Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-25
NO QUARTER SHOWN
How italian Soldiers Mas
sacred Their Prisoners.
STORY TOLD BY WITNESS
Photographer for London Paper Tells
Of Slaughter.
TROOPS STEADY UNDER FIRE
Praises the Nerve Exhibited by the
Men of the Invading
Army.
STORY TOLD BY WITNESS
TROOPS STEADY UNDER FIR
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
LONDON. November 25.-A graphic &C
count of conditions in the Italian-Turco
conflict is narrated by staff photo
grapher for the Daily Mirror, who has
just returned from Tripoli. He gives one
of the first eyewitness stories Of the
massacre that aroused the world to a
realization of the seriousness of con-
f1ict that was at first regarded in the
light of an opera bouffe. The staff photog
rapher says:
1T is somewhat curious fact that I
drove to the front in cab, yet it is
literally true. as the cab took me to the
very trenches where the Italian soldiers
were repelling the Arab attack. The
driver was an Arab, and he could have
given points to a London cabby. His legal
fare was $1.25 He demanded s.. He
accepted $50. | was admitted by ticket,
yes actually as though I were attending
foot ball match. At the trench ] pre-
sented my permit. signed by Gen. Caneva.
to the commanding officer. Then 1 was
allowed anywhere.
81 photogra phed batteries which were
pounding away at the Turkish lines, and
came through native cemetery where
Turkish bullets were chipping pieces off
tOn1DSlOneS- oVeTned0, 100, tne
were pinging past me-
Then I saw some Italian rihemen in
a lane between date plantations. The Of
ficer signaled to me lies down. but
didn't understand him till a shower Of
bullets round me translated his signs.
"a few moments later volley came
into us from behind. The rebel Arabs in
the city were firing from the cover Of the
plantations. We were between two fires
and couldn't bulge for an hour
fkA,. &fv,rv fc~y, -
troops were attacked in the rear. near
Shara Shiaf, / crawled along through
trenches. and made my way round under
cover Of the plantations in company with
detachment Of the italian troops until
was able to reach a deserted Turkish
house. on the southern limit of the line
of outposts, and there I had to stay
from about noon, when l reached it, until
late in the afternoon.
II had nothing to eat all day.
Prisoners Butchered in Batches.
1.-The house had an enormous courtyard
of the customary type, and all the after
noon prisoners were being brought in in
patches. There was no attempt made at
inquiring into individual cases-nothing
approaching a trial or court-martial.
After some little time an officer arrived,
and from that time on the soldiers who
had caught prisoners marched them out
to the trenches and shot them in patches
as fast as they were brought in. They
were splendidly Indifferent to their fate.
the majority of them maintaining stolid
silence and making no attempt to pro-
test or resist.
Whole basketfuls of arms were
brought in, an extraordinary conglom-
eration-British bayonets, French bayo-
nets, old horse pistols. fiintlocks blunder-
BUSES, the majority of them utterly use
less. They had been taken from prison
ers and had evidently been served out
to the Arabs by the Turks more to make
show than for any practical use they
could possibly be.
Among the prisoners were several
patches which protested vigorously that
they were innocent Of having taken part
in the hostilities against the Italians
They had been caught in the plantations
but they maintained that they had been
gathering dates. and In confirmation of
| this drew out handfuls Of dates from the
pockets of their voluminous robes. The
only answer they received was to be
clouted with the butts of rifles by their
captora They were marched off like the
rest and shot in the back just outside the
house.
Fleeing Prisoners Shot.
distance from the house as large gang
i OIL IH6Ul-lOTIy Ut IuOTc-WdS pelHS leu
out to die. Most of these, unlike the
| fighting men who had been taken red
handed under arms. were lamenting their
| fate bitterly and suddenly the whole
group broke and fed in different direc-
lions, shrieking and yelling. A fusillade
promptly followed, their escort firing on
| them as they ran. Several OF them fell,
wounded. A number ran toward me- evil
| IDENTIFY thinking that the Italians would
| n them for fear Of wO1ln6iNQ a
white man. But their confidence was
| misplaced, and the bullets sang all round
me. Fortunately, they passed overhead,
as the firing party had to aim high to
avoid the risk of hitting their comrades
in the trench. But we took no chances,
and my camera. and bolted into the
| co"er of the cactus.
| Il saw scores of women and children
brought into the house but 1 never saw
| one Of them leave again. / can only
| imagine what happened. There We're alst
| any number of poor. old, intirm men and
| women cripples driven in hobbling or
| sticks or umbrellas They were scarcely
able to drag one leg after the other. Man,
| of Il en- were so infirm they could scarce
| ly walk at all. but they were constantly
| prodded and butted along by their es
| corts, who used the butts of their rifles
| and the points Of their bayonets to haster
II saw certainly dozens Of cases Of thai
| kind. In one instance, as very ole
prisoner was being brought IN. mounted
| officer cantered up alongside him, and be-
| gan slashing at him and belaboring hin
| with a kind Of sjambok / ran forward
| and the moment the officer saw me he
! stopped and dropped back again. lookins
very sheepish.
Shy at Correspondents.
| There is no doubt the officers did moi
| like correspondents to see what was go.
| ing on. They were most anxious to pre-
vent having any outside witness.
II was constantly challenged and
| stopped by officers who were anxious tt
! turn me back when I was passing along
| the trenches, but / had a pass signed by
| Gen. Caneva himself. and they had tc
| recognize 1t. / was, however. the only
correspondent who was allowed to gel
| through the lines. On my way back, late
in the afternoon. | told some of the Off
| GERS in the trenches of the disgracefu
carnage and other horrible sights I ha6
| witnessed at that house. The troops al
/ round received the news with delight.
Steadiness Of the Itauans.
There is one thing I must say for the
Italian soldiers. They are incredibly mag.
nifcent under fire. / saw some fine
| sights and steady GOODNESS in the South
] African campaign, but everything has
| been eclipsed by what / saw in Tripoli
i! For instance, in going across the open
1 space under heavy crOSs-fire between
| one plantation and another the men new
| er quickened their pace fraction. All
| round bullets were whtstling and kicking