New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-29
McCutcheon Tells of Night
with Army Singing Its
Way to Battle.
THEY SANG "AMERICA"
TO PLEASE GUESTS
Writer Cannot Believe Them the
Brutal Soldiers Stories
Declare They Are.
BY JOHN T. MCUTCREON.

by JOHN i. mCUlChEON'
| copyright. 1914. by John 7. McCutohoon.l
3 Aix-la- Sept. l3.--The town
of Beaumont was In darkness. No clti-
zens were on the streets and every
house seemed to be choked with SOL
diers, in vain we went from one house
to another. There was no room and
no food. The outlook was as dark -
the town.
Finally a soldier said we could sleep
/ on the straw in a house occupied oy
some soldiers. II happened to be the
/ guardhouse, as was later discovered. a
i dozen or more soldiers were Jammeo
! into each room, but up on the thru
floor there was a pile OF straw in III
tie box of a room. 3,
A guard was on duty on the ground
floor. where a number OF prisoners
we're herded together in 4 small room
A great pile of artillery ammunition
thousands of shells, was corded up on
the ground floor. The prospect was
not inviting, but II was accepted as one
of the fortunes of war. If nothing bet.
ter could be found the straw-eovered
floor OF a little room over powder
magazine would be most welcome. IL
was infinitely better than being on the
streets, where we might get shot By
some impetuous and oycrzealous sem
try.
SchoolhOuse a Stable.
In the meantime, faithful BulOtte,
our mOtherly looking roam mare, was
standing out in the Grand Place among
the patTician motor cars, waiting 10 DC
detached from her cart and quartered
for the night. She was a much greater
problem than our own. We could throw
ourselves down on q pile Of straw and
sleep, but o horse and vehicle in an
overcrowded little town could not be
disposed Of so simply.
In the darkened streets, humping
into soldiers at every turn, steering
our way through congested lines OF
motors and trucks, our exploring ex-
petition made its tortuOus way until
some soldiers back in little side
street, under the shadow Of the church,
directed us to a schoolhouse, large
building called the Ecole hoyenne de
Beaumont.
In one of the school rooms, of the
entrance hall, was a group OF private
soldiers singing patriotic songs. One
was playing a piano.
Out in the quiet courtyard, or play
ground of the school, were many
shadowy figures moving about in the
darkness. In several of the school
rooms fronting the wall inclosed court
yard were cavalry and artillery horses,
stamping the straw strewn floor and
hitched with their heads against black
boards and maps. Piles of school
benches bad been stacked out In the
courtyard.
Made a Stall of Benches.
A soldier said we could bring our
horse there, leaving the cart out IN
an alley. The cart could not be taken
inside, because the only means of get
ting horses in was through the main
entrance of the schoolhouse or through
a tiny door in the wall of the court
ward. Most of the big cavalry horses
had been led up the steps on the main
entrance and through the main hall
way of the schoolhOuse.
We left the cart out in an alley,
with long row of motor trucks.
Bulotte was urged through the little
doorway in the wall and led to shed
in the rear of the courtyard, where
she as coralled along with a group OF
gigantic artillery horses. We had no
halter or rope with which to secure
her. so made a stall by piling up
number of long school benches.
The German soldiers were very kind
and helpful. In spite of the fact that
they had been hard at work for hours
and were doubtless extremely tired,
they insisted upon helping us. One Of
them told US where we could find an
unoccupied schoolroom, in which we
might sleep. He got lantern and led
the way down the darkened alley to
narrow gateway in the wall md then
into a big bare schoolroom, upon the
stone floor of which was a litter of
straw. 1t looked good, In spite Of the
fact that the floor would be most un-
comfortable and the night air chilly,
for we had no blankets.
Then Came a Disappointment.
However, there was consolation in
the thought that tomorrow we should
| 20 to Brussels, where there were baths
and comfortable beds.
! In this hope we were doomed to dis
| appointment, for we not only did not
go, but to this day we have not been
able to get there. Our baggage is still
| in Brussels and there seems little like
= lihood of our ever seeing it again.
1t was o'clock before we had estab-
lished Bulotte for the night and ar
ranged a place to sleep for ourselves.
As yet we had not eaten.
/ In our pockets we had some choco-
late, some sandwiches and the eleven
hard boiled eggs which we had OBJ
tanned from the kind Belgian lady at
Merbes lie Chateau. There were also
the remains of two boxes of cigars and
some cigarettes. With these we made
our way into the room where the SOL
diers were singing and ate our supper
on a school bench to the inspiring
choruses of their songs.
OF all the vivid pictures of the mem
orable ten days since | had arrived in
Belgium this schoolroom stands out in
my memory as one Of the most vivid.
| | wish | could have sketched it, but
sketehing is dangerous in an army,
and the ability to sketch would at once
focus suspicion upon the motives Of
the person seen sketching. Next to a
camera, a sketchbook would have been
the surest thing to invite trouble.
! The schoolroom was fairly large.
Upon one wall was a crucifix and some
sacred pictures. Upon another was an
! inscription, "Ecole Moysnne de Beau
mont" while from the ceiling hung an
oil lamp, the light of which threw out
in strong relief the men seated below
it and cast the upper part of the room
in deep shadows.
Soldier Played a Piano.
( A dozen or more soldiers we're sented
at the long tables. Another was play
ing a piano in the corner. When we
came in they made way for rs and
brought bottle of wine for our sup
per. They were very friendly ard
seemed to take our presence, strange
as it must have been, as quite natural
I a., 4 ,,nsuppiciNua