New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-27

Germans that if anything happened 70
her brother, who was a soldier IN the
Pelgian army, she would poison all OF
them. After this threat the wounded
men were afraid to eat anything and
would only drink the water that they
saw come from the faucets. When
they were found by the Germans they
were like skeletons, and even yester-
day when / saw young Koecher he was
frail and emaciated.
A young girl using a telephone IN
Dclbain was directing the fire OF the
Liege artillery. She would observe
how the shells were striking and would
then telephone to a friend in Liege,
and this friend would report to the
forts. After the interval necessary Tor
the messenger to report, the range
would be corrected and the next shell
would strike the target and Kill many
Germans.
Admit Executing Girl.
The loss Of life to the Germans was
great in consequence of the girls ac-
tivities at the telephone, but the girl,
when discovered, had to pay with her
life. She was executed. A Belgian
doctor who had been using carrier
pigeons for he same purpose was exc
cuted when discovered.
To return to our adventures on the
French frontier, from which digressed:
We continued our way toward Mau-
beuge, only a few miles away, hoping
to arrive before nightfall at a spot
from which we might see the action
which we were now hearing so dis
tinctly We drove through Hautes
Wineries, the scene of furious light
two days before, and continued on till
we reached a little wayside tavern IN
a depression between two hills. Here
we were regarded with suspicion, and
the proprietor, Belgian, maintained a
sullen reserve.
We went in and sat down and told
him what we were. His family and
one or two silent men regarded us
silently. They refused to thaw out
Their nerves were still shaken by the
stirring events they had recently seen.
The inn was between the French and
the German artillery and shells had
screamed over 1t. By turns they had
been receiving French, English and
German soldiers, so that they found 1t
hard to adjust themselves so quickly to
the change.
When we arrived they thought we
were Englishmen, and our professions
of Americanism apparently seemed not
to be convincing. For q quarter of an
hour we remained there, trying to get
information. The French were only
two or three miles to the south, across
the border, Will the Germans we're of
to the southeastward, at Beaumont, or
near it. The Germans were apparently
trying to swing in behind Maubeuge,
where the German artillery was she'll
ing the forts.
When we left the inn we went on
toward Maubeuge. 1t was evident we
were out of German territory, for we
saw none of them. A Belgian boy
riding a wheel and wearing long black
cape caught up with us as we entered
the town of SObre-sur-Sambre, where
our appearance created great impress
sion. A crowd followed us and swarmed
about US when we stopped to have one
of the bicycles repaired.
Here we had a long discussion. A
Belgian said he had seen acopy of
lie Matin" the day before, and that
it said America had sent an ultimatum
to Germany demanding that the Ger
mans leave Belgian soil W thin twenty
four hours. A tall, imposing looking
man was introduced to Us. He was
the Burgomaster of the town, and he
struck me as being conservative,
Unconditional man of considerable dis
tnction of manner. He said he had
heard of the copy of ale Mantin," but
had not seen it.
We asked the Burgomaster about
the stories of German atrocities and
the brutality of German soldiers, and
he said he thought the stories were
very much exaggerated. He had heard
of one civilian being killed by the
soldiers, and when we questioned him
further it proved to be the man we
had heard of in Merbes-le Chateau.
The Burgomaster knew Of no other
cases.
Beaumont was twelve kilometers
away and Msubeuge about fourteen
kilOmeteTs. A broad road led to Beau
mont, so we decided to go to Beau
mont, near where a great battle might
be expected, and il we failed to see
one there we might still be able to
return to Maubeuge, where the fight
ing would surely continue for some
days.
1t was a fatal decision, for it led US
into no end Of trouble. II We had
taken the road 10 Maubeuge we might
have seen far more and might still
be with the German army, instead of
here in Aix-la-Chappelle, where we
were sent in custody Of armed guards
after having been prisoners in Beau
mont for three days.