E-text prepared by David Clarke, Cori Samuel, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/toronto) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 18131-h.htm or 18131-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/1/3/18131/18131-h/18131-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/1/3/18131/18131-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/germanprison00mahouoft Transcriber's note: The original printing contained gaps in the text, varying in size from a few words up to several lines. This appears to have been a deliberate act by the author, editor, or printer. These gaps are indicated in this version with [*gap] or [*large gap].] SIXTEEN MONTHS IN FOUR GERMAN PRISONS WESEL SENNELAGER KLINGELPUTZ RUHLEBEN Narrated by HENRY C. MAHONEY Chronicled by FREDERICK A. TALBOT Author of "The New Garden of Canada," "Conquests of Science," Etc. London and Edinburgh Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd. 1917 [Illustration: 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 Berlin may be seen. _Frontispiece_] TO MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WHO WAITED PATIENTLY AND ANXIOUSLY FOR "DADDY," AND TO A FRIEND, STILL LANGUISHING IN RUHLEBEN, TO WHOM I OWE MY LIFE PRISONER'S NOTE It was whilst suffering the agonies of solitary confinement 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 treatment 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.