New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-13
A!OSt.

Alost was the scene Of lighting be-
tween the Belgian and German armies
during the whole Of the latter part
Of the month Of September. In connec-
ton with the fighting numerous cruel
ties appear 20 have been perpetrated
by the German troops.
On Saturday. the llth Of September,
p weaver wa bayonetcd IN the street.
Another civilian was shot dead at his
door on the same night. On the fol
loving day the witness was taken prls-
oner together with thirty others. The
money OF the prisoners was coniiscat-
ed. and thcv were subsequently used
as a screen for the German troops
who were at that moment engaged IN
q conflict with the Belgian army IN the
town itself. The Germans burnt a
number Of houses at this time. Corpses
Of fourteen civilians were seen IN the
streets on this occasion.
A well educated witness who visit
cd the Wettcren Hospital shortly after
this date saw the dead bodies OF a
number Of civilians belonging 70 Alost,
and other civilians wounded. One OF
these stated that he took refuge IN
the house of his sistcr-in-law; that
the Germans dragged the people out OF
the house. which was on fire, seized
him. threw him on the ground, and
hit him on the head with the butt end OF
a rife. and ran him through the thigh
with rayonet. They then placed him
with seventeen or eighteen others IN
front OF the German troops, threaten
ing them with revolvers. They said
that they were going to make the peo-
ple of Alost pay for the losses sus-
tanned by the Germans. Al this hos
pital was an old woman of eighty COM
pletely transfixed by a 5ayOnet.
This disregard Tor the lives o. civil
inns ia strikingly shown in extracts
from German soldiers diaries, of which
the following are representative eX-
amples:
Barthel. who was a sergeant and
standard bearer of the I'd Company OF
the LIST Guards Regiment on Foot, and
who during the campaign received the
Iron Cross. says, under date lOth OF
August. 1914: "A transport OF 300 Bel
gians came through DuisburG in the
morning. % these, so, including the
Oberbureomastcr. were shot. accord
ing 70 martial law"
Matbern, Of the ith Company Of
Jagers. No. II, from Marburg, states
that At village between Brnal and
Dinant. on Sunday, August %, the
Pioneers and Infantry Regiment llS
were fired upon by the inhabitants. lie
gives no particulars beyond this. tie
continues: About 22O inhabitants were
shot. and the village was burnt. Ar
tillery is continuously shooting the
village lies in a large rayine. Just
now. s o'clock in the afternoon, the
crossing of the Meuse begins near
Dinant. All villages, chateaus and
houses are burnt down during the
night. II il & beautiful sight TO see
the fires all around us in the dis
lance.
Bombardier Wetzel, of the I'd Mount
ed Battery, LIST Kurhessian Field Ar
tillery Regiment, No. II, records an
incident which happened in French ter
ritory near Lille on the 18th of Octo-
Der: I'VE had no fight, but we caught
about twenty men and shot them" by
this time killing not in a night would
seem 20 have passed into habit
Diary No. 81 gives an accurate
pictur OF what too place IN Lou
vain: What sad scene all the
houses surrounding the railway sta
ton completely destroyed only some
foundation walls still standing. On the
station square captured guns. AZ the
end Of "a main street there Is the Coun-
ell Hall, which has been completely
preserved, with all It's beautiful turrets;
a sharp contrast. One hundred and