In World War I, Cobb served as a correspondent and was sent to Belgium when the Germans invaded that country. He and three other newsmen engaged a taxicab to drive them to the Belgian army headquarters. They ran into the advancing Germans and were taken prisoner.
After a night spent under guard, the four were questioned by an officer. The interrogation lasted for hours. A full day had passed since their capture, and still the officer kept hammering at them with his questions. Cobb became increasingly fretful. Finally he could no longer contain himself.
”Sir,” he called out, his nervousness apparent, “whether or not you intend to shoot us, will you at least grant us one request?”
”What is that?” said the German.
”Will you please,” begged Cobb, “tell the driver of our taxicab to stop the meter?”
Source:
Humes, James C. Speaker's Treasury of Anecdotes About the Famous. New York: Harper & Row, 1978. 195-96. Print.
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