Omaha daily bee., 1914-09-18
BELGIAN CHARGES
AGAINST TEUTONS
Resume of Findings of Inquiry Con.
tains Allegations of Slaughter,
Pillsgs, Torture.
ARRANGEMENT A SWEEPING ONE
bureau Coming 60 United states to
Protest Asserted Atrocities of
Germans Presents Declared
Evidence in Mass.

sumo of the findings of the Belgian
commission of inquiry appointed by
the king Of the Belgians to investi-
gate the alleged atrocities COM
mitted by German troops was made
public today after the report had
been presented to President Wilson.
The findings were grouped under
the headings of the atrocities at
Linsmeau and Orsmael," the Mas
sacre of Aerschot" and the "destruc-
ton of Louvain."
The summary follows:
German cavalry occupying the
village Of Linsmeau we're attacked
by some Belgian troops and two gen.
darmes. A German officer was
killed by the Belgian soldiers during
the fight and subsequently buried at
the request of the Belgian officer in
command.
villages Invaded.
''None of the civIIians had taken
part in the fight; nevertheless, the
village was invaded at dusk on Au-
gust 10, by a strong force Of Ger
man cavalry, artillery and machine
guns. In spite of the formal assur-
ances given by the burgomaster that
none of the civilians had taken part
in the fight, two farms and six outly-
! ing houses we're destroyed by fire
and reduced to ashes.
"All the male population was
! then compelled to come forward and
hand over whatever arms they pos
! sessed. No recently discharged fire
arms we're found. Nevertheless the
invaders divided these peasants into
three groups, those In one group
were bound and eleven of them
placed in a ditch, where they after
wards were found dead, their skulls
fractured by the butts of rifles.
Inhabitants Asleep.
During the night or August 10, German
cavalry entered Velm in great numbers,
while the inhabitants were asleep. With
out provocation the Germans fired on
M. Deglmme's house and broke into.
They destroyed furniture and looted valu-
Rbles. They burned his barn, hay, corn
stacks, implements, cattle and his farm
yard.
'They carried off Nine Degllmme half
naked to a place two miles away. She
was then released. and as she fled, was
fired upon without being hit, however.
Her husband was carried to a point in
another direction and fired upon; he IS
dying. The same troops sacked and
burned the house of railway Waterman.
Tells of Outrages.
Farmer JET Dkerck or Neerhespen is
an eyewitness of the following afro
cities committed by German cavalry at
osmael and Neerhespen on August 10,
ii and ~. An old man had his arm cut
in three longitudinal slices. he WIS then
hanged head downward and burned alive.
, Young girls were assaulted and little
children outraged at Orsmael and mutia-
tions, too horrible to describe, were in
Slicted on other Inhabitants Prisoners
were hanged, while others were tied to
together and shot.
After an engagement at Haelen, Com
mandant Van Damme was so severely
wounded that he was lying prone on his
back. He was mutiated by German in
fantry firing their revolvers into his
mouth.
Numerous wounded and unarmed sol
diers were i'll treated or killed by Ger.
man troops and in different places doc.
tors and nurses and ambulances were
fired upon.
Use Belgian Flag.
'At times the Germans went into bat
lie with Belgian flag.
while digging trenches and with tn,
white flag hoisted, Belgian soldiers were
set upon by Germans and shot.
Another time, near fort at Ioncin
n group of German infantry hoisted the
white flag and when the Belgian soldiers
approached them to take them prisoners
they were fired upon at close range.
The massacre of Aerschot: Aerschot
town of 5000 inhabitants, wassinvestec
by the Germans in the morning of Au-
gust 49, No Belgian troops remained be
hind. No sooner had the Germans en-
tered the city when they began shooting
several in0ffensive civilians. In tn,
evening. claiming that a superior Ger
man officer had been shot by the son o
the burgomaster, or according to an
other version of their story. that a con
spiracy had been Matched against th'
German commandant by the burgomaste
and his family, the Germans took hold O
every man in the city. carrying them
fifty at time, within some distance o.
abe town.
Fire on Them.
There they grouped them in lines Of
four men. made them run ahead of then
and fired upon them. killing them after
ward with their bayonets. More thar
forty men were found thus massacred.
They pillaged the whole town. taking
from private residences all they coul'
lay their hands on. The following morn
ing they took one man out Of every thre'
whom they had arrested the previous
evening and, leading him outside the city
shot them. Among these were the bur
gomaster Of the town. Mr. fielemans
his l5-year-old son and his brother.
Then they compelled the remaining
villagers TO dig holes to bury their vic
Tins,
For three whole days they CONTINUED
20 pillage and set fire to everything il
heir way
"a hottf 1s0 fnha bitapte ~ Aarschot ~.