Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-01

Prussia, once a f1ourishing country, in
parts now presents a picture of hope
less devastation, and that the peace.
full inhabitants were forced to flee
and leave all their belongings in order
to save themselves from assault and
murder. It has been officially ascer.
tanned that at the time of the first as
well as of the second invasion Of East
Prussia by the Russians, thousands OF
men. women and children were car
ried off, thousands were murdered,
about 10000 buildings were demol-
ished or burned down. and that dur
ing the second invasion alone about
$4,000 homes were plundered and des-
troyed. The last Russian expedition
against Mcneil likewise was nothing
more than savage raid, accompanied
by atrocities Of every description. The
dispositions contained in the supple
| ments give an eloquent but CHASTITY
proof of the acts of violence and
cruelty, which individual inhabitants
suffered at the hands of the Rus
, slams.
THE movable goods Of the poor as
we'll as of the wealthy were stolen,
looted, or wantonly destroyed by the
Russian troops in every conceivable
way. Cattle and provisions were
taken without payment or promissory
certificates. Men and women had to
give the covetous soldiers their last
coppers. The dwellings were searched
often by one division of troops after
the other, each soldier taking what
ever took his fancy Finally, homes,
farm buildings and provisions were.
without reason or purpose, destroyed
by fire. The population, including
women and children, were ill-treated
on empty pretexts or without any
reason whatsoever, although they did
everything to satisfy the desires Of
the Russian soldiers as to lodgings
and food. This ill-treatment was
partially characterized by exquisite
cruelty; for instance the male popu-
lation of an entire community, the
Judge not excepted, were beaten with
whips and threatened with death.
Fugitives were shot down without
further ado.
above all, however, numerous citi-
zens were murdered without any
cause, often under terrible tortures or
in presence of their relatives. Young
men were shot, not because they hal
committed something but because
tey were liable to military service.
A transport Of fugitives were sud-
denly attacked; the men were separ-
ated from the women and killed with
out procedure of any kind chief
forester, escorting troop Of German
convicts. was taken prisoner by Rus
sian troops, brought before General
Rennenkampf and-probably in ac-
cordance with that generals infamous
order to kill all German foresters. de-
liberately shot. The brutal lust Of
the Russian soldiers for murder did
not stop even at old men, women and
children. The murder of a little
girl, about 2 or years old, is a par
ticularly horrible instance. Revolt
ing also is the case of an entire fam
lily, which fell victim to the lust Of
murder Of Russian soldiers. The man
was spiked to the table, the child 70
the door, the breasts Of the wife verA
cut or and her body eviscerated. IN
another instance a man and his wife
were nailed by the tongue to a table.
IN which position they persisted of
munger and loss Of blood.
"Innumerable are the cases Of has
tlai attacks upon women and girls.
very often these pitiable victims were
violated by several soldiers in sue
cession, who in cases infected them
with veneral diseases, women in adj
vanced stages Of pregnancy were also
abused by the bestial soldiers. even
women over 70 years of age were not
spared. A little girl. 8 years old, was
violated by two Russian soldiers In
succession. Officers also gave them
selves up to such misdeeds.
"Other supplements disclose the
atrocities perpetrated on German
prisoners of-war by Russian troona
frequently those German soldiers
taken prisoner were robbed spat unon
or otherwise mistreated. A Russian
omcer threatened German soldiers
who refused to betray their comrades
with death, and actually ordered one
OF them shot. Russian troops placed
German prisoners in narrow pits hs-
tore their artillery positions with -.
evioent intention Of allowing them "a
De killed by German IRE. Coa.. ~.
IN riding past German prisoners