The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-13

began With the houses Of rich people
and afterward the houses Of the poorer
classes were treated In the same man
ner. German soldiers had previously
told this witness that II the Burgo-
master Of Termonde, who was out of
town. did not return by IL o'clock that
day the town would be set on hre. The
airing of the town was In consequence OF
his failure to return. The prisoners
were afterward taken to q factory and
searched for weaponA They were sub
sequently provided with passports en-
abling them TO 70 anywhere In the town
but not outside. The witness In ques-
ton managed TO effect his escape by
swimming across the river.
Another witness describes how the
tower OF the church Of Termonde st.
Giles was utilised by the Belgian troops
for offensive purposes. They had In fact
mounted a machine gun there. This
witness was subsequently taken prisoner
In q cellar In Termonds In which he had
taken refuge with other people. All the
men were taken from the cellar and the
women were left behind. About seventy
prisoners In all were taken; one.
brewer. who could not walk fast enough.
was wounded with bayonet. He fell
Town and was compelled to get up and
follow the soldiers. Tho prisoners had
to hold up their hands. and n they
dropped their hands they were struck on
the back with the butt ends OF rihes
They were taken to Lebbeke. where
there were In all 800 prisoners. and there
they were locked up In the church for
threc days and with scarcely any food
A witness living At Baesrode wa.
taken prisoner with ESQ others and kept
al, night In a field. The prisoners were
released on the following morning This
witness saw three corpses OF civilians
and says that the Germans on Sunday,
the 9Th. plundered and DESTROYED the
houses OF those who had ned. The Ger
mans left on the following day. taking
about thirty men with them. one a man
OF 72 years Of age.
Later In the month civilians were
again used as screen. and there Is
evidence OF other acts OF outrage.
Aiost was the scene OF fighting be-
tween the Belgian and German armies
during the whole OF the latter part Of
the month Of September. In connection
with the fighting numerous cruelties APP
pear TO have been perpetrated by the
German troops.
On SATURDAY. SNptefnUcF VI
was bayonetted in the street. Another
civilian was shot dead at his door on
the same night. on the following day
| the witness was taken prisoner together
| with thirty others. The money OF the
! prisoners was contscated. and they were
| subsequently used as a screen for the
German troops who were at that mo-
ment engaged in conflict with the
Belgian army IN the town itself. The
D - hAr ~ 800
! AT this time. Corpses OF fourteen civil
| ians were seen In the streets on this
! occasion.
| A we'll educated witness who visited
| the Wetteren Hospital shortly after this
} date saw the dead bodies OF a number
| Of civilians belonging TO Alost and
I other civilians wounded. one OF these
! stated that he took refuge In the house
| OF his sister-ln-law that the Germans
/ dragged the people out Of the house,
/ which was on fire. seized him. threw him
! on the ground and hit him on the head
with the butt end OF rife and ran
! him through the thigh with bayonet.
I They then placed him with seventeen or
eighteen others In front Of the German
troops. threatening them with revolv-
ers. They said that they were going
! to make the people OF Alost pay for the
losses sustained by the Germans. AZ
this hospital was an old woman OF so
, completely transfxed by a bayonet.
other crimes on non-combatants al
| Alost belong TO the end OF the month
OF September. Many witnesses speak
10 the murder OF harmless civilians.
In Binnenstraat the Germans oroks
open the windows OF the houses and
threw fuid inside and the houses burst
into flames. Some Of the inha bitants
were burned TO death.
The civilians were utilized on Satur-
day. September 20. as screen. Dur
ing their retreat the Germans fired
twelve houses In Rue des Trois Clefs
and three civilians. whose names are
given, were shot dead In that street
I after the firing OF the houses. on IN,
following day a heap OF nine dead civil
isns were living In the Rue de rArgent
similar outrsges occurred at Erpe. a
| village few miles from Alost, about
IN. same date. The village was delhi
erately burned. The houses were plum
dered and some civilians were inur'
dered
Civilians we're apparently used a. 2
screen at Erpe. but they were prisoners
taken from Alost and not dwellers IT
that village.
Diaries Of German Soldiers.
This disregard for tho nvea VI
civilians Is strikingly ahou, in extract,
from German soldiers diaries Of whics
tho following are representative eN
amples
Barthel. who was ssrgear, an,
standard bearer OF the Second Com
pany of the First Guards Regiment oil
Foot and who during the campaign re
ceived the Iron Cross. says. under dat
OF August 10. 1914: "a transport o
900 BelEians came through Dulsburi
In tho morning. or these eighty, In
Guiding the Oberburgomaster, were sho
according TO martial law"
Matbern. OF the Fourth Company o
Jagers, No. II. from Marburg state
that at a village between Rirnal anC
Dnant on Sunday, August 49, the Pho
neers and Infantry Regiment lis wer,
fred upon by the inhabitants, He give
no particulars beyond this. lie con
tinues: About e20 inhabitants wer
shot and uhe village was burned. Artiller,
Is continuously shooting--the village lie,
In a large ravine. Just now, 8 o'clocl
In the afternoon, the crossing OF tn
Mouse begins near Oman. All villages
chateaux and houses are burned dow,
during the night II is n beautiful sigh
10 see the fires all round US In the dis
lance"
, Bomhard'er We.zel OF the Secon
, Mounted Battery. First Kurhessian Fiel,
Artillery Regiment. No. II. records al
Incident which happened In French ter
rltory near Lilo on October II wv