davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12
BROWNSVILLE DAILY HERALD

the dispositions in which humane act, by
individual officers and soldiers are men
toned, or in which officers are said TO have
expressed regret at being obliged to carry
ont orders for cruel action against the
civilians. Similarly we find entries In
diaries which review a genuine pity for
the population and disgust al the conduct
of the army. Ii appears that a German
noncommissioned officer stated definitely
that he was acting under orders and exc
cutting them with great unwillingness.' A
commissioned officer. on being asked M
Louvain by a witness. 4 highly educated
man, about the horrible act~ committed by
the soldiers. said he was merely executing
orders and that he himself would be- shot
II he did not execute them.
I'VE are driven To the conclusion that
the harrying oi the village III the district.
the burning Of 4 large part 81 LouVain. the
ma>~acres there. thr marching out If the
prisoners. and the transport IA Cologne.
Gall done without inquiry a. to whether the
particular persons seized or killed had
committed amy wrongful act.l were due Ia
4 calculated policy carried out scientific
ally and deliberately. mol merely with the
sanction. but under the direction nf higher
military authorities, and were not due IA
any provocatIon or resistance b. the ci-
william population"
\ division Of the report j. given Ia
diaries of German soldier. The entry of
Il sergeant ot the first guard regiment. who
received the Iron Gross. >av> under date
II August l0:"A transport 81 500 Beleian>
came through Buisburg In the morning. OF
these. eighty. including the obcr-burpo-
master. were shot according 10 martial
law. The diary ot u member of the fourth
company Of Jager> Sav~ under date Of An
.u~t y, 'ab"ut 22O inhabitants and the
village were burnt. Artillery J. r%ontinu-
pu>ly shooting. Ju~t now the crossing ~
The Mouse begins near Dinant All vii
lagc~. chatcauN and houses are burnt down
during the night. IN Il, 4 beautiful SIGHT
to see the fire. al round a. IN the dis
%iance." Another diary. hy a member of the
second mounted battery. first Kurhe>>ian
held artillery regiment. number II, records
an incident which happened IN French ter
rtorN near Lille on October IL 1--WE had
no h.hi. bat wc caught about twenty men
and shot them. The committee ~av> oil
fl1- let HIM.
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12
Humanity Not Wholly Disappeared.

I'VE gladly record instances where cvi-
dcncc shows that humanity ha~ not who'll,
disappeared from members of the German
army and that they realized that the re-
~pon~ihlr head uf that organization we're
employing them not III war. Int ~
hutchery. i am merely cNccutin. orders.
and ! should he shot vi did not execute
them, sand an officer ~ 4 witness M Lou
vain. At Brussels another officers >ay,: 4
have not lone one hundrcdth part al
what wc have been ordered "a ~ ~ the
high German military authorities
THAT these acts should have been per
portrayed on the peaceful population ~ al
unotfcndIng country which va, not ~ war
with H. invaders. hut merely defending ii,
own neutrality. guaranteed by the invading
power. may excite amazcmcnt and even
~Incrcduiitl. II was with amazcmcut and
almost with Incredibly that the committee
first read the depo-ition- relating to such
acts. But when the evidence regarding
Licrc wa~ followed ~ that regarding .Acr-
shot. Louvain. Andcnnc. Dinnant and other
towns and Villages the cumulative effect
of such 4 mas ~ concurrent testimony
became irresistible and wc were driven t.
the conclusion that the things described
had really happened. The question then
arose how they could have happened. Not
merely military license. Tor the discipline
Of the German army l. provcrhlally
stringent. and it, obedience explicitly. Not
from any special lcrucity of the troops.
for whoever ia~ Travelled among the Ger
man p%ca~antrN know that they are kindly
and good naturcd a. amy people IN Europe
and those who can recall the war 81 1870
will remember no chargc- resembling those
proved lay these dispositions were then e.
tabIi~hcd. The cNcc~~c~ recently committed
IN Belgium. were. moreover. too widespread
aud too uniform IN their character 10 tr
mere sporadic outbur~t~ ~ passion ~
ra narlfV
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12

