANGE STORY. REGARDING A RACING CYCLIST • A strange story comes from America relative to the well-known. German racing cyclist, Walter Rutt^who some 12 years back raced with considerable success in Australia, and ..mo_re recently has carried off some/ 6f the biggest; events in America-^including three ; New York 6 day races. ' It appears that for many .months 'last year ? v the . French lines were frequently, visited bj an enemy aviator, known as the "Grey Ghost," whose daring raids on ■. the Western Front, caused much comment in the military camps. At last - the identity of the "Grey Ghost?' has ( unmasked and found to be none^other than our one time visitor, Walter ißutt. The news of Rutt's death was cabled to America in November last. A " > letter from a member of the American. Unit in France, written before Rutt was brought to earth, gives • the following interesting details of the German's tactics. "We have a peculiar, not to say weird thing on this front. There is a German aviator here who calls himself "Fantoms" or the >: Ghost. His name is Walter Rutt and he used to be a bicycle rider in the six-day ' races in New York. Well, it.: -appears from the notes that he has dropped that he has had three brothers killed in the war, and to avenge them he has adopted the plan of stranng the French from an aeroplane. He never" fight? other planes or makes observations, but just flies over the French lines at a height of from 30 to 400 feet and everything he sees even one poilu or waggon or auto he dives at it, banging away with his machine gun. He sittacks sentinel posts and supply trains : and once or twice he has even shot into; aviation camps, winning unique place as a dangerous pilot. You have no idea of the amount of damage he does. He certainly has the respect of the Frenchmen here in this sector, where he flies almost exclusively... He hovers, around all day long; and although lie has been shot at with machine-guns, I rifles, and anti-aircraft guns he never I seems to be touched. It certainly »• ' , mysterious because he often comes " close enough for us to hit him mvn * stone. It was he who dropped the warning about the hospital being bomb:ed, about, which I tolcTybu in my last letter." ' '