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

4 WV W"
''e"'s "' 'ne ufne'
Shot sor ur.c,s,n~ x,o
In the evidence before us there are
cases tending to show that aggravated
cr''nes against women wei- sometimes
severely punished. One witness reports
that young girl who was being pur-
sueu Dy drunken soldier at Louvain
appealed TO German officer and that
the onender was then and there shot
another describes how an officer Of the
inirty-second Regiment of the Line was
led out to execution for the violation of
TWO young girls. but reprieved at the
request or with the cons, mt of the girls
nother. THESE instances are sufficient to
snow that the maltreatment of women
was no part OF the military scheme OF
the invaders. however much II may ap
pear to have been the inevitable result
OF the system of terror deliberately
adopted In certain regions. Indeed so
inuch Is avowed. II asked the COM
fnander why we had been spared" says
a lady In Louvain. who deposes to hav-
ing suffered much brutal treatment dur
ing the sack. He said: I'VE will not
nurt you any more. Stay In Louvain.
All II finished" II was Saturday,
august ~, and the reign of terror was
over
apart IRON the crimes committed in
special areas and belonging to scheme
OF systematic rtprisals for the alleged
enootIng oy CIVILIANS there is evidence
vi oHences committed against women
anu cn,,oren by Individual soldiers or
" sn'i' sroups OF soidiers' both in the
'"ioush belgium ana France
81" W w. 'er.a' from the marine. IN
-, w. "ieV. p'''e "ppe"rs 10 nave oeen
49, uu' ',s ,'e re.lea. ana tnere IS evil
~. ".e "s W 'ns burning OF villages and
tas '. ,u.r anu N'oia,Ion Oh their female
80. ms '"'s episoue III the
In this tale OF horrors hideous forms OF
in the depo,ition. two ~ wSt,h -. -.
connected in soma Instances u,,,,
yerted form of ss1uai ,ns,,,",
A third form OF mutiiation m. out
ting Of one or both hand, :. ,r.nn.n,,y
said to have taken place In some cas..
where this form Of muti,a,ion q. s,isc.d
to have occurred 4, NAV n. IN. cons.
auence Of n cavalry charge I'm . viii. -.
street. hacking and ala shin1 =, .y.,v-
thing in the wav. in o,h.rs ~. ,so,,,,
NAV possibly nav. held vsanon ~
others tho motive MAJ hav. h..n ,h.
theft OF ring.
we and many wei, established ca...
Of slaughter Iof,en accomnan,cd hy ~
nj N n KN,Nt nj al. MI
no, infreouen,Iv that ~ mutt. su,aii
children In Two case. 4, .s.ns 20 ha
clear TIM, pren,ra,io,. usr. r,.d. 20
hurr a f,p,iiy aiiy. Th..a crtr,.s -.
committed ovcr a noriod ~ ,n,ny v..L.
ard st,,,,i,.,ao,s,r a. 80, ,ia... "a
,ha authori,i.., 80, ha,,. Lnov -
ought 70 bave known ,h., crusi,i.s a,
This character wer. h.ing narn.,ra,od
nor can any ono doubt tba, ,hev conld
oc,io, on IN. n,r, -, ,h. nd. ~, ,ha
1;crn,,n army
Women lscd as Screen.
ne use VI Women anu e.en ehi,uIen
"s seieeh ioi VIC pio.eeUo'' Vi ."e
oer.han .Ioops is referred 10 III Iater
par. Vi '"ls IepoI'; ron, 'ne NUMBER
Oh troops cohceIheu' " must nave oeen
eo', , va OF aeau'esceu III os o,''eers
ana III some cases tne presence ana con-
Inc cases OF VOCATION sometimes un-
der threat OF death are numerous ana
clearly proved. We referred here TO
comparatively rev out OF the many mat
nave been placed IN the Appendix. be-
cause the circumstances are IN most
instances much the same. They were
often accompanied with cruelty. and
is more than once credibly attested
1t is quite possible that IN some cases
where the body OF Belgian or a French
woman is reported as lying in the road
side pierced with bayonet wounds or
hanging naked from a tree. or else as
lying gashed and mutilated in a cottage
kitchen or bedroom. the woman in ques-
ton gave some provocation. She may
by act or word have irritated her as
slilant. and in certain instances evil
dence has been supplied both as to the
provocation offered and as TO the retribu
ton inflicted:
% Just before we got to Melen "
saws witness who had fallen into
the hands OF the Germans on August g.
II saw n woman with a child in her
arms standing on the side OF the road
on our left hand side watching the
soldiers go by. Her name was G
aged about sixty-three and
n neigtbor OF mine, The ofIcer asked
the woman for some water in good
French She went inside her sons cot.
tage TO get some and brought II imme-
dIately he had stopped. The officer
went into the cottage garden and drank
the water The woman then said when
size saw the prisoners. Instead OF Civ
/ ing Won water YOU deserve to be shot
The ofYicer shouted to us, March We
| went on and Immediately ! saw the OH
Ger draw ais revolver and shoot the wo-
I man and child One shot killed both"
,2) Two old men and one old woman
] refused TO bake bread for the Germa ms
| They are butctered. (See above page
! 4s)
(3) August %. went with two
friends (names given) to see what We
/ Gould sac Ahout three hours out Of