I'm the minds Vt Prussian officers, war
seems to have become a sort of a sacred
mission, one II the highest functions of
%omnipotent state. which i itself a. much
an army a "A state. Ordinary morality and
the ordinary sentiment Of pity vanish in
IT. presence. superseded BY a new standard
which I~u~tilie~ To the soldier every means
that can couducc "a success. however
shocking 10 a natural sense IF Justice and
humanity. however revolving to hi own
feelings. The spirit of war j. dchcd.
Obedience 10 the state and IT, war lord
leaves me- room for any other duty nr feel
ing. Cruelty becomes legitimate when n
promises victory. Proclaimed ~ the head
of the army. this doctrine would seem IT,
hame pcrmeatcd the officers and affected
even the private soldiers. leading them ~
Justify the killing of noncumbaianl~ ~ an
act at war. and - accustomed them u
slaughter that even women and children
become ~ la~t the victims. II can not be
supposed To- he u national doctrine. for II
neither springs from. nor reflects the mind
and feelings ~ the German people ~ they
have heretofore been known L. other ma
tI"n>. u 4 specifically military doctrine.
and the outcome ~ 4 theory held ~ y
ruling ease who have hrooded and thought.
written and talked and dreamed about war
until they nave fallen under IT, ohc~~Ion
and been hypnotizcd IN IT. spirit.
"The doctrine " plainly ct forth N the
E.r.... ..ns.t.I ,,.I -. 81. -.
Of war on land. issued under the direction
~ the German stan. This book l. per
yaded throughout ~ the view that what
ever military needs suggested becomes
thereby lawful and upon this principle. a.
the diaries show. the German officers acted
.'If this explanation be- the true one. the
mystery !, solved and that which seemed
scarcely credible becomes more lmirlli.ihlr.
although not less pcrnIciou~. Thi~ T. not
the only ease that history records IN which
= false theory Disgusting itself a~ loyalty
"a a state cor q" "a church. has perverted
The conception of duty and becomes "
source If danger 70 the world
Another division ~ the report ~ ou the
killing 81 noncombatant~ IL France" Thi~
j. not al detailed a. the ease III Belgium.
~ the committee states the French official
report gives the most complete account a.
10 the invaded district in France. II add~
"The evidence before a. proved 90 ~ that
IA the parts 81 France referred ~. murder
If u~noffcnding civilizations and other art~
pf cruelty. including aggravated eases uf
rape. carried out under threat ~ death
aud come tunes actually followed IN muir
der at the victim. were committed hy some
~ tL,s t.rutnp tr..t-
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12
Horrible Sights Are Told OF.

In MaIInc~ many bodies were seen. tine
witness saw u German soldier cut u wom-
am breat> after he had murdered her. and
saw many other dead budic~ ot women III
the street. In Ilot~tady. two Witnesses
speak Of having seen the body ut a Young
man pierced bv havonct thru>t> with the
wrists cut also. On = side road the corp~c
of a civilian wa~ seen "n hi doorstep with
4 bayonet wound Ia hi stomach and ~ hi
side the dead body of 4 boy Of five or xix
with his hand nearly severed. Two Young
house. One had her breasts cut or. The
other had been stabbed.
~ youny man had been hacked with n
baNonct until hi %cntrail~ protrudcd. lie
also had hi hand- joined in the attitude of
PRAYER.
"ln Scmp~t the corpse 81 \ man with
hl~ leg cut of. who wa~ partly bound. wa
seen by a witness who also Jaw 4 Girl of
:. dressed only ia 4 clcmi~c and III great
distress. She al-" alleged that ~hc. her
self. and other girl had been dragged into
4 field. stripped naked and violated. aud
that some "t them had been killed with ~
hayunci. Al ElcwNt. u mans naked body
wa tied az l" = ring IN the wall IL th,
hack Nard 81 hi house. he wa> dead and
hi corpse wa~ mulilatcd in a manner too
horrible "a record. \ woman'> naked body
wa also found ia 4 stable a%butting on the
same back ward.
AT IIac>cht. y child If three. with II,
stomach cut open ~ = hay"nci. was lvin.
near u house. Al Wcrchtcr the rurp~c- ct
= man and woman and four Younger sons
wcr" found II one house. II i said thai
they had been murdered because one 49,
ne latter. 4 girl. would not permit the Ger
man> Ia outrage her"
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12
No Proof Of Outrages on Germans.

