Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-07-25
NEW VOL. 53-No. %
Saw Huns Atrocities.

The American public can believe
anything and everything il reads or
hears concerning German atrocities.
During my year in France, while !
was With the American, French end
Belgian armies, a number OF instances
of German mistreatrhent Of helpless
men, women and children came under
my notice.
For a few days, several months ago,.
while an American infantry regiment
TO which was attached was in reserve
in a little French village few miles
behind the firing line, was billeted in
house formerly occupied by Catholic
priest.
On the mantel in the bedroom where
| slept was photo OF hne-lookine
man OF about 10, and leaning against
the photo was shattered crucifix.
An old woman who owned the house
told me this story:
THAT is the picture OF my brother.
For some years he was priest Of this
parish. The German Army came
through here in 1914 in their advance
on Paris, and they began shelline our
village when they came within few
miles of il.
"ln his priestly robes my brother
went out to protest TO the German gen.
ersl against it.
"My brother was ordered shot on the
spot by the German general They
stood him up along the roadside and
there he faced German firing squad.
ale held his crueifx up before him
and the bullet that ended his life struck
it, glancing of and entering his heart.
He was left lying beside the roadside
BY his murderers The erucifix no the
mantel Is the one he held In his hand
when he died"
In another French community is lit
tie blind boy OF between 3 and 4, who
would grope his way about, pathetically
trying to play with the other children.
Here is his history:
During the German advance in 1914
q young wife was about TO be delivered
OF a child, but there were ne native
physicians left In the village. So re-
quest was made that 4 German sur.
sson attend the mother. He did %
and q baby boy was born.
The grateful young mother and her
relatives thanked the German surgeon
profusely. But some time later, when
the German regiment had movsd on,
the mother received q letter from the
German surgeon and in IL he said:
"You thanked me too soon for at
tending you during the birth Of your
baby son. am German, and Ger
many is at war with your country, 30
took good care that your son should
never become a soldier. he will never
seew
The unspeakabls cur had blinded
that boy baby by putting something In
its eyes,
Another day visited a town In the
area that was evacuated by Hinden-
burg a year ago last spring when he
was forced TO shorten his western line.
II was a beautiful town OF 10000 peo-
pie. The Germans, the day they left
it, Systematically dynamited every
building in the city, except thoss I'M
three blocks at one edge. This story
was told me by an old man found
wandering about:
Before they began their dynamite
ing," he said, "they picked out OF the
civilian population all the able-bodied
women and girls and sent them to Ger
many, leaving only old people and lit
tie children. Then they put us in three
blocks and told us they were going to
blow up the town, but the three blocks
We we're in would be spared.
"From our places in the spared area
we saw them destroy all the rest OF the
town. Then they retired. But when
they had gone two or three miles OUT
side tho town they turned their cannon
on the three blocks where the old folksl
and children we're sheltered, and more
| than a hundred ~ them were killed. 70