The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-04-27
GRUESOME SCENES
IN MEMEL, PRUSSIA
For Seven Months and Half War Had
Been Little More Than Rumor to
the Inhabitants of the City
When Suddenly the Rus
slams Poured In.

Memel, East Prussia, April 27.--Fol
seven months and a half the war hac
been little more than rImor for the
inhabitants OF the little city of Memel
tucked away in northernmost East Prus.
sia on the Baltic. Beyond the mobiliza.
ton OF 600 of the "landstrum" to take
the place of the regular troops things
had gone on much the same as usual.
Then, suddenly, on the 18th of March,
there came the report that the Cossaeks
were coming from the north and the east
and Memel began to get its first direct
impression of the gigantic conflict. In
the days that followed il was to get 9TH
er and more terrible impressions.
While officials frantically appealed for
help from the military authorities, the
little band of landstrum slowly fell
back from one defensive position to an
other before the oncoming Russians,
made one final but ineffective stand at
the outlying village of Althof, and on
Thursday night, March Is, were forced
TO let the Russians enter.
Burning and pillaging as they went,
the Russian troops swept into Memel.
As terrified villagers gazed from their
windows, the soldiers marched through
Memels main street, smashing in the
store windows, stopping only long enough
to help themselves TO tobacco, liquor and
food.
Memel, however. had had "a hours no
tice, and had utilized the time for par
tial fight. Terrified villagers from the
districts had come painting into
town with stories of dwellings looted
and burned, relatives and friends seized
md borne off TO Russia by Russian civ
lians following the wake of the soldiers,
and atrocities too terrible TO mention.
Eight thousand of the towns popula-
lion, thanks TO one final stand OF the
andsturm at the karlsbrueehe with a ]
machine gun, succeeded in getting out OF
Nemel. with a few belongings and onto |
he long strip of sand dune known as the |
'kurische Nehrung" that runs in curv- I
ng direction southwark toward koenigs-
,crg.
Few Of the fugitivcs had had time to
ring any food. and on the narrow strip
# sand there was nothing on which
hey could subsist The bitter winter
resther that had made the fight 50 ter
ible, however. proved TO b. their sal
alton. for il froze the sheltered water
etween the sand and the mainland 40
hat supplies could BE- sledged across in
efficient quantity 10 keep soul and body
ogcther.
Ignorant Of the fate that might have
efallen those they had left behind. suf-
nring terribly in the bitter weather. the
lgitives waited, hoping desperately that
be reinforcements Tor which they had
ppesled - earnestly had arrived 20
rive the Russians out. There they re-
aimed a week. or for four DAYS after
be invaders had been expelled with
reat losscs.
For three DAYS the Russian troops
lmped about the town. Their sNoop Z
b Memel seemed 10 have is-en inspired
= no tactical reason. for they did not :
nk the ships IN the land-loekcd har- {
~. nor f0rtify themselves. Gcrmany's
ireat that Russian towns Would D.
,stroyed 81 they continued % burn down
armsn villages - believed 10 have re-
rnined them from destroying Mernsl
Instead they clssned out virtually ~ /.
y aElcstessen store. every provision
arket and every wfnr snd liquor estab-
hmert In Memsl Individual sDi6iers
~ ing atsagt. entered the homes 81 To-
bltsuts anA added ~ tfsir fear ~
fr dt4redatiuns and thsir threats
On SUNDAY ths German reiriorrstnerts
rsn g. arrite. anz the nussiaus ~
ID - isatr fee iiurrs lstrr n trufi s
dssd t.rfias frun fhe esnfer ~ tiif =
tis ftr ~ Aifhof-or its reunsrts e
Va the story Of tAe derxFturf. Whrn 4
, isst Hnssisn hsd Vuuf ard thf ~ &
htzrfs reftursd nlrt 81 fifir huzlss 8
rsrrsrs wers p5eka6 ur ard risd )
7rtsssr preparatory a. bursai IN a surr- q
~ rsNre
ms gruaznsus wnTk Nss eth n rFur- ,.
- whsr e. Auzoaaats8 Faress eurres- e.
uart rHastsa wrnsa a
Dr. 81 So f~-t - rrnrh to sfrrr
IL fEsssr T'rasissrt nsr Hsse-if f 80 r.
aliHef rF EsH rA~taasia. ard 81 tersr n
ers 3. sf ort - t-utt fran - d,