Referring ~ y statement ~ the chan
cellor oi the German empire 81 September
IL. last. that Bclgian~ had committed out
RACES on the German soldier. the commit
tee ~ay~:
mo evidence whatrrrr seems 10 have
been adduced t. prove thi~ and although
there may be- ca~e~ IN which individual
Belgian~ fired ON the Germans. the state
ment that the whole civilian population ~
Belgium wa~ called out J. utterly opposed
to the fact.
AN invading army may b. entitled a.
shoot vt sight every one caught ~rcdhandcd.
ar anyone who. thought not caught red
handed. = proved guilty 90 inquiry. But
this wa mol the practice IN the German
troops. They do not seem a. have made
any inquiry. They seized the civilians ~
the village Indi~criminately and killed
them, or such "a they selected from AMONG
them without the least regard "a guilt or
Innocence. The mere crime 'civili>icn hahcn
gc>chu~-cn' was enough tu hand over =
whole village ~ district and even outlying
plarp- la rutLlr-- -lnuuhtrr
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12
0utrages in Valleys Especially Shocking.

me report duu-.
"The committee j. especially impressed
by the character Of the outrage~ com
mitted in the smaller villages. MANY ot
these are exceptionally shocking and can
not he regarded a. contemplated Or de-
scribed by the responsible commanders 81
the troops by whom they were committed.
The inference, however. W draw from
these occurrences, l. that when once their
troops have been encouraged in u career
Of terrorism, the more savage and brutal
natures. Of whom there are some ia every
large army. are liable to run io wild cx-
cess, more particularly in those %rcgion~
where they are least subject t. "b>orva Y
tion and control"
evidence goes Ia show that deaths IN
these villages were due not to accident. but
To deliberate purpose. The wounds were
generally >tab~ or cut~. and for the most
part appear Ia have been inflicted with y
b. vonet.
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12
Whole Families Slaughtered.

