Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-12-28

In his report Of September II, 1912.
to the secretary of state, Minister
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 (at
Dinant) without the least semblance
of the victims are not known, but they
must be numerous. 1 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 wasH 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. It is thus
that Madam Albin who had just given
birth to a child, three days previously,
was brought on a mattress by German
soldiers to witness the execution of
her husband; her cries and supplica-
tions 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 ly-
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
15 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-,
600 of the inhabitants were driven as
far as Tirlemont, nearly u 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 neal
Charleroi. Tamines is a mining vii
lage in the Sambre; it is a collection
of small cottages sheltering about 5,
900 inhabitants, mostly all poor labor
erS.
"The little graveyard in which th'
church stands bears its mute testi
mony to the horror of the event. There
with its small wooden cross and it!
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 Gu
off or not, whether they were impalet
on bayonets or not, children were sho
down. by military order, in cold blood
In the awful crime of the Rock of Bay
ard, there overlooking the Meuse be
low Dinant, infants in their mothers
arms were shot down without mercy
The deed, never surpassed in cruelt
by any band of savages, is describes
: by the bishop of Namur himself:
"'One scene surpasses in horror al
others; it is the fusillade of tn
Rocher Bayard near Dinant. 1t aI
pears to have been ordered by Colone
Meister. This fusi1lade made man
] victims among the nearby parishes
especially those of des Rivages an
Neffe. 1t caused the death of nearl
, 80 persons, without distinction of ag
or sex. Among the victims were ba
, bies in arms, boys and girls, father
. and mothers of families, even oil
men.
Dead Children in Pile of Bodies.
"'It was there that u children unde
the age of six perished from the fir
: of the executioners, six of them a
they lay in their mothers arms:
: "'The child Fievet, three weeks OLE
"'Maurice Betems, eleven month
t old.
"FNelly Pollet, eleven months old.
: "'Gilda Genon, eighteen months oil
"'Gilda Marchot, two years old
"'Clara Struvay, two years and 81
months.
r 1.-The pile of bodies comprised ais
: many children from six to fourtee
Il years. Eight large families have el
b tirely disappeared. Four have but or
! survivor. Those men that escape
e death-and many Of whom were ri
S died with bullets-were obliged
bury in a summary and hasty fashic
e their fathers, mothers, brothers or 81
t ters; then after having been relieve
It Of their money and being placed
chains they were sent to Cassel (Pru
! sia).'"
N--~~~-~-~~~~~-~O-~-~~~~
Samuel Gompers is planning
unionize all of the 100000 civil e1