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

She had been shot. I saw an ofYScer
pull her corpse underneath a wagon"
Another witness, who was taken from
Aerschot, also describes the occurrence
II was afterward taken with q large
number of other civilians and placed
In the church at Louvain. Than We were
taken TO Station street. 1.ouvain. There
were about 1900 civilians Of both sexes,
and we had been marched from Aer-
schot to Louvain. When We were In
Station street felt that something was
about to happen. and tried to shelter
in a doorway. The German soldiers
then fired a mitrailleuse and their rifies
upon the people. and the people fell on
all sides. Two men next to me were
killed. afterward saw some one give
a signal. and the firing ceased. I then
ran away with q married woman named
b Whose maiden name was A.
M. aged 70. who belonged to Aer-
schot. but We were again captured. She
was shot by the side Of me and saw
her fall. Several other people were shot
at tho same time. I again ran away.
and In my night saw children falling
out Of their mothers arms. I cannot say
whether they we're shot or whether they
fell from their mothers arms in the
great panic which ensued. I. however.
saw children bleeding"
Journey 70 Celogne.
Tho greatest number Of prisoners from
Louvain, however. we're assembled at
the station and taken by trains to
Cologne. Several witnesses describe
their suffsrings and the III treatment
they received on the journey. One Of
the first trains started In the afternoon.
II consisted OF cattle trucks. about 100
being In each truck. II took three days
to get to Cologne. The prisoners had
nothing to eat but a few biscuits each,
and they were not allowed to get on,
for water and none was given. On q
wagon the words civilians who shot at
the soldiers at Louvain" were written.
Some were marched through Cologne
afterward for the people to see. Ropes
were put round the necks Of some and
they wsre told they would be hanged.
An order then came that they were to
he shot instead Of hanged. A firing
squad was prepared, and FIVE or six
prisoners were put up but were not
shot. After being kept week at
Cologne some OF these prisoners were
taken back--ths time only thirty or
forty In truck--and allowed to go free
on arriving at Limburg. Several wit
nesscs who were taken In other trains
to Cologne describe their experiences In
detail. Some OF the truck. were abom-
inably hltht. Prisoners were not al
lowed to leave to obey the calls OF ma
ture: one man who quilted the truck
for the purpose was killed by a bayoret
Describing what happened to another
body OF prisoners. a witness says that
they were made To cross Station street
where the houses were burning, and
taken IN the station. placed In horse
trucks crowded together, men. women
and children. in each wagon. They were
kept NJ the station during the night and
the following day left for Cologne. For
two days ana half they were wi,hou,
food. and then they received q LOAF OF
bread among ten persons. and soms
water. The prisoners were afterward
taken back to Belgium. They were In
all eight days In the train. crowded
and almost without food. Two OF tn,
men went mad. The women and chill.
dren were separated from the men a,
Brussels. The men were taken to a sub.
uro and then to the villages OF Herent
Nilvorde and Sempst and afterward se,
at liberty.
"Merely Executing Orders."
This taking Of the inhabitants. includ.
Ing some OF the influential citizens, In
groups and marching them to varioui
places, and In particular the sending
them to Malines and the despatch OF
great numbers 10 Cologne, must evident.
ly have been done under the direction OF
The higher military authorities. The III
treatment OF tho prisoners was undeI
the eyes and often by the direction OIL
with the sanction OF officers, and Officers
themselves took part in IL.
The object OF taking many hondredi
Of prisoners To Cologne and back Int
Belgium is at first sight difficult to un-
dorstand Possibly It 10 TO be regarded a,
part OF the policy OF punishment FOL
Belgian resistance and general terroriza'
ton OF the nhabltants-possibly as q
desire to show these people 10 the popu
, lation OF German city and thus e
confirm the belief that the Belgians hac
shot at their troops.
Whatever may have been the cas-
when the burning began on the evenini
OF the 25th. Il appears clear tina; th'
subsequent destruction and outrage'
were done with n set purpose II wal
no; un;il the Goth that the library anC
other university buildings. the Church o.
81. Peter and many houses were set or
fire, n Is 10 hc noticed that cases occu
In the depositions In which humane act
! ny lnNlN1Nual OIUccrb ana ar
mentioned. or in which ofiicers are sale
20 have expressed regret at being Obliged
| TO carry out orders for cruel actor
against the civilians Similarly. We hnt
, entries In diaries which reveal a genuin,
pity FOR the population and disgust at tn
| conduct OF the army. II appears that
| German non-commiss.oned officer state'
! definitely that he was acting under or
| ders and executing them with great un
willingness" A commissioned officer Of
being asked at I>ouvain by a witness
highly educated man-about the nor
| rible acts committed ~ tee soldier
! said he twas merely executing orders.
and that ne himself would he shot !
] he did not execute them. Others CAV
! less credible excuses one stating tina
| the Inhabitants OF Louvaln had burne'
! the city themselves because they ~
not wish 20 supply food and quarter
! for IN, German army II was TO IN
discipline rather than the want or dlsci
pline IN the army that these outrage
/ which We are obliged To describe a
systematic were due. and tho spec'a
official notices posted on certain house
that they were not TO he DESTROYED sho'
the fate which had been decreed for tn
! others which were not so NAKED
We were driven 10 the conclusion tina
the harrylrg Of the villages In tho dis
trict, the burning ~ large part o
Iouvain, the massacres there. tn
marching. out OF me prisoners. and tn
transport to Cologne tall done withou
inquiry as 10 whether the particular per
sons seized or killed had committed an
wrongful acp, we're due 10 calculate
policy carried out scientifically ana de
llhcrately, not merly with the sanction
hut under the direction Of higher mill