we nfN fTflN VIII f~ANNh" ~ 49,
slaughter tuitrn accompanied TN muiila-
tionl ~ whole iamilic-, including not ~
Frequently that ~ quite small children. w
two eases II seems a. hr clear that prcIa
ratiuu- we're made n" burn "A Family alive
These rrimr~ were committed over \ period
at many week. and simultaneously m
many places and he authorities must have
known ~ ought ~ have known that cruel
lies uf thu character were being rcrp~
ltralci. nor can anyone doubt that they
could have been stopped w swift and de-
ci-ivc action ga thr part NJ The heads ~
the German army.
ut w. clearly shown that many ofIru-r-
we're committed against infants and quite
Young children. On enc occasion children
we're even rrpcd together and used wv ~
military screen against the rnrm, ~ an
other three soldiers went int" action car
rving small children ~ protect themselves
from flank tirr. a shocking ease ~ ihr
murder VI a balm IN 4 drunken soldier Ht
Maine, Nv reported IN one eye wItuc~l
and confirmed bN another.
ave can u"t tcll whether these art- "l
cruelty * children were part ~ 4 -chcmr
Tor inducing -uhmI- -Ion IN inspiring ter
ror. IN Lou,aIn, where the system oi ter
%rnrizimg was carried - tie tarlherr~t
limits. outrage "n children were uncum
mon. The same, however. can not bc sand
NJ come ~ the smaller village, which wrr,
subjected tu The system. Ia lloi-tadt nnd
>rmp-t. IN llac-rhl. Rut-rlucr and We
prlcT. many children were murdered. Nur
ran d hr aid ni ihc village ~ Tamu,
whore three small children tvh".r name,
are given hy thr go vItue-- ~ the crImrl
were slaughtered go TIE green tnr a. a.
parent mvr4,r. II D. difficult 10 imagine
the motive. which may have prompted
such art~. Whether ~ not Belgian civilians
fired Un German -uldIrr-. young childrrn
M any rate did not fire"
MANY Instance are gwen ni The u-r III
civilian a- screen duriu- tho mIlltur.
operations. Another branch ~ the report
deals with the Inniing. burning aud d.
l-tUurtiuu ui property. "Thc general con
rlu-i"n. ihc report say. "is that H.
burning and destruction of property whIrh
look place WJ- uull W " very small minor
ity ~ eases justified IN military necessity"
Cl-r- "t firing en- hospitals. Red Cru--
ambulance and -trrtrhrr BEARER are rr-
irrrrd tu. hnf ihr report add ''Dn TIE
whole vr dr u"i lind proof uf n general 49,
-y-irmItir firing M hospital ~ ambu-
lance. hut VI Ivy uuI pu~~ihlc wv believe
that mnrh care wa- takru Il" avoid this"
Gases 80 the Red Crr-- heinz mi-u-rd
t"r military purpose ami M the abuse ~
the white tla. are also given. ~ w he
latter the report say There ON M our
opinion %uiirIrui evidence that urh VI
fcn-c- have hrrn frequent. deliberate and
u mauN ru-r- committed I'm whole unit
under order. Nl thr iJrt- mentioned are
ia rnnira,ruiinn "a The Hague convention.
signed hN ilr great puwrr-. m'ludin. Ger
many. Frame. Great Britain and The
imtrd Static. m 1900.
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12
Bed Ridden Old Men Imprisoned.

AT Hcnrc H. Ruunain. all the male in
habitani~. including some bed ridden old
men, were imprisoned in the church. The
burgomaster's brother and the priest were
bayonctted. The village of Wise waS com
plctely destroyed. Officer directed the ia
eendiaries who worked mclhoilcally with
beuzinc. Antiques and rhina were re-
moved from the houses before their de
structisn. by officers who guarded the
ylundcr. revolver IN hand.
"Entrics in "a German diary show that
on August 10 the German soldier gave
themselves up 10 dcbauchery IN the streets
of Liege. and on the night of the 10Th ~
massacre took place IN the streets.
Tough the cause al the massacre " ~
dispute. the results are known with ger
tainty. The Rue De- Pittcur~ aud hnu---
in the Place del 1'niycr-itc and the puai
dies Pechcur> were ~>v~,cmatIcallv fired
with bcnzinc: and MANY inlahilunt- were
burned alive IN their house. their efforts
Ia escape being prevented ~ rifle fire.
Twenty people were shot while irving to
escape. before the ewes at one ~ the wit
ne~~es. The Liece fire hrigad" turned ou'.
but was moi allowed 4" rNtin.ui-h the lire.
IL carts. however. were u~-ctully cmplovrd
in removing heaps If civilian corp-c> f.
the town hall"
Taking up the valley ~ the Mcu~c and
Sambrc. the report gives lengthy details
of terrible conditions described bv wit
ncsses at Audcnnc. and say
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12

q great mass of evidence on ..scenes of
chronic outrage in the territory bounded
by the towns of Aer>hot, Maline~. Nilvordc
and louvain. II states that the total num-
Der of cutrages l. 80 great that the com
mittee can not refer To them all. The report
states that the battle Of Malines was the
occasion later Of numerous murders com
mitted by the German army in retreafins
through the villages: and in the second
place II led To the ma~sacres, plundcrines
and burnings at Louvain."
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12

