The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-08
BRITISH HOLD GERMANS GUILTY
 OF ATROCITIES
Press Bureau Cites List of Alleged Attacks on Non-
 Combatant BeIgians

London, Ian. 8.-At the request of the Belgian legation in London the British Press Bureau today issued de- tailed allegations of the maltreatm ent of Catholic clergyrnen in Belgium and the destruction of their institutions by German troops. This statement says that churches and religious houses ware destroyed or profaned in almost every village and in many towns where the German troops passed, In most cases the edihces were utilized as stables and prisons and when not placed in safe hiding the sacred ves- sells were stolen.
 The statement makes the dec1ara- ton that members of the clergy have been su bjected to special indignities at the hands of the German soldiers
 At the edifices of Iiege. Namur, Nalines and Ghent many priests and others connected with the churches were either shot or hanged. Many others were carried to Germany where 1 they appear to have been Subjected to abominable usage
 The following specific instances are given in the statement of the press bureau:
 August 27-An American and a Spanish priest. among a, group of seventy civilians, were dragged about from place to place all day and mo tested, insu1ted and threatened with ] military execution. They were taken to the church at Campenhout and shut up for the night.
 August 21.--The priest of Duechen an invalid ST years old, suffering from disease, was accused by the Germans of having fired on. them. He was arrested, hoisted on 8 cannon tossed into a ditch and shot. A wit ness said he saw the priest Gelrode brought into Aershot August 24 with three wounded men. The Germans said he was an English spy and took 1 him to the town hall. The following 1 day they beat him with rifle butts and then on the Domer bridge they shot him and cast his body into the river,
 "A priest makes the following de- position: August 15.-Gernan soldiers swarmed into the village Of Schaffen and began to burn and pi1lage on the pretense that shots had been fired on them. One hundred and seventy houses were burned and twenty-seven civilians murdered. The Germans ma1treated me in every way. They I erected a gallows on which they said I they proposed to hang me. They l thrust me into a house which was on l fire but dragged me out again. They sent me off and at a distance of 200 l yards began shooting at me. fell l and pretended to be dead and so ] | escaped.
 Continuing, the statement says the commission of inquiry, collected evil
 dence that in the diocese of Malines I alone 26 priests were killed without Icause. Similar atrocities occurred in bother dioceses. In the Liege diocese 10 priests were shot and in the Ma I nlur diocese 20 priests were killed The priest of Spontin was first hung hung up by the feet and then pierced l with bayonets. In tho diocese o. 1 Tournai a. bishop 74 years old was I seized as a. hostage and struck by 2
 soldier. Three ecclesfastics were sho
 in this diocese.
 The statement concludes with. these
 words:
 Nothing can demonstrate more
 clearly the tendencies of the Ger
 mans in dealing with the members o; the c1ergicaI body than the words o:
 proclamation posted by the German
 authorities at Grivegnee. September 6
 which says:
 's When hostages are taken the
 priests, burgonnasters. and member.
 Of the communal administration ars
 to be put at the head of the list. 2,