he slipped over into Heidelberg (his hometown) and was promptly arrested on charges of murder. The arrest resulted from an event that occurred twenty years earlier in which he had accidentally killed, in a duel, his wife's lover. and thereafter escaped to Switzerland. While in Switzerland, contemplating suicide, he became a Christian. This led him to later dedicate his life as a medical missionary to China. Word was received in Changsha of Dr. Eitel's arrest in Germany. The British Consul in Changsha sent a formal letter to the German court recounting the twenty years of dedicated service Dr. Eitel had given in China and to the international community. Charles, an Englishman, wrote a letter in behalf of Dr. Eitel, recounting his personal experience of Dr. Eitel saving his wife's life in childbirth, as well as the medical services rendered to his mother-in-law and children. All this occurred during the "Battle of Britain." After much prayer from friends in China, Dr. Eitel was released and allowed to return to China and not permitted to return to Germany. Charles and Dr. Eitel continued their friendship, listening to the BBC news, with Charles' son soon preparing to be sent to war in Europe while Dr. Eitel's son was serving as a doctor on the German Anny staff of General Rommel in Africa. It was during this time that Dr. Eitel passed secret word from his son to Charles to send to the British Consul that there * was a plot hatching vs. Hitler's life! Meanwhile. in the spring of 1941, the Japanese invaded Changsha. Charles then closed the high towering metal gates in the wall surrounding the Institute property which now included a hospital, orphanage and refugee residence managed by a German missionary staff. Large Chinese characters labeled the entrance "USA PROPERTY". Several times there were confrontations with the Japanese authorities demanding entrance. Fortunately, after a few days, the Chinese Anny attacked and pushed the Japanese out of Changsha. During these terrible months of bombing and fighting, many casualties were brought to the hospital now on campus, and Charles frequently was called upon to assist Dr. Eitel at crude surgeries with lack of help and proper medicines.
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