The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-12-28

Whitlock has much to tell of the pol.
icy of frightfulness. The following
passages refer to the subject of mas
sacres:
Summary executions took place lat
Dinan) without the least semblance
of judgment. The names and number
of the victims are not known, but they
must be numerous. | have been I'M
able to obtain precise details in this
respect and the number of persons
who have fled is unknown. Among the
persons who were shot are: Mr.. De
foin, mayor of Dinant; Sasserath,
first alderman; Nimmer, aged seven
ty: Consul for the Argentine Republic
Victor Poncelet, who was executed In
the presence of his wife and seven
children; Wasseige and his two sons !:
Messrs. Gustave and Leon Nicaise,
two very old men; Jules Monin and
others all shot in the cellar of their
brewery Mr.. Camille Pistte and son,
aged seventeen; Phillippart Piedfort
his wife and daughter; Miss Marsig-
ny. During the execution of about
forty inhabitants of Dinant the Ger
mans placed before the condemned
their wives and children. 1t is thus
that Madam Albin who had just given
birth to child, three days previously,
was brought on a mattress by German
soldiers to witness the execution OF
her husband; her cries and supplica-
lions were so pressing that her hus-
bands life was spared"
Forced to Witness Executions.
"On the 26th of August German SOL
diers entered various streets (of Lou
vain) and ordered the inhabitants OF
the houses to proceed to the Place de
la Station, where the bodies of nearly
a dozen assassinated persons were ~
ing. Women and children were sepa-
rated from the men and forced to re-
main on the Place de la Station dur
ing the whole day. They had to wit
ness the execution of many of their
fellow citizens, who were for the most
part shot at the side of the square,
near the house of Mr.. Hemaide. The
women and children, after having re-
manned on the square for more than
Is hours, were allowed to depart. The
Gardes Civiques of Louvain were also
taken prisoners and sent to Germany,
to the camp of Munster, where they
were held for several weeks.
"On Thursday, August 81, order was
given to the inhabitants to leave Lou
vain because the city was to be bonn
barded. Old men, women, children,
the sick, priests, nuns, were driven on
the roads like cattle. More than TO-
900 of the inhabitants were driven as
far as Tirlemont, nearly II miles from
Louvain.
Infants Shot in Mothers Arms.
"One of the most sorely tried COM
munities was that of the little village
of Tamines, down in what is known
as the Borinage the coal fields near
Charleroi. Tamines is a mining vii
lage in the Sambre; it is a collection
of small cottages sheltering about o.
900 inhabitants, mostly all poor labor
ers.
''The little graveyard in which the
church stands bears its mute testi-
mony to the horror of the event. There
are hundreds of newmade graves, each
with it's small wooden cross and its
bit of flowers; the crosses are so close
ly huddled that there is scarcely room
to walk between them. The crosses
are alike and all bear the same date, |
the sinister date of August %, 1914"
"But whether their hands were cut |
off or not, whether they were impaled |
on bayonets or not, children were shot |
down, by military order. in cold blood.
In the awful crime of the Rock of Bay
ard, there overlooking the Mouse be-
low Dinant, infants in their mothers
arms were shot down without mercy.
The deed, never surpassed in cruelty
by any band of savages, is described
by the bishop of Namur himself:
"'One scene surpasses in horror all
others; it is the fusillade Of the
Rocher Bayard near Dinant. 1t APP
pears to have been ordered by Colonel
Meister. This fusillade made many
victims among the nearby parishes,
especially tllDSe VI ueS hlfdSSS anu
Neffe. 1t caused the death of nearly
10 persons, without distinction of age
,r sex. Among the victims were ba-
)ies in arms, boys and girls, fathers
and mothers of families, even old
men.
Dead Children in Pile of Bodies.
eft was there that II children under
he age of six persisted from the fire
If the executioners, six of them as
hey lay in their mothers arms:
"'The child Fievet, three weeks old.
"'Maurice Betems, eleven months
Id.
"'Nelly Pollet, eleven months old.
zelda Genon, eighteen months old.
zelda Marchot, two years old.
"'Clara Struvay, two years and six
lonths.
1.-The pile of bodies comprised also
lany children from six to fourteen
ears. Eight large families have en-
rely disappeared. Four have but one
urvivor. Those men that escaped
many of WHOM were rid
led with bullets-were obliged to
ury in summary and hasty fashion
heir fathers, mothers, brothers or sis