The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-10
BURNED THE DEAD
Wounded Belgian Tells How
Germans Were ~Buried.n
First Story Of : Soldier to Es.
cspo the Censorship.

New Ye-k. Sept. 10--Alois Van Nieu-
wcnhuyse, q trooper Of the First
Guides. Sixth division Of the Belgian
army, ana claiming kewanee. ILL.,. an
his home, returned to New York today.
the first wounded soldier to arrive In
the United States from the European
war. He was wounded In action near
Diest on August Is and was DISCHARGED
as an invalid. His story told simply,
but full Of graphic and dramatic detail,
is the first to come from soldier who
has seen actual lighting. to escape the
censorship of the belligerents.
The Story.
Il am a Belgian by birth but live
in the United States" he said. Il work
for Mr.. D. K. Rodd OF Gibson City. who
iS a horse fancier. Mr.. Rood sent me
to Belgium to get some horses and in
July was near Liege. when the mo-
bilizatiOn began i was called as q re-
servist and joined my troop after which
we started for Liege upon which the
Germans were advancing.
las we approached the city the Bel
gians knelt In the roadway and prayed
brave and strong because I knew was
doing right. When we reached Liege
4 the Germans were bearing toward the
city. The infantry occupied por.tion6
at the front. We, Of the Guides, were
in the city. l could see the Germans
COHlu8s NO oSA8I6u0 WOU1Q W8l6 Ill1
they got within 200 yards and then
open up with the rapid fire guns.
The Germans were moved down. It
was like q farmer going through =
wheat field with q harvesting machine.
Each division az 1t advanced was prAc-
did not mind it. Division after division
came along. The cavalry was not used
then. It was the FIRST time ever had
seen actual service.
Fight All Day.
'"The fight lasted all day. But 1
know the number Of dead Germans was
II. 900. The Guides were sent out to
put hay on them and set fire to them
and then we poured Quicklime over
them.
my troop remained around Liege UNI
| til August 8. when we went to Malines.
From Malines we went to Tirlemont.
then to Louvaine, reaching there on
August Is and being ordered toward the
border between Diest- and Holland.
UhlanS were there, we were told. Our b.
900 men had orders to rout the UhlAns
We did not suspect that an enormous
German army was ahead OF US.
Between Diest and Holland we were
almost completely surrounded by Ger
mans-Uhlans and infantry. Soon
body of Uhlans was sighted and our
commander gave the order to charge
| US. 1t was just at dusk. We used our
lances. When the troops clashed it was
with terrible force, head-on. My horses
body was pierced by a lance and the
animal died.
Wounded I'm Leg.
FINALLY we had to retreat to Diest.
II miles. As we were falling back
was wounded. The commanding Off
Ger asked for volunteers to ride behind
with a lantern and thus lead the Ger
mans to believe the light was our am
munition wagons. was one of those
chosen to carry a ligf.. While I was
doing so a Mauser bullet struck me in
the left leg. No surgeons were near.
The wound was not bandaged. We
finally halted in a potato field near
Diest and then lying face downward
fired carefully at the Germans and
killed scores Of them.
'On August 2S a surgeon looked at
my wound and ordered that be dis
charged from the army. When I am
entirely recovered 1 will go back and
kill some more Germ ans