severely punished. oue witness reports
that a Young Girl who was being pursued
hv a drunken soldier ~ Lonvain appealed
~ i German uflicrr. and that the offender
wa then aud there shot. another ne
~rrihcd how an officer II the 32nd req
mcut " the lur Wa led out To execution
for the violation ~ two Young girls, hui
rcprirvr,l ~ the request ~ with ihe consent
VI the girls mother. These instance are
sufficient L. show that the malIrcatmtui WI
women Wa me- part ~ The military -ch'm"
AZ me INVADER. however much u may np
a. have been Ihr inevitable result ~
the system "f terror deliberately adopted
~ certain regions.
I'm Thu tale NJ horror hidcuu~ form
Of mutilaiiun occur with -nme Frequency
N the dispositions. two al which MAY W
connected III some instances with "A per
verified form uf sexual instinct.
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12

"About 100 people last their lives IN thu
massacre. some on the bank 80 the Ncu~c.
where they were ~l", arc"rdin. 4" order
given, and some in the ccllar~ nt house,
where they had taken refuge. Ei.hj men
hcloncin. 10 one family were murdered.
Another man was placed cl"~c u" a ma
chime gun. which wa tircd through HIM.
Hi- wife brought hi body nome "n 4
wheel barrow. The Germans broke int" her
house and ran~acked IL. and piled mp all
the catablc> IN u heap on the floor and
relieved Themselves upon IT..
"A hair dresser wa~ murdered in hi
kitchen, where he was sitting with = child
on each knee. a p%araivtic WA murdered
IN hi~ garden. After thi~ cimc The general
sack of the town. Many ot the inhabitants
who escaped the massacre were kept -
pri,oner> and compelled "a clear the houses
of corp-c- aud bury them IN trenches.
These prisoners were subsequently used a
"a shelter and protection for q pont"on
bridge which the Germans had built across
iI,. river aud were :" used To- prevent the
Belgian fori> from iirin: upon II.
Mace 10 Sing Deutschland Uber Allies"
~ few day later the Germans ceIe-
Lratcd u ictc nocturnc ia the square. Hot
wine. looted in town. wa~ drunk. and the
women were compelled to give three cheers
for the kaiser and sing "Deut~chland Ub-r
Allies"
I'VE have no reason 4" believe that the
civilian population Of Dinant gave amy
provocation. or that amy either defense can
be- put forward to Justify the treatment in
f,i.ied upon IL citizens
The committee states that II has received
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-12
ALLEGED ATROCITIES OF
GERMANS INVESTIGATED
Continued from page H.

"We began the inquiry with doubts
whether a positive result would be obtain
ed, says the report. "But the farther we
Went and the more evidence We examined.
SO much more was our skepticism reduced.
There might he some exaggcration in some
Witnesses, possible dclusion in another, in
accuracics in "a third. When. however. we
found that things which at first seemed
Improbable were testified by many wit
ne-ses coming from different places, the
points In which they all agreed became
more and more evidently true. When this
concurrence of testimony showed itself m
hundred of dispositions. the truth of the
broad facts stood out beyond question.
me force OF the evidence J., cumulative"
Murder Was Prelude to Burning.
Taking up the conditions al Licge. Bel
gum, at the outset of the war. the report
gives a narrowing recital of occurrences
~ various points in the devastated terri
Tory. Al Hervc, on August 1. the report
says, "tbc murder of an innocent fugitive
civilian was a prelude To the burning and
pillage Of the town and of other village,
~ the neighborhood: To the indiScriminatc
shooting of civilians of both sexes and to
the organized military execution Of patches
oi selected males. Thus some fifty men
escaping from burning houses were seized.
taken outside the town and shot. Al Ne
len. n hamlet west of Herve. forty men were
shot. In one household alone the father
and mother tnames SiyenD were shot. the
daughter died after being repeatedly out
ragged. and the son wa~ wounded
"ln Souma.ne and Micheroux. very many
civilians were >ummarilv shot. In I field
belonging To n man named B.. 56 or
% were put 10 death. A German officer
sand you have shot IT ~ One Of the
villagers asked la he allowed to speak. and
sand: If YOU think these people fired. kill
me, hut let them GO The answer wa~ three
vollcys. The survivors were haVonrttcd
Their corp>c> were seen IN the field that
night by another witness One AT least
had been mutilatcd. These were not the
only victims IN Souma.ne. The eve wit
ness OF the massacre saw. on his way
home. twent, bodice. one that "f a vonny
girl Of ~. Another witness saw nineteen
spPp-pE IN "A mgaInu
The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-24

