The Washington herald., 1917-11-15
French Prisoners, Freed
From Enemy Camps, Tell
Of Outrages by Enemy

Louis Goupil. "A. infantryman, was
sent to Wittenberg camp. where out
OF B.0O0 prisoners, 5000 had typhus
and 200 died. When the epidemic
broke out palisades were built around
the camp, the German officers and
doctors left, and everything inside
the camp was done by the prisoners
Food and coffins were passed over
the inclosure to them. The unfortu-
mates had to I'LL one graveyard for
typhus victims and start another. On
the day Italy entered the war, the
enraged sentinels fired at the prison.
ers and killed seven, wounding
eight others.
Sergt. Raymond lie Souehu, of the
Nineteenth Infantry, tells of Cott-
bus camp where out OF 5.0o0 prison.
ers, 5000 died of ttyphus and exposure.
He told some Brittany soldiers not to
work in munitions factories near Ber-
lin. This was found out and despite
the fact that he was ill and with a
. high fever, he was dragged from his
! bed, kicked and cuffed and started
for Berlin, where they told him they
| would make him do the work he had
| told the Britons not to do.
Francis Martin, g, officer of Gus
toms, was sent to the camp at Alten-
Grabow where he not only saw SOL
diers kicked and cuffed, but saw old
civilians mistreated. He was after
wards sent to the salt mines at
Salz6etfurth in Hanover, where the
hard work, the dark. the damp and
the poor food gave him tuberculosis.
Louis Guinet, q, sergeant 134th In
fantry, was sent to Meyenburg camp
near Bremen. He was employed in
making earth terraces ten hours a
day. The food was insufficient and
the bread uneatable. They found
straw and sawdust in it. The men
slept above each other in three tiers
on straw sacks. Punishments were in
fiicted for the slightest offense, one
OF the favorites being to tie a man to
a post for hours until he tainted from
exhaustion.
Gabriel lie Bihran, IS, adjutant
Nineteenth Infantry, was for a time
at Gottingen camp. Here he saw an
English prisoner killed with a point
blank revolver shot because he did
not instantly stop on the order of
sentinel. He saw another English SOL
der killed by sentinel with whom
he had a discussion The German
shot the unarmed man in the Jaw.
He died after lingering agony.
Exposed to Elements.
Pierre Brassaud, %, Fifteenth CAV
airy, was sent to Alten-Grabow
camp. When he asked for shelter
during a snowstorm he was struck
with the butt end Of a gun. One Of
his comrades was wounded by a
sword blow. He was sent to witten-
berg and forced to work in a NUM-
tions factory, although suffering from
pulmonary congestion.
Henri Dayoine, 20, 1s2d Infantry.
was sent to iron mines near Giessen.
Men who refused to work were tied
TO posts out in the snow and storm
Another punishment was to put the
recalcitrant men under a lighted coke
furnace where the heat and lack of
air caused men to ask for mercy
very quickly. Every half hour a
sentinel passed to see whether the
men thus punished We're willing to
go to work as ordered. He also said
that on May 20. 1916, he saw his COM
nander, Mr.. Maugras, and his men
burned alive at Morthomme. Maugras
was surrounded in his fort and in
stead of taking him and his command
prisoners, the German patrol pen ap-
preached. sprayed the place and set
IL on fire.
The list Of stories could be pro-
longed. These are only samples and
here is the terrible and significant
thing: These tales are all told by
men who are SO Ill of tuberculosis
and other diseases that the German
taskmasters have consented to send
them into Switzerland for recupera-
ton.