ESCAPE ROM A GERMAN PRISON.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11471, 25 February 1918, Page 8

ESCAPE ROM A GERMAN PRISON.

m EXSITING NARRATIVE. Received Feb. 25, J.MO p.m. London, Feb. 24. (.’boat Pitts milled on the twelfth, belonged to a working party of 40 prisoners near Dnsseldorf which iuuluded seven overseas prisoners, six of whom attempted to escape. Five succeeded 'and !iavo repatriated. Ohoat copied a fellow prisoner's rough inaji from Dnsseldorf to the Dutch frontier showing the towns, railways and waterways. Ho studied the stars at night for two months. By the aid of the stars and map. which he picked up for guidance night traveling to the frontier, Six escaped simultaneously; in September by climbing downs lighting rod at the prison. They divided into two parties and slept in the woods in the day time. Cheat's party w.-,s awakened one afternoon bv gunshot and falling loaves and saw a sportsman who missed a bird over their heads. The bird, if shot, would have fallen into their hiding plate, resulting in their discovery. The party suffered severely from thirst, as’the brooks were dry it being the end of summer. They wore captured the third night, within a mile of the frontier. They ran into t ho arms of a sentry who’ said ho had boon awatiing them. Civilians surrounding the party necessitated the abandonment of the idea of overpowering the sentry. The other party crossed the frontier safely. Cheats Fitts made a second attempt in December. Ho got through an eight inch aperture of the barred window of the prison and climbed down forty feet by tho aid of a rope, which had been secreted. They saw a married prison sentry making love to a girl. The sentry, ■desiring not to he observed, turned Isis face away on hearing footsteps. Oh oat, in passing, brushed the sentry's arm. The escapees followed tho same route as on the previous attempt. They had to h ido in a roadside ditch tor three hours on the second night awaiting the end of a soldier’s prolonged good night to his sweetheart. It rained almost incessant!}* during the three days thov were escaping. They became aware they were nearing the frontier on tho third night owing to the distant, barking of dogs in Holland. There are ho dogs in Germany, all being oaten or killed off owing to food shortage. They crossed the frontier at daybreak while raining heavily, so the sen--tries were unable to see more than •a few yards. j