Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-01-12

At Proyart. on Aug 90. an Uhlsn pa
troll fred down into cellar where the
inhabitants Of house had just taken
refuge. and killed an old man Of "a.
They broke everything in this house
and sacked the whole village ask or
seven dcaconesses IN black clothes. with
white colts and Red Cross armlets
went into the houses with the soldiers
and took anything that pleased them.
Ion Sept. IT, states another witness,
II saw the Germans load NJ. Wable's
furniture on motor cars and then set
IRE to the house-throwing In some
thing that exploded '-'I saw quite dis
tinctly.H states a French soldier who
was lying wounded in the street. "how
they went from house 10 house. setting
them on fire. ] saw them set a dozen
houses on fire in this way, notably a
big farm
on Aug % the Germans also burned
seven houses and two barns at Framer-
vile. Their methods show that the in
cendiaries Of Framerville and Proyart
were the same "One heard an explo-
sion. states the cure Of Framerville.
and then the house took fire immedi-
ately Each time a building was burn
ing they played a pianola which they
had taken from W. Francois Foucard's
house At proyari. while NJ Wable's
house was In flames they had danced
90 the sound Of a gramophone
At Maucourt, on Aug % German
cychst patrol found four agricultural
l8borers sitting IN cefe. He evelled
his rifle az them, and two Of them
tried TO escape The German fired twice
AZ the first. who dragged himself
hundred yards and then died. The sec
ond took refuge in a barn. More Ger
mans then came up and demanded
matches 90 burn the barn over his
head, but finding none they put five
bullets into his brain Next day they
wounded a French dragon from an
ambush IN the village. and finished him
M With ihe buti-ends of their rifles
IN order 20 plumber his pockets. on
September % they returned IN force to
Nlaucourt. and when the French artil-
Jerry opened on them they seized five
men or the village as a screen to cover
their retreat 81 was arrested" states /
one Of these victims. "hy German ser F
seeni with a serrated bayonet.
They Immediately placed us in front Of
Them. telling ne that The French were
going TO kill US.
We could not escape. for we had
soldier with Fixed bayonet on either
side Of us -Four times" states the
village schoOlmaster, I'VE were knocked
over by the shock of the lFrench) /
shells" Returning next day the Ger /
mans imposed a war contribution on
the commune. How many inhabitants
have you?" asked the German com
mandant. "Three hundred and nfty.n he
was told. 81 must have ten francs per
inhabiiant," he answered III YOU have
not produced the sum i'm gold or sill
YER within an hour, everyone will be
searched; anyone found with money on
him will be shot. the village VIII be
burnt, and we shall carry of hostages"
Fifteen hundred francs In gold were
paid by the village baker,. the rest by
other individuals mo receipt was
given states a witness. "Our COM
mune was completely pillaged. found
my own house sacked the cloth torn
Off the billiard-table, and everything IN
a state OF indescribable confusion" On
the same day. Sept. &c, the French
troops returned. and Maucourt was de-
ivered.
At Liancourt-Fosse the Germans,
lighting with a French regiment for the
possession Of the village seized twelve
Of the inhabitants as screen, and
lrove them forward in three ranks. The
French slackened their fire. but three
Of the civilians were seriously wound
"a, and another mortally.
Tn the Commune Of Welles-Perennes.
in the Department Of the Disc, the.
Germans surprised two farm lads, rs
and 40 years Old driving in a cart TO
Montigny 20 buy bread. One Of them,
wounded in the stomach, dragged him
self back to the farm and died. The
other was taken to Creve-C Occur and
shot while trying to escape. This was
on Aug 81, and the Germans had en-
Tered Creve-Coeur that day. "NIany Of
them were drunk. They broke open the
doors Of a number Of houses Of which
the owners were away, and gave them
selves up to plllage. Soldiers