Mexico Missouri message., 1918-10-17

now very pretty ruin, and Ii was just
as well that we left when we did. You
could not even find a splinter Of the
big round table. The next time l sit
under glass skylight In Dixmude, 1
want lad with live eye for Zeppe-
lins on guard outside.
Something about the branch head
quarters ruins made us think of break
fast, which we had forgotten, SO back
to the hotel. Then we started back to
our lines. We were ordered to keep
to the main road all the way back, or
we would be shot on sight, and to re-
port to headquarters Immediately on
our return. thought II the sight OF
me was so distasteful to anybody,
would not take the chance of offend
ing, being anxious to be polite in such
cases. So we stuck TO the main road.
Fritz did not give us any trouble and
we were back by five, with all hands
out to greet us when we hove in sight,
and n regular prodigal son welcome on
tap, for we were later than they had
expected us, and they had made up
their minds that some accident had
happened.
While was around Dixmude, saw
many living men and women and chill
dren who had been mutilated by the
Germans, but most of them were wOm-
en- and children. Almost every one
of the mutilated men was too old for
military service. The others had been
killed, guess.
But the Belgians were not the only
ones who had suffered from German
kultur. Many French wounded were
tortured by the Huns, and we were
constantly finding the mutilated bodies
of our troops. 1t was thought that the
Germans often mutilated dead body
as an example to the living.
The Germans had absolutely no re-
spect whatever for the Red Cross. For
instance, they captured a wagon load
ed with forty French wounded, and
shot every one Of them. 1 saw the
dead bodies.
| When the Germans came to Dix
nude they got all the men and women
and children and made them march
before them with their hands In the
air. Those who did not were knocked
down. After q while some of them saw
what they were going to get, and being
as game sports as ever heard of, tried
to fight. They were finished OFF at
once, of course.
The former burgomaster had been
shot and finished off with an ak,
though he had not resisted, because he
wanted to save the lives Of his, clti-
zens. They told me of one case, in Dix
nude, where a man came out Of his
house, trying to carry his father, a
man of eighty, to the square, where
they were ordered to report. The old
man could not raise his hands, so they
dragged his son away from him,
knocked the old man in the head with
an ak, and left him there to die. Those
who were spared were made to dig the
graves for the others.
There was a doctor there in Dix
nude, who certainly deserves a mill
tary cross If any man ever did. He
was called from his house by the Ger
mans at 5 80 one morning. He left his
wife, who had had a baby two days
before, in the house. He was taken t
the square, lined up against wal
with three other big men of the town.
Then he saw his wife and baby being
carried to the square on mattress b!
four Germans. He begged to be al
lowed to kiss his wife good-by, anC
they granted him permission. AS h,
stepped away, there was q rattle ant
the other men went West. They sho
him, too, but though he was riddlet
with bullets he lived, somehow, ant
begged the German officer to let hin
accompany his wife to the prisol
where they were taking her. This wa
granted too, but on the way, the
heard the sound of firing. The soldier
yelled, "Die Franzosen ~ and droppe
the mattress and ran. But 1t was onl
d some of their own butchers at work.
Y Doctor Laurent carried his wife an
d baby to an old aqueduct that was bein
r rebuilt by the creek. There they live
r for three days and three nights, on tn
few herbs and the water that Docto
d Laurent sneaked out and got at nigh
n Doctor Laurent says that when tn
s Germans killed and crucified the civil
= ians at Dixmude, they first robbie
s them of their watches, pOcketbook
a rings and other things. There was
e Madame Tilmans there, who had ha
three thousand francs stolen from he
n and was misused besides.
e These were just very few Of tn
It things that happened at just one plaC
ie where the Germans got to work wit
d their "kultur." So you can picture IL
d Belglans agreeing on German peac
n while there is Belgian alive to argr
le about it. They will remember the Ge
4 mans a long time, think. But the
IS need not worry: there are lot of I
II who will not forget, either.
1T 1T
re Depew is wounded In q brush