The Lake County times., 1918-12-10

feet of the ground or this very literal
form or crucihxion there is overwhelIn-
ing evidence. 1t is, in fact, COM
mon practice to suspend prisoners thus
for hours at time.
WIRE SOMETIMES SUBSTITUTED.
Eventually. insensible. with their
wrists terribly lacerated. they are cut
down Even when rope is used to bind
them. il would seem the extremity of
torture but according 10 the latest ac-
counts wire is often substituted. A
Russian prisoner. who recently escaped
from Germany, after being worked for
nearly three years behind the German
lines in France. gave evidence of this
development in his official examination.
The whole Of his evidence is interesting.
but much of il may not be reproduced.
His powers of observation and clear
ness of judgment were such that he had
military information 10 give of more
than ordinary value From this II may
be deduced that his perfectly straight
forward and unimpa assioned statements
concerning his own treatment and that
Of other prisoners may also be accepted
without reservation.
REPORTED AGAIN AND AGAIN.
There is little in the evidences that
except the substitution Of wire for rope
in "crucihxion."
When this prisoners party arrived at
the western front in 1915 it was one of
the first patches to be put to work un-
der fire At hrst the men refused. A.
a measure of coercion they were beaten
with rife butts prioked with bayonets.
and deprived Of food. a small number
| Of them. who still remained obdurate.
were at last sent back a distance OF Is
kilometers to weave revetments. CAB
ions. etc. At later stage they were
marched forward again. and when they
refused to work were once more at
tackled with rife butts and bayonets.
! RODE OVER THEM WITH HORSES.
| Finally they were surrounded by G
| detachment OF cavalry. who pricked
them with lances, struck them with butt
ends, and rode over them with their
| horses At last they had 10 yield
! Such treatment as this was only a
small part OF their sufferings. In spite
I OF the excessive work. to which they
were driven like cattle. they were given
/ less than the modicum OF food reason
! able for subsistence. Their total diet
| consisted OF 4e0 grams of bread per
| day. turnip and water for dinner. and
4 coffee for breakfast and supper. They
We're never given meat and never even
! pota atoes. Over-work combined with
4 senai-starvation reduced them 70 utter
! feebleness and in appearance to walk
| ing skeletons. But toll was never re.
mitted.
! BARBARoCS PUNISHMENT.
| In the case of prisoners refusing to
work on the enemy's defences. barbarous
punishments were frequently inflicted
Holes a metre deep were dug and filled
with water and men were made TO stand
| in them for hours. But the worst
/ devilry was ''crucifxion." The Russian
prisoner whose report IS here chronicI-
! ed gives a detailed description Of this
practice as applied to himself He had
As a punishment he was tied to a tree
for three hours. His wrists were twist
ed high behind his back and bound with
thin wire to the tree Thin wire was
then drawn tightly below his knees. the
loose root on which he stood was kick
ed away and he was left hanging BY
his wrists. After hours he lost con
| seriousness. was lowered to the ground
and was caned on the feet until he came
to life again. Forthwith he was drag
ged TO the guard-house where he re-
4 mained in a dark cell for % days or
bread and water. Only once on th'
| 12th day was he allowed to ascenG
| emporarily TO the light On the ex
! piration of his sentence he was put e
work with others. They worked 10