| Show WORLD WAR WAk YARNS by Frank E. E Hagan Writer of the Most Tragic Story St St. Louis Louts Is the home borne of the theman theman theman man who wrote the most tragic story of the World Worl war Be was not a 11 novelist no nor a 8 poet nor a war correspondent and his story was not written with pen or typewriter It was tapped off In dots lots and dashes on a telegraph key For ForI I rank Frank M. M M Murray a sergeant In the I Four our Hundred and Twelfth telegraphic tele tele- telegraphic graphic battalion Is the man who sat In a little telegraph office In London day after day for more than ten months and from some unknown place In France received oy liy telegraph the list of at casualties of ot the A. A E. E FF F. F and relayed them to the proper military authorities In the United States When he first went on the Job his work was light The casualties were comparatively few and three hours a n day was ns all nIl that the transmissIon transmission transmission trans trans- mission r required But ut as the American force In France Increased and more Americans went Into no nc- Ion during the summer months of 1918 1913 the lists grew In size and his Job called for 14 and sometimes 18 13 hours a day of the most exacting work where absolute accuracy was ne necessary A wron wrong name or a wrong Identification number meant a 11 i false death report and ond a crushIng crushing crushing crush crush- ing weight of sorrow for some one back home There was no tal talking kIng on the wire and the sender never su suggested suggest suggest- gest- gest ed that he reveal his Identity says Murray Ill iIII admit that It was a sort of at spooky arrangement The list was headed as coming from which I ll figured meant Bead Bead- quarters of the American Expeditionary Expeditionary Forces But ut one day lay a anew anew anew new operator came carne on duty and before be he realized ed what he was doing he Indicated that he was sending from a dugout near Chau- Chau mont He Be soon realized his lils mistake mistake mis mis- take and beg begged ed me to say nothing about It and to forget the town Curiously I 1 discovered ere after re- re returning returning turning to St. St Louis that frequently frequent frequent- ly y the sender at the other end of the wire was a 8 friend of mine But I didn't know It at the time and be he didn't either 1 I A Necessity of War for Him The truth might ht just ns as well veil be told Some of the fhe older soldiers of the regular army developed eloped reprehensible reprehensible reprehensible habits of living from which they found It Impossible to shake shale themselves even en In France One of these addicts was First Sergt Frank Moyer top of H 11 company Sixtieth Infantry He Be had an overwhelming o passion for chewing guru gum um I When his bis company came out of the Meuse-Argonne Meuse for replacements replacements replacements replace replace- ments M Moyer yer was considerably disturbed A touch of gas had sent him to a n field Geld dressing station sta sta- tIon he was forced to hurry back to his company anti and prepare a complete complete com com- report of casualties and he had been without so much as a n astick astick stick of ot chewing chewin gum for many days Moyers Moyer's agony Increased as the list of dead grew upon report after report from his sergeants and cor cor- It seemed he lie could stand no more but Just as he finished his report a 8 consignment of mail for the company was dumped In his bis headquarters Ser Sergeant Moyer pawed through the pile of packages from the Finally Finally Fi Fl States searching feverishly fe nally he selected a 8 fat bundle which wa was not ad addressed to him and opened It with trembling hands One of the first articles which tumbled out was a dozen packages of chewing gum Jum ShuckIng ShuckIng Shuck- Shuck Ing lag one complete package of the gum and stuffing stumm It Into his mouth the top smiled wanly That package was sent to he confessed sadly through clamping jaws I saw him get a direct hit not three days ago Divide the rest of ot It among you ou fellows fellous Ill I'll keep the gum m myself self He Didn't Say It Its It's just too bad bod about some of those epigrams which famous leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers In n the World war are supposed to have uttered uttered but but didn't 1 I Next Nest to the historic phrase Lafayette we are here herel 1 I which General Pershing Pershing Per- Per shing didn't say Is oue one attributed to Admiral William S. S Sims when he arrived with the first American naval forces In European waters and was asked when he would be ready for business He De Is supposed to have ha replied We can start at once We made preparations on the way way Here Bere Is what Admiral Sims himself has bas to say about that I do not know bow how such a yarn could have arisen As a 8 matter of fact 1 was on duty In Paris when the destroyers de arrived at nt Queens- Queens town They were In command of Commander Joseph K K U.S. U.S. U U. S. S N. N It 11 Is true that be he was asked by Admiral Bayley Immediately on arrival after a mIle mlle transatlantic transatlantic transatlantic trans trans- atlantic passage when he would be ready for service and he lie replied that he be would be ready as soon as his Ills vessels could be e refueled You see therefore that I 1 can make no claim to having made use of any uny such sion 1931 1131 Western Newspaper per Union |
