Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-01-12
GERMANS CRUEL
TO THE CLERGY
IN BELGIUM
Specific Instances of Maltreatment
Are Given Out by Belgian
Press Bureau.
PRIESTS ARE SHOT OR HANGED
Burning and Pillaging of Many VIII
lagos Also Charged to Ger
man Soldiers.

London, Jan. at the reques
of the Belgian legation in Londor
| the British press bureau YESTERDAY
, issued detailed allegations of thu
maltreatment Of the Catholic clergy
in Belgium and the destruction o.
their institutions by German troops
This statement says that churche:
land religious houses were destroyed
or profaned in almost every village
and in many towns where the Ger
fan troops passed. In most case;
the editices were utilized as stables
and prisons, and when not placed in
safe hiding the sacred vessels were
stolen.
The statement makes the declara-
ton that members Of the clergy
have been exposed to special indig-
mites at the hands of German SOL
diers. In the diocese of Liege, Ma
muir, Malines and Client many
priests and others connected with
the churches were enither shot or
hanged. Many other priests were
carried off to Germany, where they
appear to have been subjected to
abominable usage"
The following specific instances
are given in the statement Of the
press bureau:
"Aug. 27-An American and a
Spanish priest, among a group Of
seventy civilians, were dragged
about from place to place all day
and molested, insulted and threat
ened with military execution. They
were taken to the church at Camp
enout and shut up for the night.
Aug. 21-The priest of Duechen,
an invalid, 81 years old, suffering
from disease, was accused by the
Germans of having fred on them. He
was arrested, hoisted on a cannon,
tossed into a ditch, tortured and
shot.
A witness deposes that he saw
the priest of Gelrode brought into
Aerschot Aug. "a with three wound
ed men. The Germans said he was
an English spy and took him to the
town hall. The following day they
beat him with rifle butts and then
on the Demerbridge they shot him
and cast his body into the river.
A priest makes the following de-
position:
Aug. Is, German soldiers swarm
ed into the village of Schaffen and
began to burn and pillage on the
pretense that shots had been fired
on them. One hundred and seven
ty houses were burned and twenty
seven civilians were murdered. The
Germans maltreated me in every
way. They erected gallows on
which they said they proposed to
hang me. They thrust me into a
house which was on fire, but drag
ged me out again. They sent ME
off, and at distance of 200 yards
they began shooting at me. / fell
and pretended to be dead and so
escaped" |
Continuing the statement says
of inquiry collected evil
dence that in the diocese of Malines |
alone twenty-six priests were killed
without cause. Similar atrocities &C.
curr.a in other dioceses. In the
Liege diocese ten priests were shot
and in the Namur diocese twenty |
priests were killed. The priest Of
Spontin was first hung up by the
feet and, then by the hands and
pierced with bayonets. In the did,
cese of Journal a bishop, "a years
old, was seized as a hostage and
struck by a soldier. Three eclesias-
tics were shot in that diocese.
The statement concludes with
these words:
Nothing can demonstrate more
clearly the tendencies of the Ger
mans in dealing with members Of
he clerical body than the words of
4 proclamation posted by the Ger
nan authorities at Grivegnee, Sept.
), which says: When hostages are
AIKEN the priests, burgomasters and
members Of the commune and ad-
are to be put at the
lead of the list"
For sale, Mammoth Bourbon Red
turkeys and Black Langshan cock {