The Sentinel=record., 1914-09-05

the streets. Shots whisued through
the air and cries and groans arose on
ali sides.
I've did not dare to leave our
houses and took refuge in the cellars,
where we stayed through the long
and fearful hours. Our shelters were
lighted by the reflections of burning
houses. Firing continued unceasing.
ly and we feared at any moment our
houses would be burned over our
heads.
Eat break of day | crawled from
the cellar to the street door and saw
nothing but a raging sea of fire. AT
9 o'clock the shooting diminished.
! We resolved to make a dash to the
station, abandoning our home and al
our belongings except what we could
carry.
1--WE rushed out. What we saw on
the way to the station is hardly de-
scribable. Everything was burning,
the streets were covered with bodies
OF victims who had been shot, some
of them half burned.
Everywhere proclamatfons had
been posted summoning every man to
assist in eXtinguishing the flames
and ordering women and children To
stay inside the houses. The station
was crowded with fugitiyes Soldiers
separated me from my wife and chill
dren. All protests were useless. A
lot of us were marched off to a Big
shed in the freight yard from whore
we could see the finest buildings OF
the city and beautiful historical
monuments being burned.
shortly afterward German sol
diers drove before them 300 men and
lads to a street corner and there they
We're shot. The sight filed US with
horror.
The bursomaster. two magistrates,
the rector Of the university and all
the police officials already had been
shot
With our hands bound behind our
backs We then were marched Off by
soldiers without having seen our
wives and children. From Mount
Caesar We had a fun view of the |
burning town. The church of ST
Pierre was in flames while the troops
sent shot after shot into
the unfortunate togp
we came through the village of |
single heap of ruins
where another group of prisoners, n
Guiding half a dozen priests, joined
Us.
"sudden.y, about 10 O'Clock evi
iently as result Of some false
alarm, we were ordered to kneel, and
soldiers stood behind us with their
lilies ready to fire, using us as
shield, Fortunately for US nothing
happened. After delay of an hour
1ur march was continued NO con-
lersation was allowed and the So
Hers continually maltreated us. One
soldier struck me with the butt Of his
life. l could hardly walk any further
but had TO.
1--WE were chicken with thirst but
the Germans wasted their drinking
water without offering us drop. At
7 o'clock that night we arrived at
Camperhout on the way to Malines.
We saw half burned bodies of men.
Women and children were frightened
almost to death and half starved.
I'VE We're locked up in a church
and later were joined by other prison
ers from the surrounding villages.
That night the church was lighted up
by burning houses. Again shots
whistled through the air, followed by
cries and groans.
AT IS o'clock the next morning all
the priests were taken out by the sol.
diers and shot, together with eight
Belgian soldiers, six bicyclists and
two gamekeepers. Then an officer
told us that we could 90 back to Lou
vain. This we did, but only to be re-
captured by other soldiers. who
brought us back to Camperhout.