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

or three women were standing at the
door. The women motioned them to
come into the house. as did also three
civilian Frenchmen who were there.
~hsy took them into garden at the
hack OF the house At the end of the
earden was the bakery. They saw two
old men-between so and 20 years OF
age-and one old woman lying close
10 each other In the garden. All three
had the scalps cut right through and
the brains were hanging out. They were
stlll bleeding. Apparently they had
only jus, been killed. The three French
civilians belonged to this same house.
one OF them spoke few words OF Eng
llsh He gave them to understand that
these three had been killed by the Ger
mans because they had refused to bake
bread for them.
Another witness states that two Ger
man soldiers took hold OF young
civilian named d. and bound his hands
behind Ills back and struck him In the
face with their fists. They then tied
his hands in front and fastened the cord
10 the tail of the horse. The horse
dragged him for about fifty yards and
then the Germans loosened his hands and
left him. The whole OF his face was
Gu, and torn and his arms and legs were
bruised on the following day one OF His
sisters. whose husband was a soldier,
came TO their house with her four chill
dren. His brother, who was also mar
ried and who lived in a village near
yaenciennes, went to fetch the bread
for his sister. on the way back to their
house he met patrol OF Chlans, who
took him % the market place at valen-
ciennes and then shot him. About
twelve other civilians were also shot IN
the market place. he uhlans then
burned nineteen houses in the village
and afterward. burned the corpses OF
the civilians. including that of his
brother. His father and his uncle after
ward went 10 see the dead body OF his
brother but the German soldiers re-
fused to allow them to pass.
A lance corporal In the Rifles. who
wss on patrol duty with Ave prvates
during the retirement of the Germans
after the Marine. states that they en-
tered q house in a small village and
took ten Uhlans prisoners and then
searched tie house and found two women
and two children. One was dead. but
the body not yet cold. The left arm
had been cut of Just below the elbow.
The floor was covered with blood. The
woman's clothing was dlsarranged. The
other woman was alive but unconscious
Her right leg lad been cut off above
the knee. There were two little chill
dren. boy about four or five and a
Girl OF aboIt six or seven. The boys
left hand was cut OFF at the wrist and
enc girls right hand at the same place.
They were both quite dead. TIE same
witness states that he saw several
women and children lying dead IN vari-
Gus other places, but says he could not
say Whether this might not have been
accidentally caused In legitimate fight
Ing.
TIE evidence before us proves that.
in the PARIS of France referred to. muir
der OF unofrendng civilians and other
acts Of cruelty, including aggravated
cases Of rape carried out under threat
o. death. and sometimes actually fol-
lowed bv murder Of the victim, were
comm tied by some OF the German
troo?s
90 The Treatment Of Women aud
Children.
The evidence shows that the German
authorities. when carrying out policy
OF systematic arson and plumber in
selected districts, usually drew some dis.
tnction between the adult population oil
the one hand and the women and chill
dren on the other. IL was frequent
practice TO set apart the adult males OF
the condemned district with a view 10
the execution Of a suitable number-pref-
OF
ous--and to reserve the women and
children for milder treatment. The dep
ositions. however. present many in
stances of calculated cruelty. often GO
ing the length OF murder. toward the
women and children of the condemned
area. We have already referred to the
case Of Aerschot, where the women and
children were herded In church which
had recently been used as a stable. de-
IA. -.
than coarse bread and denied the com
mon decencies of life. At Dinant sc
women and children were confined IN
the cellar OF convent from Sunday
morning till the following Friday
august 2Sth). sleeping on the ground
for there were no beds, with nothing
10 drink during the whole period. and
given no food until the Wednesday
when somebody three into the cellar
two sticks of macaroni and a carrot fol
each prisoner" In other cases tn,
women and children were marched 70,
long distances along roads &c. e., marcf
OF women from Louvain to Tirlemont
18th AugusD. the laggards pricked or
by the attendant uhlans. \ lady com
plains OF having been brutally kicked
b! privates. Others were struck with
the butt end of rifles. At Louvain. a
Lege, AZ Aerschot at Malines. at Mon
ugny. AT Andenne and elsewhere there
is evidence that the troops were not re
strained from drunkenness, and drunken
soldiers cannot he trusted to observe
the rules or decencies OF war least o.
all when they are called upon to execut,
preordaned plan of arson and pillage
From the very first women were no
safe
A, Liegc women and children wer,
chased about the streets by soldiers