Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-10-24

~ &s 49, 49,
eaassdoos skyilgAG HI house mas
~ Q veg pretty sUla. sna Il was j1st
. yell that ~ lsfs vAaa we did. Yea
euul1 not even md Q spllatse q tAo
BIG round tabls. Ths next tins ] 1t
unds . siass skyiight b Dixmuds. I
want . ~ vttA Q i've 90 foe zeppe.
lins On guard eutsda.
Something about the branch head
quarters ruins made ~ think Of break.
fast. which We had forgotten. % back
to the hotel. Then We started hack to
our lines. We were ordered to keep
to the main road all the way back. or
we would b shot on sight. and to re.
port to headquarters Immediately ON
our return. I thought II the sight Of
me vas 20 dlstasteful to anybody. I
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 we're back BY I'VE. with all hands
out to greet NJ when we hove In sight.
and q regular prodigal son welcome on
tap. for We were later than they had
expected u. and they had made up
their minds that some accident had
happened.
While I was around Dixmude. l 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 mutllated men was too old for
military service. The others had been
killed. I guess.
But the Belgians were not the only
ones who had suffered from German
kultur. Many French wounded were
tortured BY the Huns. and re were
constantly finding the mutilated bodies
Of our troops. 1t was thought that the
Germans often mutilated q dead body
as an example to the living.
The Germans had absolutely no re-
spect whatever for the Red Cross. For
instance. they captured q wagon load
ed with forty French wounded. and
shot every n Of them. I 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 a while some Of them saw
what they were going to get, and being
as game sports as I ever heard Of. tried
to fight. They were finished of 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 cltl-
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 IL any man ever did. He
was called from his house by the Ger.
mans at $50 n morning. He left his
wife, who had had a baby two days
before, In the house. He was taken to
the square. lined up against q wall
with three other big men Of the town.
Then he saw his wife and baby being
carried to the square on a mattress by
four Germans. He begged to be al.
lowed to kiss his wife good-by, and
they granted him permission. AS he
stepped away, there was a rattle and
the other men went West. They sho,
him, too. but though he was riddled
with bullets he lived. somehow, and
begged the German officer to let hin
accompany his wife to the prison
where they were taking her. This wa.
granted too, but on the way. they
heard the sound Of firing. The soldier.
yelled. die Franzosenw and dropped
the mattress and ran. But 1t was onl,
! some Of their own butchers at work.
|. Doctor Laurent carried his wife ant
! baby to an old oQueduct that was belns
rebuilt by the creek. There they LIVED
for three days and three nights, on tn,
few herbs and the water that Doctor
Laurent sneaked out and got at night
Doctor Laurent says that when tn,
Germans killed and crucifed the civil
" ians at Dixmude. they first robbed
them Of their watches. pocketbooks
rings and other things. There was
Madame Tilmans there. who had ha,
three thousand francs stolen from he
. and was misused besides.
: These were just a very few Of tn,
: things that happened ut just one plnc
. where the Germans got to work wifi
. their "kultur." So you can picture tn
I Belglans agreeing on a German peace
! while there Is a Belgian alive to argu
. about 1t. They will remember the &c,
mans a long time, I think. But the
= need not worry: there are a lot Of u
! who will not forget, either.
= oepew 10 wounded In q brush