The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1914-09-11
4lOUvAIN PEOPLE BURNED ALIVE;
SLAUGHTERED LINED THE STREETS"

NAAAbSh VA INV pf1Stgf1 WAyt Asit bstSh
upon Louvain In ,Iome disorder.
Reaching the town In the evening.
German fugiiiyes were cred upon In
error by thsif own troops
Rage at this misfortune and ehagrtn
at their defeat seem To have in1anaed
the invaders, who set systematically
TO work to massacre the population
and destroy the city. whose monu-
ments belonged as much TO civilization
AZ to Belgium.
1t 10 not possible TO put upon paper
the accounts OF the fngitives They
were given in gestures and broken
ordinations rather than in sentences.
Tho 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 Rulna
Nothing remains OF Louvain but
ruins, nor OF lie population but fusi.
tiyes II is possible when tbs full
story comes to be told twill be found
that the horror was not quite 80 great
For all the accounts are from people
fleeing for their lives Among these
people. however. we're four civic dig
nitaries who were in the city during
the night aud who we're actually In
the hands OF Germans, but escaped
Their relation of facts Is what is fol-
lowed in this dispatch. for It is more
likely to be accurate and sober
On the road from iouyairi to Ant
werp crowds OF pttitul refugees could
be- seen; nuns fleeing from their
cloisters. 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 AZ
the city Of refuge the city which shud
ders In darkness throughout nights. nj
fear OF midnight bombs. Among the
train OF fugitiyes were amhulances OF
the Belgian army, In which are carried
soicltously German wounded to hos
pitals."
War Bureaus Account.
The British war information bureau
announces the following
The Belgian minister OF foreign AT
fairs reports that on Tuesday Ger.
man army corps. after receiving
check, withdrew In disorder to the
city OF Louyain.
The Germans on guard AT the en-.
trance OF the city, mistaking the ma
ture OF this incursion. fired upon their
men. whom they mistook for
Belglans
In spite OF all the denials from the
authorities the Germans. In order to
cover their mistake, pretended that II
wac the inhabitants who had fired on
them, whereas the inhabitants. includ
Ing the police. all had been disarmed
more than a week before
Orders citys Destruction.
Without inquiry and without listen
ing to any protests, the German com
mander announced that the town
would be- destroyed Immediately The
were ordered TO leave
heir dwellings, and some were made
prisoners Tho women and children
were placed on trains the destinations
of which are not known and soldiers
With homhs set Are 10 all
parts of the city The splendid church
II st Pierre, the university buildings,
the library and scientific establish
ments were delivered TO the flames.
Several notable citizens we're shot
The city. which had population OF
$4,000 and Was the intellectual metrop
blis az the low countries, is now moth
ing more than heap OF ashes
Orgy Precedes Sack.
Chicago The Tribune prints the
following dispatch from T. Alexander
poNrll, dated at Antwerp
Il am sorry to say that the stories
NJ tac sack OF Louynin slcwly coming
10 arruorate the original tale 81 hoy-
rNr iU 40 way The few refugees who
aAN, arrived here are incohereht from
'atIr 'rlshttul experiences 1t was a
0ieEt ~ almost ipdrscribable horrors
Germany broke into the wine shops
carly In the evening and a drunken
3g1y eusucd, participated in by both
oi'corS and ,aen
am Informed by q high govern
WaN' Official that in the city where So.
o"' persons resided only ten houses re
mal" standing Tha Hotel DE Vile
one OF the arost examples OF Gothic
architecture tn Europe, the noble
church OF 81 Pisfre built in 1890, the
university founded by Pope Martin V,
ard It's world famous library. are today
heaps Of smoking ruins
The Germans seem TO have vented
their creates, fury on Priests. OF whom