El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-05
.GIVILIANSFE
HORRORS Of WAR
Refugee From LoUvain, Sep
arated From Family,
Tells of Cruelty.

Rotterdam, Holland, Sept 5--Death
destruction and suffering in Louvain,
after the entry of the Germans, cul-
minating in the destruction OF the his
toric city. were wildly described by
a Hollander. prominent in Louvain,
who has arrived here.
Speaking of events after Germans
entered the city. he said:
I'VE did not dare leave our house
and took refuge in the cellar, where
we stayed through the long and fear
full hours. Our shelters were lighted
by the reflections Of burning houses.
Firing continued uEceasingly and we
feared that any moment our house
would be burned over our heads
At break of day I crawled from
the cellar to the street and saw moth
ing but a raging fire At o'clock
the shooting had diminished We re-
solved 10 make dash to the station,
abandoning our home and all our be-
lCnEings except what we could carry
Dead Litter Streets
We rushed OFT W nat We saw on
the way TO the station is hardly de-
scribable- Everything was turning
the streets We're covered with bodies
OF victims who had been shot some
Of them half burned
Everywhere prOclamations had been
posted SummOning every man 10 assist
IN e,EtinEuishing the flames and order
ing women and children to stay in
side the houses The station was
crowded with fugitives- I was Just
trying to show an officer my papers
When the soldiers separated me from
my wife and children All protests
were useless. a lot Of US were marched
10 a big shed in the freight yard
from where we could see the finest
buildings Of the city and beautiful his
torical monuments being burned.
In LouVain, as in all other towns
they occupied, the Germans impris-
oned as hostages of war the burgo-
master. the magistrates and a number
OF influential citizens.
Even Toy Guns Surrendered.
Before the Germans entered the
town the civic guard was disarmed
and weapons in the possession Of the
populace We're given up Even toy
guns, toy pistols and precious cOllec-
tons Of old WeaDOns-bows and ar
rows and other antique arms-useless
for modern Warfare-had to be sur
rendered. All these things. sometimes
or great value TO their owners, were
destroyed by the Germans The value
of one private collection was esti-
mated at $4,000.
From the pulpits the priests urged
the people to keep calm, declaring
that was the only way in which to
prevent harm being done them.
"A few days after the entry Of the
ArtL man troops the GERMAN UlAAlLdLE
authorities agreed to cease lodging
their men in private houses upon the
payment of 100000 francs (s20.0OO)
daily In some of the houses between
20 and 50 men had been stopping.
Horses stabbed in Town Hall.
The beautiful rooms in the town
hall where civil marriages took place.
were used as stables for the cavalry
horses.
Marched Away. Bound.
ION Tuesday August
the troops had left town. We had a
few soldiers in our house At 9 o'clock
IN the evening. when everything was
ready for dinner alarm signals were
sounded and the soldiers rushed into
the streets Bullets Whistled through
the air and cries and groans arose on
all sides
with our hands bound behind our
backs We were then marched off by
soldiers without having seen our
wives and children We had a full
Of St Pierre was in flames. while the
troops necessarily sent shot after shot
into the unfortunate town
we came through the village of
Herent- one single heap of ruins.
where another group Of prisoners. in
Guiding half a dozen priests. Joined US
NReeI Expecting Attack.
Suddenly about 10 o'clock, evidently
as result of some false alarm. we
were ordered to kneel and soldiers
stood behind US with their rifles ready
to fire. using US as a shield Fortu-
nately nothing happened After a de-
lay of half an hour our march was
continued No conversation was al
lowed and the soldiers continually
Tnaltreated us. One soldier struck me
with the butt end Of his rifle 7 could
hardly walk any further. but had TO-
We We're chOked with thirst but
the Germans wasted their drinking
water without offering US a drop. At
o'clock that night we arrived at
CamperhOut on the way to Nalines
We saw the half burned bodies Of
men, women and children were fright
ened almost TO death and starved
Priests Are shot.
I'VE were locked up in a church and