The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-09-11


German fugitives were ared upon In
error by their own troops.
Rage at this misforlunA &ad chagrin
at their defeat seem to hsFe infiamed
the invaders, who set systematically
to work to massacre the population
and destroy the city, whose monu-
ments belonged as much to civilization
as to Belgium.
1T Is not possible to put upon paper
the accounts Of the fugitives. They
were given in gestures and broken
ordinations rather than In sentences
The purport was always the same:
That the civil population had done
nothing, but that at night when the
retreating German soldiers began to
arrive, suddenly the invaders became
angry and began to slaughter, pillage
and destroy.
City 10 In Ruins.
Nothing remains of Louvain but
ruins, nor of Its population but fugi-
tives. 1t is possible when the full
story comes to be told 1t will be found
that the horror was not quite SO great
For all the accounts are from people
fleeing for their lives. Among these
people, however. were four civic dig
nitaries who we're In the city during
the night and who were actually in
the hands OF Germans, but escaped.
Their relation Of facts is what Is fol
lowed in this dispatch, for 1t is more
likely to be accurate and sober.
"0n the road from Louvain to Ant.
werp crowds Of pitlful refugees could
be seen; nuns fleeing from their
clotsters, priests from their churches.
sick carried on their beds, aged totter-
ing along with the help OF their chill
dren, and all who could. carrying some
poor article OF household furniture. In
one cart were collected II children. ev-
identity several families.
One handcart held an old palsied
woman being pushed by her grand
child. All were fleeing to Antwerp as
the city Of refuge, the city which shud-
ders in darkness throughout nights, at
fear Of midnight bombs. Among the
train Of fugitives were ambulances of
the Belgian army, In which are carried
solicitously German wounded to hos
pitfalls"
War Bureaus Account.
The British war information bureau
announces the following:
The Belgian miAister of foreign az
fairs reports that on Tuesday a Ger
man army corps. after receiving a
check, withdrew in disorder to the
city Of Louvain,
"The Germans on guard at the en-
trance of the city. mistakiAg the ma
ture Of this incursion, fred upon their
countrymen, whom they mistook for
Belgians.
in spite OF all the denials from the
authorities the Germans, in order to
cover their mistake, pretended that 1t
was the inhabitants who had fired on
them, whereas the inhabitants, lnclud-
ing the police, all had been dlsarmed
more than week before.
Orders city's Destruction.
Without inquiry and without listen
ing to any protests. the German COM
mander announced that the town
would be destroyed Immediately. The
inhabitants were ordered to leave
their dwellings and some were made
prisoners. The women and children
were placed on trains the destinations
Of which are not known and soldiers
furnished with bombs set fire to all
parts of the city. The splendid church
of st. Pierre, the university buildings,
the library and scientific establish
ments were delivered to the flames.
Several notable citizens were shot.
The city, which had population Of
$4,000 and was the intellectual metrop-
oils of the low countries, is now moth
ing more than a heap Of ashes"
Orgy Precedes Sack.
Chicago-The Tribune prints the
following dispatch from E. Alexander
Powell, dated at Antwerp:
II am sorry to say that the stories
of the sack of Louvain slowly coming
in ameliorate the original tale of hor-
ror In no way. The few refugees. who
have arrived here are incoherent from
their frightful experiences 1t was
night of almost indescribable horrors.
Germans broke into the wine shops
early In the evening and drunken
orgy ensued, participated in by both
officers and men.
Il am informed by high govern
ment official that in the city where So
900 persons resided only ten houses re-
main standing. The Hotel De Vile,
one Of the finest examples of Gothic
architecture In Europe; the noble
church of st. Pierre, built in 1926; the
university, founded by Pope Martin V,
and its world famous. library, are today
heaps of smoking ruins.
THE Germans seem to have vented
their greatest fury on priests, of whom
there was a large number attending
the university. The government I'M
derstands that most of them were
butchered under the most revolving
circumstances"
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