Indications are that the liquor bill
for the United Kingdom for 1914 will
be somewhat smaller than for 1919.
The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-24
ADVERTISING EXPERT
HERE NEXT FRIDAY
LENE,LLYN f.. PRATT. or NEW
YORK, WILL DELIVER AID
DRESS TO AID CLUB.

Leweilyn T. Pratt. OF New York,
chairman of the educational commit
tee OF the Associated Advertising
Clubs of the World, will actress the
Richmond Advertisers club in the
Business Mems Club, at ! o'clock on
Friday. the 29th The Associated
Clubs now number one hundred and
forty. with membership Of over H.
600.
Mr.. Pratts committee Is made up
or ninety-ilve newspaper and adVcr-
ftsing men in as many cities of the
United States, Canada, Australia and
Hawaii The activities of the educa-
tional committee are varied and Inn
portant I. publishes hooks on adj
vertising, one of them having had q
sale i'm two years 81 over 1000 copies.
1t ia being printed in three languages,
A research was made last month
under its direction. The members
~ the committee resolved themselves
into voluntary investigators OF bust
ness conditions and made reports
from their respective towns, based
upon information furnished by three
leading stores selected from four lines
Rpf business. viz department drug.
hardware and grocery stores, The
information was collated 10y expert
etatists In Minneapolis and within
1eas than three weeks an elaborate
book of forty-six pages was written
The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-24

OF the Merchants and Farmers Bank
of Portsmouth he was elected Its
cashier. with which institution he has
served actively ever since as an officer
and one of its directors. For severas
years past ne was held the post of
vice president. and he was Justly re-
garded the dean OF the banking bust
ness in 1fdewater Virginia.
Active In Public Life.
He was at one time a member of
the City Council OF Portsmouth. He
also served on the electoral board of
the city. and was prominently identi-
fed with the work OF the Young Mems
Christian Association. as Its treasurer,
and was also treasurer of the Ports
mouth Orphan Asylum Of the public
library. He was the oldest member
of Monumental NJ. f. Church, in
which he was one OF the foremost
workers for many years, always TAX
ing deep interest in the church and
its progress.
He held membership in Seaboard
Lodge, No. Sc, A. F. and A. M, and
Old Dominion Lodge. /. o. o. F.. of
This city.
He leaves a wife. who before her
marriage was Miss Rebecca Dorothy
Chappell the only daughter of the
late Hon. r.. H. and Mrs Loretto
Lamar Chappell, of Columbus, Ga,
and two sons, Lamar Chappen and
James Hodges. Jr. also two daugn-
tiers. Miss Loretto and Mrs. Walter
3. Matthews: three grandchildren.
Miss Matte Lee Lockhart, only
daughter of Mr.. Lamar Toomer, and
Dorothy and Helen. children Of Mrs,
Mathews; also several rephews. sons
of his late sister. Mrs. Alice Parrish.
Monumental Mourns.
Monumental NJ #. Church Is in
mourning because Of the death of her
grand old man, Captain James ii.
Toomer, who was chairman OF her
board of trustees and stewards. q
tears1er In the Sunday School, her
authority on church history and law,
her chief counsellor and her greatest
and best friend. Mr.. Toomer has been
an active worker in the church for
sfxty-fiye years. He has held every Of
fee within her gift and has filled them
all with ability dignity and perfect
satisfaction to All. Humility, spirit
,ialty and ardent love have always
characterized him. Monumental will
miss the beam of his countenance, the
10Y of his presence, and his able
counsel and help. His place will be
hard to I'LL.