The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-05-23
GKRMxN AThoorrr1Es.
Tcutonic Soldiers Out do Goths and
vandals In savagcry and Cruelty.

when ! hear Americans doubling
the truth Of the stories of German
atrocities In Belgium and France, I
don't know whether to laugh or swear
As one Of the first hundred thousand
English sent to battle I not only saw
atrocities committed by German SOL
dfers. but am myself a victim Of
them" .....
80 said A. H. O'Connor, a Brook
lyn boy. who. with his father and FIVE
other members of his family, crossed
the Atlantic and Joined the English
army.
O'Connor Joined the First Life
Guards Of the Household Cavalry and
saw service in Belgium and France,
taking part In the defense of\the road
to Calais. the battle Of Ypres, Neuve
Chapelle. Loos. Hill so Hohenzollern
redoubt, Armentieres. Arras and the
great somme offensive. In the latter
he was permanently disabled, and re-
tired from service. He was decorated
by the, king for bravery. Back in
America, he expects to deliver talks
on his experiences.
over In BROOKLYN" said he, IT had
many German acquaintances and.
when I read Of German atocrities in
Belgium could not believe them.
Now II makes me shudder when I
think Of what I have seen.
MY regiment was helping III the
great night to keep thu Germans from
going Calais-ward. 1t was during the
battle Of Ypres. We took a. little Bel,
gian village from the Germans.
"As. with my comrades, I charged
through the streets. saw the naked
bodies OF women. girls and babies.
They were terribly disigured by bay
onet jabs. even those Of helpless
babies.
You know in those village fights
we had to chase the Germans out
frem one house to another like ter
riers after rats.
In one house we saw two Germans
the drawers of a bureau.
On the floor were the dead bodies
Of two naked. girls horribly mutilat-
ID and ont open.
mo Germans got out of that house
The next time I myself saw Ger
man atrocities was later in the cam
paign when We finally took their IA.
NOUS Hohepxollern redoubt. These
works were wonderfully strong. The
Germans had dug down so feet be.
ow the, tsurfacs and had comforts
iovn there approxi,nating those of a
hotslv-reAl rooms with beds, carpets
On the floor. mirrors on the wall
lights. etc.
We subjected this redoubt to
terrible artillery fire for a long time.
Probably an hour elapsed between
the ending Of the artillery fire and
our going over. as we say. and taking
the place
I'm that hour We Life Guardsmen
could hear a constan. screaming in
the redoubt. 1t was the terrible, al
guish crying Of many women. In
the sector Of the redoubt which our
regiment captured. saw the bodies
Of at least 80 women many of them
stark naked. The savages. who had
taken these women away from their
French villages and held them cap
tives here. had committed awful
crimes. I saw dead women with their
breasts hacked on. In this same sec.
tor they had buried 20 of their poor
victims.
I'm the first Somme offensive per-
sonally experienced the chivalrous
acts Of our German enemy. was put
out OF business by bayonet wounds
through my left arm and side. 1t
was In field over which the rival
forces fought back and forth.
During one Of these scrimmages
a German came along and, seeing mo
lying there helpless. hacked through
my boot. cutting of three of my toes.
BY will power alone remained con-
scious.
when saw the Germans retreat
Ing. I closed my eyes and played
dead. knowing the Huns have a habit
of clubbing wounded men to death as
they retire. Perhaps I did not look
dead enough. At any rate one of the
Germans dubbed me across the jaw
with his rifle butt.