New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-26
McCutcheon Asserts They
Do Not Destroy Houses
Without PrOVoCatiOn.
LEAVE NO EQUIPMENT
ON THE BATTLEFIELD
No Evidence of German Rout
Seen, but Many Signs OF
French Stampede.
BY JOHN T. MCUTCHEON.

/
where we were old a great battle was
| to occur.
| Four hundred thousand French and
10000 English were said to be under
the protection of the seven great French
forts at Maubeuge. We were also told
that there were twenty-five French and
English aeroplanes and two dirigibles
! there.
Lewis and | rode the two bicycles
( Cobb, Bennett and Hansen following IN
the cart which we had bought the even
ing before in Binche. There was heavy
firing off toward Maubeuge, fourteen
miles away in direct line.
| A German aeroplane, several thou
sand feet up, swept over US soon AFTER
we started, flying in the direction OF
Maubeuge. A few Belgian refugees
were in the great tree-lined highway
tina led southwark from Binche.
Lewis and rode ahead, expecting to
strike signs Of the German column, but
a native told us that the Germans had
/ cut off on another road leading south
east toward Beaumont. For the first
/ time in days we had got out Of touch
with the German army, and it seemed
/ inexpresyibly lonely not to hear the
/ familiar rumble Of the columns under
way.
We were told that great column
I had started off 10 the southwestward'
but had retraced its way, and being
/ now headed for Beaumont, which IS
somewhere on the roads to the east, we
debated the advisability of returning
and picking up the trail, but after
studying our map we decided we could
make better progress straight ahead to
q point where we could reach Maui
beuge, at which place we knew fighting
was in progress.
Freshly Built Trenches Found.
The road lay open and clear. After
three or four miles we arrived at a
little cluster of houses called Meroes
Ste. Marie, where we found a number
of trenches freshly built. A peasant
told US that desperate fight had &C.
Cured there three days before-Sun'
DAY, the 23d. ,sy -
tho evening of the 2lst, and on Satur-
day the French arrived. In ire AFTER
noon they went on toward Bulcne:
Later they again came, one regiment Oh
curiassicrs, one regiment OF dragons
and some artillery.
When the German advance struck
them on Sunday hot night RESUMED
and more than ore hundred were K!ileu
and wounded. Two English soldiers
werc buried near a farmhouse and two
near a railway station. The Germans
nut some wounded in farmhouse
which had been partly wrecked by Eng
A dead horse lay in the road. We
found some French equipment ard one
German shoulder strap bearing the
This one article is the only German
niece of equipment which we nave
found on any of he battlehelds, ana u
/ is evident that the Germans either 40
MOI drop their things in hght or else
every such article is carefully col
lected and taken away by the Germans
after a fight. In the days to follow We
were to see many signs OF rehth
stampedes, but no signs OF German
rout.
Inhabitants All Flee.
During the fight at Merbes Ste.
I N'arie the inhabitants all fed. on In
tn fields we saw some people wearing
R-d Cross brassards, searching for
dead and wounded. A terrific cannon
ace was in progress off to the right.
We could see the smoke of bursting
shells and hear the humble of great
salvos.
While we were stopping to watch the
sight and to speculate as % what was
hapTening d German automobile came
roaring past us and stopped a te"
yards ahead. One Of the two occupants
leaped out with his glasses and ran
over into the field to spot where he
dropped to his knees and studied the
woods which screened the artillery.
1t was like a picture-a moiern
Meissonier-th gray figure with
glasses fixed upon the smoking hori-
ION. After a moment or two he re-
I rned to the machine and it roared
away along the road ahead.
The town of Maubeuge was only
twelve miles away, but the forts de-
. Tending it are much nearer. We de-
bated the matter of proceeding on to
| Maubeuge after a farmer told US that
! the German troops had all passed to
the eastward toward Beaumont, where,
! he said, the French and English were
massed There was danger Of getting
I outside the lines, or between hem, if
we continued straight ahead. 1t be-
came a question going on toward
/ Maubeuge, where we knew fighting to
. be in progress, or of going toward
/ Beaumont, where the great battle
, might occur. We decided to go on
ahead toward Maubeuge.
/ In an hour we reached the outskirts
/ of the town of M2rSes lie Chateau.
where we found a group of citizens dis
/ consolately standing near some houses
/ that had been destroyed. The houses
were still smoking. There were evil
! dences of severe rife fire.
Sorrowful, but Eager to Talk.
The scene was sad one A lot Of
/ furniture had been carried out and was
( on the sidewalk. A half dozen people
! Borrowing but eager to talk, told US
of the fight. They said that a man in
the first house had had his throat cut
by the German, and we were taken
into the smoking ruins to spot where
blood was on the Goor. Down in the
cellar was a table with food on il.
where people hl probably taken
refuge. The neighbors said the Ger.
mans entered the house and killed the
man.
1t was the evidence of an atrocitv
/ that we had seen, and we investiga ID