The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-09-22

The Chicago Tribune prints long
copvrighted dispatch from James
ODonnen Bennett, staff correspondent,
Gated at Aix-la-C hapelle, Germany,
which in specific detail disputes and
denies the charges of cruelties and
atrocities lodged against the Germans
in Belgium. Mr.. Bennett, in company
with John T. McCutcheon of the Chica-
go Tribune, Irwin S. Cobb of the Sat
urday Evening Post, Roger Lewis OF
the Associated Press and Harry Han
sen of the Chicago Daily News, tray
eled 100 miles through 20 towns and
their observations lead him to the firm
conviction that the reports of bar
trated by German troops are false
hoods.
The following dispatch to the Asso-
Ciated Press, evidently forwarded by
Roger Lewis, is in substantial agree
ment with Mr.. Benefits story in the
Chicago TEf6une:
BY the Associated Press.
New York.-An Associated Press
staff correspondent of American birth
and antecedents, who was sent from
the New York Office and was caught
in Brussels at the time of the Ger
man invasion, held as a prisoner for
several days, and who finally escaped
to Holland, has sent by mail the fol-
lowing story of his experiences:
The night before the Germans en-
tered Brussels, when the Belgian civil
-sr,rr
into the city from the direction 'of
Louvain, they brought stories of I'M
speakable German atrocities, maltreat-
ment of old men and children, and the
violation of women.
THE Belgian capital reeled with ap-
prehension. Within an hour the gay
ETY., the vivacity, and brilliancy of the
city went out like broken arc light.
The radiance of the cafes was ex-
changed for darkness; whispering
groups of residents broke up hurried.
ly and locked themselves into this
homes, where they put up the shut
tiers and drew in their tri-colored Bel
gian flags.
Fears of Brussels Queted.
THE historic Belgian city went
through a state of morbid consterna
ton, remarkably like that from which
it suffered on June IS, 1915, when il
trembled with the fear of French vic
tory at Waterloo.
In less than "a hours the Belgian
citizens were chatting comfortably
with the German invaders and the al
legations of German brutality and de
1noniacal torture dissolved into one o
the myths which have accompanied al
wars.
Neither in Brussels nor in its en-
virons was a single offensive act, 81
far as l know, committed by a German
soldier. In a city of over half mil
lion people, invaded by hostile arm.
of perhaps quarter of a million sol
u diers, no act sufficiently fragrant t.
4 demand punishment or to awaken pro
test came to my attention.
None Knows of Outrages.
- THE frightful reports that had pre-
eeded the German army into Brussel
Included the disemboweling of old me
and the impaling of children on lance
lust outside Louvain. Investigate
not only failed to substantiate thes
rumors, but could not even discoVe
any one in the immediate vicinity VIII
credited them.
AN eye witness of unimpeachabl
veracity told me that the worst b.
havior he had observed during the Hrs
German entry into Louvain (Augu:
19) was that of a German soldier VIII
leaned from his horse and kissed
pretty Flemish girl who brought hi
a glass of beer
i marched for days with the &c
man columns, often only one day b
hind the fighting, with the houses TIL
had been burned still smoldering, II
ground freshly broken by shell an
trampled by horses and men, and tt
memory of the German advance WV
in the minds Of the inhabitants.
No Proofs of Murder.
81 interviewed an average OF twen'
persons in each of dozen towns al
found only one instance of a noncoI
blatant who had been killed witho
a unsuitable provocation. In this ca
the evidence did not clearly prove IN
the man had been wantonly murdere
He lived in one of the typical sms
Belgian countryside houses which col
bine the comforts of home with Il
lure Of a small public bar. This hou
was at the north of Merbes-le-Chatea
a town through which large part
the German army passed on the ro
to Maubeuge.
"A son of the murdered man, who
name was Arthur Nicodem, showed I
blood cIots on the floor marking I
place where Nicodem fell, his thrc
cut by a saw-edged German saber-
English Fired From House.
at was said by some inhabltar
that the murdered man showed p'
of binoculars: but more probal
explanation is that English outpo
had concealed themselves in the nou
from which they poured a rain OF